We spoke with Andrei Ogarkov, the manager of the EPAM training center. He told us what qualities of a student are the most important, how not to be afraid to change your life, and why the training center appreciates specialists from different fields.
What is the EPAM training center?
For some of you, this is an interesting job and, at the same time, a talent factory. For others, this is a starting place in a new profession. In the most general sense, a training center is about a practice that everyone needs. There is a universal rule, and, in my opinion, it works: it takes 10,000 hours to become a professional at something. Probably, the first 1000 hours is the period of training, when you are a university student or study on your own, get fundamental knowledge. These are like the first steps. The hours a student spends in our laboratories is about 3000 required hours.
The last year has had a considerable impact on the education system. What has changed at the EPAM training center?
The last year brought some failures in the education system. The positive aspect of this is that the knowledge began to be digitized real quick. A significant number of digital tools appeared. Being an IT company, we were ready for such a situation. We have a place to store, digitize and post information. The form of training has also changed: now we teach online. On the one hand, teaching online is more difficult. On the other hand, the webinar format helps people (both teachers and students) feel freer and study in a comfortable environment. This form of training also influenced the number of students we can accept for training. We used to be limited by the classroom capacity and the number of computers. Now, we are not.
Who can study at EPAM?
First, graduates from technical universities can study at EPAM. These may be graduates who have just started working. Those who want to change the vector of their professional development also come to study at EPAM. Our training center allows you to do that.
Can it be a person who decided to change the field of expertise?
Yes, absolutely. However, most trainings require some background. You can go to the webpage of our training center, look through the requirements for admission, the training program, and understand what, for example, a Java developer should know. Even if some of the above is missing, this is a good orienting point to acquire these skills in the first place. However, the focus is on your desire and motivation. Indeed, specialists from other fields, sometimes not even close to IT, often come to us for knowledge and practice. We understand that this is a difficult choice and a difficult path for them, but such students are the most disciplined, the most persistent, and confident in their conscious choice to get a new profession. We value such students.
Name three qualities of a good student.
The first quality is readiness for change. The best evidence of this willingness is a certain degree of dissatisfaction with something in the current situation and the existence of a goal or plan for the near future. If something lacks yet, it is not a big deal. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The student must search. The second quality is proactivity, in other words, interest with a willingness to purposefully do something. The third one is self-discipline. It helps to remember why you started this path and where exactly you want to go.
Why shouldn’t you worry about becoming a student if you are older than 20?
We often hear about the term Lifelong Learning—education throughout life. We hear about new professions and professions becoming a thing of the past. We are getting used to the fact that the profession we received after the university is likely to change or disappear altogether. It is like trains at a train station: one opportunity train comes and goes, followed by another. Change trains occasionally to go in the right direction. You need to understand what you want, set goals, and acquire new skills. When you apply skills, you inevitably get a new profession. Your age is not important. This is our reality. There is something so cool and modern about it.
Being a student of the EPAM training center, what are the chances to become an employee?
Many students receive and accept long-awaited job offers. Most junior specialists get hired to the company through the EPAM training center, and it says it all.
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