Operation Level Up is an 18-week Software Engineering Immersive program offered exclusively to active-duty military members in their last six months of service. Galvanize trains soldiers in their last six months of active duty service to prepare for a career in software engineering upon their transition to civilian life. Today, we’re catching up with Jinsik Kim, one of our recent graduates from our Operation Level Up program.
What is your background before coming to Galvanize?
I was born and raised in the Republic of Korea and moved to the U.S. in 2008. My family and I chose to live in the United States as immigrants for a better future. In 2015 I decided to join the U.S. Army to challenge myself with new experiences. After several years of serving this country, I decided to get out of the military and become a civilian with new skills. I joined part of the team in the Galvanize Operation Level Up program and learned several techs during the program. I have successfully graduated from the program and am looking forward to a new journey.
How did you find out about the Galvanize Level Up program and what made you want to start it?
This program was the best opportunity for me during my transition to civilian life. I was ready to get out of the military, but I was looking to learn any skill that can help me to live as a civilian. Also, I am a PC gamer, so I know a little bit about computers. Some of the time, I was very interested in how things work in my computer programs. That is why I wanted to be in this program.
What is one thing that surprised you when getting into the world of tech?
I was surprised when I was writing some code in JavaScript and I was able to see through the development server. It felt like I was creating whatever I wanted to write and see on my server, and that made me curious as to how I can present it to others on a website.
What project are you most proud of?
I am proud of my first project with the great team of engineers I was working with during this program. We created a website with several items, prices, pictures, descriptions, and reviews. I was working on the reviews part, and after I successfully presented it to my team, we combined our components together as one.
What are some goals you have in your new career?
I am looking forward to learning and practicing my tech skills and ready to work with amazing companies. During job seeking, I am looking into education which is going to school and attending some classes to educate myself.
What is a quote that you live by?
“Work hard, play hard.”
