Dansday
I often reflect on how a curious teenager in Indonesia turned into a full stack engineer based in Malaysia. It was not a smooth ride, but I took specific steps that anyone can follow. I am sharing my path so you can see why I made certain choices and what trade offs I had to face along the way.
My journey began with an Android phone running KitKat when I was fourteen. Instead of just playing games, I obsessed over rooting it and using tools such as Game Guardian to manipulate memory. This taught me how to understand the how of a system before looking at a textbook. Later, I used my curiosity for web security to perform MySQL injection and deface sites. Getting caught and facing school penalties was painful, but it redirected my energy toward a tech olympiad. This taught me that failure can be a catalyst for growth if you treat it with discipline.
I chose to study at Politeknik Negeri Jakarta because it offered a double degree track. Spending time at Asia e University in Malaysia gave me a crucial foothold in the local job market. From 2019 to 2023, I navigated between multimedia and technical subjects. While multimedia was not the most direct route to a software engineering role, it gave me a strong start. When I reached Malaysia, I noticed that videography roles were rare. I had to pivot toward web development, spending weeks mastering Laravel, Agile, and Scrum. The rejection I faced during those two months taught me the importance of aligning my skills with what companies actually pay for.
Networking felt uncomfortable, but I forced myself to reach out directly to hiring managers. When I wanted an internship at iPrice, I messaged Bilhasry Ramadhony every single week. My persistence worked, and I secured an internship. I viewed those four months as an intensive bootcamp where I learned from engineers such as Nahida and Cua. I gave everything I had, which helped me land a full time role despite the financial trouble the company later faced. My adaptability in that volatile environment is what secured my place as a full stack engineer.
If you want to follow a similar path, consider this roadmap.
- Start with hands on experimentation Practice on the devices you own because practical tinkering beats theory every time.
- Channel your hacker drive ethically Focus on debugging and security rather than causing chaos.
- Select a degree with a strong tech track Look for exchange programs that help you enter the market where you want to work.
- Learn skills that are in demand Align your self study with the web and mobile roles that businesses are currently hiring for.
- Network with intent Reach out to managers directly and keep your follow up polite but consistent.
- Treat your internship like a trial period Absorb every process you can and deliver more than what is expected.
- Adapt and stay resilient Do not let uncertainty keep you from delivering value to your team.
My journey was not a straight line, and I made plenty of mistakes. By staying curious, pivoting when the market demanded, and never stopping the grind of learning, I turned into a full stack engineer. If you are willing to put in the same level of persistence, the path is open for you too.