How to start a career in IT without experience: a developer's story from MEGA

Zhyldyzbek Osmonkulov, city — Bishkek, Java Developer

About Me

I am from the city of Balykchy, a small regional town. After school, I enrolled at Altai State University, located in Barnaul, majoring in "Informatics and Computer Engineering." The education provided me with a solid theoretical foundation, but my main professional growth began outside the university — through practice and participation in real projects.

I came to IT consciously — I am one of those who likes to sit in a comfortable chair, in a calm environment, and do work where details and accuracy matter. Programming turned out to be the perfect combination of all that. After my first year of university, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, I found myself in Bishkek and started looking for courses or internships so as not to waste time. That’s how I found courses from MEGA Company, which marked the beginning of my journey. To this day, I continue to work at this company.

About My First IT Job

I started my career at MEGA Company — I was 18 years old then. After completing the courses, I was taken into the team developing the MEGAPay financial wallet. At the start, I held the position of Junior Developer and was engaged in backend development: writing microservices, working with databases, and participating in team discussions. It was an intensive period of growth.

I found the MEGA Company courses online. I was attracted by the fact that they don’t just provide education but promise employment to the best graduates. It seemed like a real chance to enter the profession. The training was serious: from morning till evening, like a full-time job. I tried to be among the best — and it worked: at the end of the course, I passed an interview and received an offer.

The interview was conducted in one stage with the leads of two teams. The questions were basic: about programming fundamentals, databases. The main focus was on soft skills — how I interact, whether I can listen, whether I ask questions. I prepared using study materials and analyzed typical questions with interviewers. I think it also played a role that I was maximally involved in the learning process during the courses.

The university gave me a theoretical base, and personal qualities — discipline, responsibility, and the desire to develop — helped me get through intensive training and successfully find employment. Without internal motivation, it is difficult in IT — you need to keep learning constantly.

About Difficulties

I was lucky that the MEGA Company courses ended with the opportunity to receive an offer. I didn’t have to go through dozens of rejections, as many people do. It was a successful start.

Rejections came later — when I started interviewing at other companies to understand where I stand in the market. But almost always I received feedback, which I used to work on my mistakes. The main thing is not to take rejections to heart. It’s a chance to grow and understand what needs to be improved.

The most difficult part at work was fitting into a team where there were already clear processes and high responsibility. I had to learn quickly and adapt. The team and team lead supported me — they answered all questions, guided me, shared experience. This helped at the start.

The main difficulty for beginners in this field is the lack of experience. Companies often look for “juniors with experience,” which creates a vicious circle. Another problem is uncertainty: what to learn, how to learn, where to apply. It is hard for a beginner to understand what is expected of them. Therefore, it is important not just to study, but to participate in internships, pet projects, and interviews.

3 Tips That Will Help a Young Specialist Find a Job in IT

1. Don’t be afraid to apply even without experience. It’s better to send 50 applications and get 10 rejections than not to try at all.

2. Create a pet project and upload it to GitHub — this is your portfolio and a great reason to discuss something specific during an interview.

3. Be proactive: learn, ask questions, participate in hackathons, open internships, and professional communities — you should be noticed.