4 Tips to Excel in Bangkit:
Notes from Yuanita Intan Paramitasari, Best Graduate from Class 2020

Yuanita Intan Paramitasari is a Bangkit 2020 graduate. Her radiant personality shines through as she coaches Soft Skill Class in Bangkit this year. Time flies when she delivers a session, thanks to her burst of energy and enthusiasm.  

Highly-motivated instructors like Yuanita are really the pulse driving the Bangkit program. So, how does she manage to pull together and radiate this beam of positive energy to those around her? 

In commemoration of International Women’s Day, let us share her story and inspiration with you!

Motivating Students is Her #1 Goal

What brought Yuanita–one of best graduates– back to Bangkit, as a volunteer? 

Her love for Machine Learning and her keenness to share it with others.

“Coming from an accounting background, I find it challenging to study Machine Learning on my own. By joining Bangkit, I was exposed to great industry mentors, instructors, and distinguished experts. Bangkit enabled the best learning experience for me. It continues to shape my career today.  Therefore, I want to share this Bangkit motivation and spirit with the class of 2021. To share and understand their hopes for technology and AI development in Indonesia.” (Yuanita)

It is no surprise when reading Class 2021’s comments on Linkedin that you will find the following opinions:  

“She’s a great mentor. I’m so excited to listen to her session about personal branding, confidence, passion, and struggle to reach for your dreams.” (Zurriyata Fatni) 

“She has inspired and motivated me to achieve my goals.” (Rama Erwinda Putra) 

In the first week of Bangkit, Yuanita has dedicated 20 hours of teaching time for “Life Path” and “Digital Branding” subjects to 10 classrooms over Google Meet. One of her recipes to keep students engaged: Jamboard! 

Supporting Each Other in Bangkit is Key

Learning paths offered in Bangkit -Machine Learning, Mobile Development, and Cloud Computing- are challenging subjects for anyone, even more so for learners with a non-IT background that make up 29 % of this year’s participants. Over the next 19 weeks, students are required to complete multiple assignments and a final group project.

Yuanita knows exactly how this feels. Last year, she struggled and nearly gave up when working on her Python assignments. However, looking back, she is grateful that she had help and support from other students. She was able to pick up clues from group discussions mentioning a list of sites where she could go to to find solutions, such as Kaggle. Sometimes she sent error screenshots to her group, and then her friends would lend a hand. During the Capstone project, even though groups were competing against each other, they were never hesitant to give feedback and advise each other on how to improve their product.

The spirit of supporting each other in Bangkit is indeed something to treasure and continue this year, she exclaimed. As a result, students can tap into the power of networking and project collaboration that may continue to thrive in their post-Bangkit life, just like what Yuanita experienced. In fact, together with Iqbal Maulana, she and other students of Class 2020 from the East Java region established Deep Nusa.AI, a tech community focusing on the use of Artificial Intelligence to solve real-world problems. Their latest move with the Governor office includes creating a surveillance system to control mask-wearing and physical distancing in Surabaya and East Java’s traditional market areas. 

4 Tips to Excel in Bangkit 

As soon as Yuanita completed the Bangkit program, she knew that her future was in AI. She landed her career as Chief Operating Officer in a Surabaya-based startup. She also Co-founded and became CEO of her own startup that she established in 2021 together with other alumni from Class 2020.

In fact, her machine learning competency and career development skills prepped her well for the job. She feels confident in her role to lead both developers and management teams. “All thanks to Bangkit,” her smile broadened. 

With 4 (four) years of professional experience collaborating with multiple community networks, Yuanita believes that what the industry needs these days are university graduates with proven portfolios. In line with this, Bangkit provides an opportunity for students to build their portfolios through the Capstone Project, such as what Yuanita and her team achieved by developing a pneumonia-detection app. In fact, a great capstone project is the key to excelling in Bangkit.

Do you also want to succeed in Bangkit? Here are a few tips from Yuanita:

• Don’t settle for less. Make the most of your learning opportunity 

The Bangkit program only lasts for 6 months, but if we use this learning opportunity to the best of our abilities, the results will be rewarding. We can acquire and hone the skills we need to land our dream job.  

• Stay confident 

Everyone in Bangkit comes from all walks of life and academic backgrounds. Some people might have embarked on their learning path earlier than others, but don’t let this shy you away.  Some others may start late, but there is an equal chance for everyone to make it to the finish line. So, keep going and believe in yourself no matter what. 

• Be visible 

Digital branding, as taught in week 1, is crucial. Not only does it strengthen your will, it also motivates you to achieve more. Be visible. Be out there, online, by sharing your story on LinkedIn and other platforms, such as Github or Medium.

• Keep your spirits high, Never give up midway

Having a background in accounting never stopped Yuanita from pursuing Machine Learning as her career. If you feel like you want to give up, look back at how far you have come. Remember the day you applied for Bangkit and hold fast to the dreams you aspire to achieve.

 Closing our afternoon interview, Yuanita said excitedly: 

“You will succeed in Bangkit only if you really TRY!” (Yuanita) 

4 Tips to Excel in Bangkit:
Notes from Yuanita Intan Paramitasari, Best Graduate from Class 2020 – end