Testimonials
How Belinda Started Building Her Career While Studying
Related Topics
Related Topics
Belinda Valentya is 18 years old and weeks away from finishing CLaaS2SaaS’s work-study degree. Along the way, she has built experience in marketing while studying, taking a path that looks very different from the traditional route through school.
When she first heard about the program, her reaction was simple: “It feels unreal.”
The idea of studying while gaining work experience at the same time allowed her to start building career experience early. Today, Belinda works as a Marketing Associate, creating videos, brand assets, blog posts, and other content for real projects.
A Path That Started Early
Growing up in Indonesia, Belinda was younger than many of her classmates and started her education earlier than usual. After completing ninth grade, she was not old enough to enter the high school she wanted, so she began considering a different path for her education.
She enrolled at the London School of Accountancy and Finance in Jakarta, giving her a route toward the diploma she needed to continue her education.
The decision was not entirely easy. Many of her friends were still in high school, and she sometimes felt like she was missing out on a familiar part of student life.
“I feel like I missed it, but at the same time I got to start early. I think it’s a win-win.”
That early start eventually led her to a work-study pathway that would combine education with practical experience.
A Program That “Felt Unreal”
Belinda first heard about the work-study program by Lithan Academy, through her college’s partnership with it. Her parents encouraged her to consider the opportunity, particularly because she could gain work experience while studying and graduate sooner than through a traditional degree.
For Belinda, the appeal was not simply finishing her studies early. It was getting the chance to start working toward a career while she was still learning.
Learning by Doing
Belinda began her 12-month boot camp in September 2024, covering 12 modules and learning tools and concepts she had not encountered before.
The experience was demanding, particularly as she worked through much of the learning independently. Her mentors helped make the material easier to understand, but she still had to take responsibility for keeping up with the program.
What kept her going was something much simpler: she genuinely enjoyed learning.
“I guess I just enjoy learning in general,” she says. “So despite the challenges, I still enjoy learning everything.”
Two areas stood out to her: building marketing strategies and customer funnels across different platforms, and learning how AI tools such as ChatGPT could be used in a digital business environment.
The boot camp gave her the foundation. The workplace would show her how those skills worked in practice.
From Learning to Real Work
After the boot camp, Belinda moved into her apprenticeship, where the tools and concepts she had learned became part of her everyday work.
Her responsibilities include video editing, organic social content, brand assets, emails, reporting support, website and landing page work, and blog content. Canva and CapCut are among her most-used tools, alongside ChatGPT and Gemini.
The transition from learning to working helped make the connection between the classroom and the workplace much clearer. Skills that once existed as lessons became part of real projects and day-to-day responsibilities.
The experience also taught her that working life involves more than technical skills. Learning to work with different personalities became one of her biggest adjustments.
Balancing work and study have been another challenge. Her schedule can involve working from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., followed by evening classes several times a week. The work has been rewarding, but managing professional and academic responsibilities at the same time has also been tiring.
The Project That Changed Her Mind
One campaign project ended up changing more than just her skills.
Belinda spent around two months working on a campaign kit. During that process, she realized that she was particularly drawn to content creation, from videos and posts to captions and creative ideas.
That discovery has also changed the direction she imagined for her career.
She had once pictured herself working at Google after graduation. Now, she has a different goal.
“I want to create my own agency.”
The shift came from learning more about the work she enjoyed and the kind of career she wanted to build. Her experience in the program helped her see that digital business could lead her in a direction she had not originally considered.
Growing Through the Work
One of the clearest signs of Belinda’s progress is her development as a video editor.
When she started, she had little confidence in her editing skills. After a year of working, learning from others, and producing content regularly, she could see a significant difference between her earlier work and what she creates now.
“Looking back at the videos I edited then, and the ones I edit now, there’s a very big difference. I’m very proud of that.”
Video production has become one of her favorite parts of the job. She particularly enjoys the creative process behind it, from brainstorming ideas and developing hooks to experimenting with sounds, music, and different editing styles.
Looking Ahead
Belinda is approaching graduation with both experience and some uncertainty.
She expects to have around two years of work experience by the time she finishes, but she will also still be only 19. That has made her think about what it means to enter the workforce at such a young age.
Rather than seeing graduation as the end of her learning, she already wants to keep developing.
“I guess I just love to learn, so if I could learn it again, why not?”
Her Advice to the Next Student
Belinda’s advice to students following a similar path is straightforward: treat every project as if it were for a real client, and document your work along the way to build a portfolio.
Belinda started her education earlier than many of her peers, gained professional experience while studying, and discovered a passion for content creation along the way.
Now, she is not simply thinking about what job she will take after graduation. She is thinking about building something of her own.
Ready to Write Your Own Story?
Explore the CLaaS2SaaS work-study program to learn digital marketing while gaining practical work experience alongside your studies.
Ingin tahu apakah karier ini cocok untuk Anda?
