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Student Q&A: Adam Coville

Certificate IV in Programming (ICT40518)

Information Technology
While Adam Coville had experience working in the electrical trade, he wanted to change careers and noticed that the concepts of programming were a great compliment to the field, so he decided to study the Certificate IV in Programming (ICT40518).

During this course, he found a passion for working on mobile projects, as well as gaining relevant experience using core Microsoft technologies. Learn more about Adam's skills, experience and short and long-term goals in his Q&A below. 

Could you tell us why you chose to study the Certificate IV in Programming (ICT40518)?

As a recent immigrant to Australia, I found myself unable to work in any capacity of the electrical trade without paying excessive licensing fees and getting some certification. I was considering a career change anyway, but the fact that Upskilled offered a self-paced online curriculum for less than the cost of those licensing fees made the decision seem more attractive. 

Programming is also a good complimentary discipline to the electrical trade. I’ve seen where they come together in automation and robotics and I would love to continue exploring the synergy between them. 

What inspired you to pursue a career in programming?

My interest in programming dates back to high school, and previous college courses I attended in the early 2000s. But this is not enough experience in the eyes of the employers in the U.S, certainly not in Australia. 

Technology has changed a lot since then, so it was a good time to retrain anyway. I probably should have pursued a Bachelor’s Degree, but the pricing of tuition for non-permanent residents is very high and this was another factor that influenced my decision to start with a Certificate IV in Programming (ICT40518). programming team

What skills have you gained or improved on since completing the Certificate IV in Programming (ICT40518)?

From Upskilled I gained proficiency in core Microsoft technologies, such as:
  • =C# 
  • .NET
  • SQL 
  • Xamarin. 
I was introduced to the concepts of unit testing and test-driven development. 

I feel like I really got to spread my wings a bit on the mobile project and would like to continue developing it into a fully-fledged mobile game in the future. I learned more effective ways to manage a complex project and I feel it’s put me in a better position to make progress on other projects I’ve been struggling with. 

Tell us your experience with online learning. How did it help you?

In my current circumstances, I would not have been able to complete this course if it weren’t online and self-paced. There are advantages which allowed me to work around the many demands of having young children at home. I could not have completed this if I had to arrange daycare and transportation to and from a campus on top of everything else this required.

What aspects of the course did you enjoy and why?

I enjoyed the open-ended nature of the mobile assignment. It allowed me to become more invested in the project and try harder to put it together. On the other hand, I bit more than I could chew and almost couldn’t get a passing grade in time - that was a valuable lesson in project management. programming team coding at work

What short or long-term goals do you have planned for the future?

In the short term, I need to re-enter the workforce. Local market conditions seem to be that a Certificate IV just isn’t enough to get into a junior developer role. 

I may have to pay the licensing fees to work as an electrician again after all, or work in some other field in the short term while I figure out the best way to complete a Bachelor's degree using the credits I gained from this Certificate IV. 

While it’s disappointing, at least it’s closer to a career change than I was before. In the long term, I am interested in starting my own robotics business, developing advanced unmanned vehicles, and smart-prosthetics.

Want to gain skills in programming? 

If you're looking to change careers like Adam, studying the Certificate IV in Programming (ICT40518) could help you gain relevant skills in the field and prepare you for higher-level qualifications such as a Bachelor's degree, leading you to a more specialised job role in programming.

The qualification is designed to be completed within 12 months and with Upskilled's online delivery mode, you can finish the course much faster depending on your progression. Check out Upskilled's extensive range of  information technology courses and upskill for the career you love today. 
 

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