Practicum grad Valeria Vazhnova shares her story: how she made the switch from a Managing Editor in publishing to a Data Analyst in maritime tech.

Three years ago, I was packing my suitcase and purchasing one-way ticket to Tel Aviv to move in with my Israeli boyfriend (while simultaneously leaving behind my degree in journalism and a dream job at the best Russian publisher). At that time, I struggled with my single biggest fear: to end up as a jobless housewife. Job search websites and Facebook communities weren’t exactly reassuring. Turned out, Israel mainly needed two types of workforce: Russian-speaking caregivers and… those smart boys and girls from high-tech. Okay, now I know what I want. But how do I get there?

For a while I kept working remotely, giving myself time to adjust to the new culture and study Hebrew, but that couldn’t be a permanent solution. So, I started my search for a coding bootcamp. And ended it the very next day, because of the first COVID lockdown and all the mess it brought into our lives.

But they say, when one door closes, another one opens. While I was sitting in my locked apartment, the opportunity arrived and knocked on my door. I was browsing Telegram channels and noticed an ad from Yandex Practicum: they were looking for 100 students for a success-based Data Analysis program. Study now, pay from your future salary. I knew almost nothing about data analysis, but the offer looked too good to ignore it. I applied immediately.

During my application process, I had to complete a basic Python course, analyze a real business case in a short video presentation, pass an online interview… while looking at several thousand other applicants in the Slack channel. That’s when things suddenly felt real, and I started to panic. Two weeks’ wait, and — ta-dam! I’ve received my letter from Hogwarts. I’ve been accepted.

The course started in the end of September. Next half a year was pretty much studying 24/7. Learning to code is very similar to learning a new language: first you feel rather shaky, and have to look up every single method in the documentation, and constantly struggle with code errors. But in a while, you get fluent, and that’s when things become interesting.

We worked in two-week sprints, which means we had to hand in a project every other week. We learned Python and SQL, statistics, digital marketing metrics, prediction algorithms and dashboards… And then something amazing happened. I’ve realized that this profession was a perfect fit for me. It gave me the opportunity to apply my newly acquired knowledge, as well as my love for rules and logic, my meticulousness and hairsplitting mentality (any book editors here? they know what I’m talking about). It seemed that I was actually doing good.

What I especially loved about the course was the level of independence Yandex gave us. They assigned you the task, provided the guidelines, and the opportunity to consult your wonderful and helpful mentors. But you were on your own, doing things your way, inventing your own solutions.

In May, we’ve finished the course, and started the career accelerator part, which was rather dramatic, because it coincided with the escalation of the Israel-Gaza conflict. We were practicing our pitches and polishing our CVs with missiles falling on our heads. Unforgettable experience.

Several weeks in the accelerator program, I applied for an internship in a company which develops software for maritime tourism. I knew that looking for a first job in the industry is the scariest and the most laborious part of the journey, so I was ready to exchange my time and effort for some valid work experience and maybe good recommendations. I tried hard to make a good impression, and I got more than I expected. In two months’ time my internship was over, but I received a job offer from this company, and happily accepted it. Ahoy!

So, now I’m looking back. It took me just a year, but it feels like a whole new life has started. I’ve completely changed my career path and landed an exciting job in the Israeli high-tech sector. On a day-to-day basis I’m doing things that I love (and they are challenging, which I love even more). During my studies, I’ve met a lot of amazing people who became my friends — and I feel that I’m a part of a strong and supportive Yandex Practicum alumni community.

I know that all this sounds a little bit like the Cinderella story, which features a lot of luck and happy coincidences, but it all boils down to one single practical advice: learn to recognize good opportunities, — and go for them! It might not work instantly, but you need to believe in yourself and keep trying. And if by any chance you are considering a course from Yandex Practicum right now, that definitely sounds like a good opportunity! (No, they didn’t pay me for advertising, haha. It’s the other way round, I still owe them money for my tuition.)