Former police officer Van Phat and his spectacular journey to IT

Have you ever thought about what "switching from a policeman to a Dev" would be like? Right here at Sun*, such a special story exists. That is the story of Van Phat - 'the policeman who knows coding’ of Sun* Da Nang.

After years of rigorous training and a year working officially in the police force, Phat began to realize the difference between him and the force. Unable to let his emotions affect the working efficiency, after many nights spent pondering, Phat finally made the bold decision to leave the police force and switch to another field, which was brave, even to Phat himself. That decision of Phat surprised many relatives and family members.

"’A career as a policeman is stable and well-treated, why quit?’ This is the saying that I hear a lot from people after leaving the force. But I really want to change and I'm happy with that choice. Moreover, I am young, and I want to explore my full potential!" - Phat shared.

In the midst of struggling to find a new opportunity, Phat was introduced to the IT industry by a friend.

"Back when I was a student, I had some IT knowledge, but it was IT HelpDesk. At that time, I only knew how to build computers, install Windows OS or jailbreak phones for fun. I was intrigued, so I tried stuff out, I just ‘knew’ the how-to but I didn’t really understand. When I officially started learning about IT, that's when I practiced writing the first lines of code. That period was really tough, I had to teach myself, my English was not good, so I was slow to learn and understand the problem. I wanted to give up countless times." - Phat said.

It is not easy to get through that tough time. Initially, Phat studied the Java language, but then he felt that he was improving at a slow pace, so his friends advised him to try PHP, as this language seems to be easily accessible to self-learners like Phat. He switched to learning PHP, self-studying for about 2 months. He then adapted faster and understood better, and had more interest in learning.

"Self-study made my knowledge quite confusing. I only learned a little bit of everything, from basic to advanced knowledge, and none of them was adequate because I didn't have a clear learning path. Therefore, I decided to enroll in a center to focus on reorganizing the knowledge I had learned. And so, because I had studied the knowledge before, I could easily pass the tests. Later, I started working in a more professional IT environment which made me more skillful. Sun* is a place that values ​​personal development, so I also learned a lot here."

Although his journey to the IT industry was difficult, Phat still decided to stick with this profession because Phat felt that IT was suitable for him and gave him joy.

"When I came to IT, I learned a lot of new things in terms of knowledge, how to look at problems and even at life! Programming is actually very close to real life, so when I learned how to solve programming problems, I can also apply that to some parts of life. That has helped me grow more in my way of thinking and living. Moreover, the comfortable working environment and creativity of the IT industry make me very happy and I want to stick with it for a long time."

The current Dev Van Phat is happy, full of energy and potential: "Now I can do what I like. The working environment at Sun* is very suitable for my personality. My colleagues here always care for, respect and help each other. They always listen to ideas and recognize worthy achievements."

Since joining Sun*, in addition to professional work, Phat actively participates in other activities with his colleagues. Who said that Devs are dry? At Sun* Da Nang, Phat is famously dubbed as "Bang Kieu of Da Nang". The reason is very simple: Phat has a voice like that of singer Bang Kieu and he can play musical instruments such as guitar, piano, electric guitar.... What a talented person!

Being a good Dev is not easy, let alone being a Dev who is good at work and musically gifted like Phat. "I started playing the guitar in my freshman year at university, later I learned to play the piano and electric guitar, but I can only play for myself to sing, not to the level of virtuosity like a professional! But people like to hear me sing so that is enough to make me happy!"

Sunners can listen to Phat's songs here.

You gain some, you lose some. What's important is what to gain and what to lose, just be calm and choose wisely.

That’s Phat’s life motto!

In life, people very often fall into situations where they have to choose. And the choice is not always easy. No one wants to choose risk, so in the face of all changes, just calm down and actively find the most suitable direction for you, then, believe that your choice will be the right one. Do what you love, live your passion and be determined to pursue it to the end, then you will be successful on the path you choose.