Steve Eum

Where are you working currently, and what do you do there?

I am a Business Analyst/Product Owner at Capgemini, an IT consulting company with global presence. I am currently on a project with Unilever while also developing a Capgemini Business Analyst/Product Owner course internally.

Can you tell us a bit about your education and career background?

Before BrainStation, I was a diesel technician and general manager at a shop in New York for a decade. I have always wanted to work with my hands so I enrolled in one of the best trade schools in the country. There I graduated with an Associate’s Degree and Diploma in auto-diesel technology.

Why did you choose to study at BrainStation?

There are many bootcamps out there that teach you “tech.” What sold me on BrainStation was on top of the skills they taught, their career and development team was put together extremely well. The community they have is awesome and their team follows up with you after your completion of the course and it makes you feel special in their community.

Simply put: BrainStation changed the course of my life. Being able to meet all these great and wonderful people kept me sane during the job hunt. It was the network I made at BrainStation that got me where I am today, and for that I am truly forever grateful. BrainStation still supports me even till this day to ensure success in my career!

What motivated you to start digital skills training?

I was constantly working six to seven days of the week at my previous place of employment, which left me no time with my family and my own happiness. I.T. was always one of my interests and seeing friends in the digital realm build applications for their employers while spending a considerable amount of time with their family had me quite envious. When COVID hit and made the world stop, I took some online coding courses to see if it aligned with my interest. Of course it did so I decided to take a leap of faith in hopes of looking for stability and ultimately, happiness. The drive to make sure I succeeded was the deciding factor in enrolling in BrainStation.

What was the highlight of your learning experience?

There’s so many highlights from my time in BrainStation I don’t know where to begin. I would go as far as saying that the 3 months of my time at BrainStation were my highlights. From the Educators, to the TAs, to the peer project, to the industry hackathon, and the capstone project were all considerable highlights. But if I had to choose one, it would definitely have to be my classmates. We grew so close in the short time we spent with each other (we still talk even now!), that we’ve become lifelong friends that I will forever cherish.

How has your BrainStation experience impacted your career?

Simply put: BrainStation changed the course of my life. Being able to meet all these great and wonderful people kept me sane during the job hunt. It was the network I made at BrainStation that got me where I am today, and for that I am truly forever grateful. BrainStation still supports me even till this day to ensure success in my career!

What would you say were the most valuable skills you learned? How have you incorporated those skills into your current role?

BrainStation beats the fundamentals into you. Although my role right now doesn’t involve as much coding as I learned during the bootcamp, I still am able to use what I learned to contribute in some way or to understand how a certain feature would work. The skills I learned helped break the barrier and close the gap that would have been there if I didn’t learn from them. Whether it’s the Agile methodology or using Jira in a Kanban/Scrum team, BrainStation’s education has helped me adjust quickly in my current role.

What advice would you give to professionals considering a BrainStation course or program?

If you’re serious about it, do it. I want to leave the aspiring individual, reader, career changer, or whatever stage you’re currently at in your life these 3 things:

Utilize BrainStation’s network. They have a very vast and deep network since they have been doing this for a long time now. Get your money’s worth!

Make friends in your cohort and stay close with them. This is a bootcamp and the people going through the course are going through what you are going through. They will be your brothers and sisters and it will help so much in the long run.

BELIEVE. BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN DO IT!