Aida Sagandykova

Meet Aida Sagandykova, originally from Semey, she is 22. Having studied computational mathematics and cybernetics at the Kazakhstan branch of Lomonosov Moscow State University, she works as a full-stack developer in an Astana software company. In 2022, the girl won the first competition of the Yessenov Launch Pad program, which gives grants for additional education. What, how and why did Aida study using the grant?

How is your specialty interesting?
I can bring my ideas to life and see how my creative efforts turn into useful applications or services. My interest in programming began only at the university, where I studied various disciplines related to programming and higher mathematics. In the 3rd year of study in Moscow, we had a computer workshop, where we were given the task to develop our own web application on Django, that’s when I realized that I wanted to be a developer.

Tell us about your position in the company?
I am a beginner full-stack developer in php (Laravel, Bitrix), VueJS. The end product of such developers are, as a rule, online stores, corporate websites, online training systems, booking, forums, social networks and much more. My tasks include supporting the functionality and layout of websites for state and quasi-state structures – clients of our company.

Do you manage and how to maintain work-life balance?
There are simple rules that I follow. I try not to bring work home, if something else is left undone and it’s not so urgent, then I finish it the next day (when my brains are fresher). Outside of work, I spend time with my husband, friends, parents, and with my spouse we also go for a run. Running relieves stress, and after you feel a surge of strength for other activities. I try to go to bed before 11 pm, then it’s easier to wake up at 7 am in the morning. I also keep a to-do list in my notebook for every day, roughly schedule my tasks that I plan to complete by the hour. It helps a lot.

How did you learn about Yessenov Launch Pad and why did you decide to participate?
My sister, Aigerim (previously participated in other Yessenov Foundation competition) wrote about this program in her blog. It was from her that I learned about the Yessenov Launch Pad. I wanted to develop in the field of development, so I found a lot of useful and interesting courses, but they were all rather expensive. So the grant that I won from the foundation made it much easier for me to take and pass  them.

Why do you think you were chosen as the winner of the competition? What can you advise to others?
I think ambition and hard work are one of my most important traits. Apparently, I managed to show them during the competition. I think everyone needs to find an area in which it will be really interesting to develop and achieve success. After that, it is necessary to define clear and specific goals that need to be achieved and develop an action plan for their implementation. Try to constantly expand your knowledge and skills by taking part in educational programs and courses, reading specialized literature.

What courses did you choose for the foundation grant that you won?
I purchased courses on Docker containerization, algorithms and data structures from Okdara.School, as well as  NodeJS developer – from ItProger. This is what every developer needs to know nowadays. I especially really liked the last course, after which I found a job.

How was the training, what did you learn?
The training took place online, a new lesson was published every 3 days, it was supported by homework. At the end of the course, I was given 14 days to complete a graduation project, where I created my online store using NodeJS (ExpressJS), JS, HTML/CSS, MongoDB, also applying knowledge of Docker. After courses on algorithms and data structures, I got into the habit of solving at least one problem a day on Leetcode.

What’s your plan for the next 2-3 years?
Surely, to develop further, to continue learning new things, to grow professionally. I plan to enroll in a master’s degree in IT. My husband and I want to open an online tutoring center in mathematics, programming and physics. We will share our experience and knowledge with children and students. We are currently developing our own website. You can follow us on instagram.

What are your interests besides professional ones?
I am engaged in amateur running, I participate in various races, in 2022 ran my first half marathon (21.1 km). I also develop my blog in the Telegram, where I post about my path as a programmer, runner and Moscow State University student. Besides, I like to take pictures and go hiking.