ICT story: our fellow citizen in one of the major US insurance companies

IT Park continues to acquaint our subscribers with Uzbek IT professionals working abroad under our special column "ICT story".  Today, We’d like to introduce you to iBoburjon Rakhmonov.

Boburjon is 34 years old.  He graduated from the University of World Economy and Diplomacy in 2011.  He currently lives in Florida and works for Centene Corporation as a Remote Senior Business Intelligence Data Engineer.  The company's headquarters is located in Missouri.

How did you end up abroad?

As Boburjon recalls, thoughts of moving began to appear after graduation.

“After graduating from the University of World Diplomacy and Economics in 2011, I worked for a year and a half in a Korean company in Uzbekistan, where I improved my skills. Even then, I began to apply for master's programs at universities in Korea, Japan and the United States. What made me very happy was that several universities were ready to accept me at once.”

One of these universities was Lincoln University - a private university located in Oakland (USA, California).  So, in January 2013, Boburjon moved to San Francisco.

When asked why he chose the United States in particular, he replies: for quality conditions and opportunities.

“The main goal of my immigration was to get an education, improve my skills and learn from international business experience. I understood that it was in America that I could gain tremendous experience and that endless opportunities would open up. But what is interesting is that I never thought that I would go into the IT.  At the time, it seemed like an unrealistic dream to me.”

Did you face any difficulties?

There wasn’t a problem with obtaining a visa, and in general the process of moving was simple, says Boburjon. Difficulties came after that - a lot of money was needed: for studies, housing and food. Therefore, in parallel with his studies, Beaubourjon worked at night in a pizzeria and a French restaurant.

“Life abroad has its difficulties and hardships. It is difficult when there are no relatives and friends around, there is no support that you are used to. Lack of money was the most difficult test. But you should not despair. Perhaps thanks to the education and experience gained at UWED, I learned to never back down, work hard and move only forward. The problems gradually decreased, and I adapted to life in a new country.”

Why USA?

Boburjon now works for Centene Corporation.

Centene Corporation is one of the largest US corporations providing medical services and health insurance.

He is responsible for ensuring the data security of healthcare providers and users, as well as data analysis for business and data standardization in the backend.

“One of my most recent projects in Ohio was the integration of Molina Healthcare with the federal Medicaid program. Hundreds of thousands of people were covered by this program. And I'm also currently working on a project to bring cloud computing capabilities to the company and support it."

As Boburjon notes, in the United States, the demand for IT specialists in the private sector is very high, and this market is practically not subject to administrative or other interference from the state.

“I practically did not feel the dependence of the IT sector on the public sector. The state, like any private company, hires IT specialists to implement projects. Currently, one of the conditions created for IT professionals is that they are allowed to work from home or work part or all of the office. In addition, there are very good salaries. If a specialist wants to take part in an IT conference, many companies will pay for his expenses. IT companies invest as much as possible in their specialists and encourage them.”

How do you assess the IT sphere of Uzbekistan?

Boburjon notes the changes that have taken place in the IT industry of Uzbekistan in recent years.

“The IT sector in Uzbekistan is definitely undergoing positive changes and is actively developing. But, unfortunately, I will note that demand in the private sector is still very low, so it does not get enough acceleration.  Many projects do not have sufficient budget because they are funded by the state. But despite this, IT specialists are very competent and strong.”

If a market opens up for Uzbek specialists, he is confident that they will be able to show themselves well and win respect.  This, in turn, can lead to increased confidence in Uzbek specialists and the opening of large IT centers.

“Also, based on my area, it would be good if Uzbekistan accelerated the development of cloud computing - Azure, AWS, GoogleCloud, Snowflake, etc. Now all companies are switching to this technology, and the demand for it is very high. I really hope that all this will appear in Uzbekistan in the future.”

What advice would you give to young IT professionals?

Boburjon advises young developers and programmers to study a lot and believe in themselves.

“I would advise those who have just entered this area to be patient. The IT sphere is developing actively, you need to constantly learn a lot and learn as much as possible. And be sure to learn at least 1 or 2 languages, this will help in making a successful career. And surely, I wish all young people good luck and would tell them to keep fighting for their place in the IT sector.”