San Fransisco was adorned in vibrant orange and red foliage, stroking the city with golden hues. Bervianto stepped out of his hotel, and the crisp autumn air immediately greeted him that morning. He took a moment to gaze upon the Golden Gate Bridge that stood tall in all its glory over the ocean that embraced the twinkling bay. He continued heading to an international tech conference in the city, where he was invited as a speaker. Awaiting him were equally bright tech enthusiasts from all corners of the world with a shared passion for continuous learning. A smile rose from his face as he made his way onto the stage; he was living the dream. It was a glimpse of Bervianto Leo Pratama’s tech conference experience in the United States, showcasing his journey as a dedicated software engineer in Mitrais. 

Bervianto Leo Pratama, or Bervi for short, understands that in today’s fast-paced world, a professional like himself has to constantly adapt to new tools, frameworks, and the industry’s best practices to stay relevant and competitive. However, balancing the demands of a full-time job with the desire to upskill can be challenging, but it does not mean it is a bridge too far. This time let’s zoom our lenses on Bervi’s quest to align his career success with his passion. 

Planting the Seed of Success in Mitrais 

Bervi launched his career with Mitrais as a Software Engineer in July 2021. As a self-appointed lifelong learner, he was stunned by the diverse courses that the company offered to improve his skills. Bervi commented, “I was so excited about the many opportunities available in Mitrais, from English classes to hard-skill training and more.” 

To him, one of the biggest challenges in the industry is how dynamic it is. “I keep learning many things that are in high demand nowadays, so I can easily keep track of the technology updates. Those skills help me to complete my tasks.”  

Finding the Harmony between Job and Passion 

Bervi is keen on his job and is all about bringing the best to the table. But he also has other zests he loves spending his time on after the clock strikes five. “I truly appreciate how Mitrais promotes work-life balance so that I can do my hobbies after work,” said the Analyst Programmer who usually uses his spare time to network with other content creators. Bervi believes that being part of a community that is eager to learn continuously will encourage him to grow personally and professionally. “So, I joined Amazon Web Services (AWS) Community Builder, where we learned from each other.” 

From Blogging to Tech Forums 

His fire for knowledge sharing and learning brought Bervi into the world of tech blogging in 2020, as he thought it would open the opportunity to speak at tech events. Pouring his mind, heart, and a touch of humour into his blog posts to help others ace new tech eventually bore fruit. His blog was recognised, and at last, the AWS Community Builder invited him in 2022 to deliver an online talk on Basic Scaling in AWS.  

The first gig motivated him to blog more and grind even further on his public speaking skills.  ”For almost two years since the initial talk, I have been sharpening my skills in presenting my talks like a pro. Not only the English aspect but also how to deliver a speech that is appealing and understandable to the audience. Technical things are hard to understand sometimes, especially for non-software engineers. So, I usually give some illustrations to help them grasp the idea.” 

The invitation to present a talk did not just stop there. Bervi shared, “I have executed various talks, both online and offline. For the online one, I showcased my mastery of Vagrant and Terraform, the tools for infrastructure, in HashiTalks 2023 and 2024. The community is amazing; we can share our topics and learn from others.” 

Advancing to International Tech Forums 

The day Bervi was anticipating finally came. His heart was racing when a notification popped up from HashiConf 2023. He was over the moon to learn that he had been invited as a speaker at the conference abroad. He amusingly shared, “Unlike my online experience, my first experience with face-to-face talk was HashiConf 2023, which took place in San Francisco, USA. My talk was challenging because I had to fight the jetlag, but I did my best to share about Vagrant and Kubernetes, the tools used by many industries.”  

While sharing his knowledge at the conference, Bervi also gained many treasured takeaways. “Attending HashiConf 2023 has helped me shape my public speaking skills by observing other brilliant speakers. Even though the technical things might be boring, they delivered them in such interesting ways to understand their topics. It has improved my confidence to present my topic in a way that keeps the audience engaged.” 

The Secret Recipe for Upskilling  

Are you interested in joining a conference or potentially speaking at tech forums in the future? Bervi has got your back.  

• Join a Relevant Community 
  Bervi recommends joining a community that loves improving. “You don’t need to follow my path, but you should love your hobbies and find others who share the spirit. I got the opportunity to speak from my community. When you are competent, your community will need you to share.” 
  
• Find your Niche and Keep Learning
  Also, he suggests learning from technical articles and listening to talks. Doing so helps prepare yourself and your topics. “However, you should find your niche first and what topics you are into. It will help you find the right information effectively instead of learning so many random topics simultaneously.” 
  
• Get a Good Mentor and Build Confidence 
  Bervi believed that a mentor would bring out the best in you. He mentioned, “You just need to be confident, but if you are not confident enough, you may want to ask any seniors and improve from their input. I believe they will help you to be more confident.”  

It’s your Turn 

Bervi is living proof that despite the challenges, you can make it happen when you are determined, in the right community, and, of course, in the right workplace that supports your growth.  

Do you wish to get updates on other awesome Software Engineers like Bervi and get inspired? #JoinMitraistoday and follow us at lifeatmitrais on Instagram.