Community Stories - Bruno Felalga

Welcome to Community Stories with The Dev Difference, a series dedicated to spotlighting the journeys, challenges, and triumphs of people in our community. Each story offers a personal glimpse into how individuals have grown, the support systems that shaped them, and the paths they’re carving in their careers and lives. Through their stories, we celebrate curiosity, growth, and the power of shared experience, reminding us that while each journey is unique, we’re all connected by the lessons we learn along the way. 😌

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Meet Bruno Felalga, an exceptional mind and a valuable addition to our team. His journey spans three continents, and through his hard work and determination, he has accomplished so much (and he's not done yet)!

1. Tell us a little about how you grew up and the people that helped shape who you are.

I grew up in Accra, Ghana with a loving family of six. Two older sisters and a kid brother. My parents were very strict about education and faith and always made it a point to ensure those were well-observed aspects of our upbringing. My sisters taught me a lot as a child and stood in for my parents countless times to correct myself and my brother. And my brother was kind enough to always challenge my authority and teach me how to be a big brother and an equal. This family dynamic is what helped shape who I am today, a person with faith, resilience in the face of obstacles, and a persistent love for learning. 

2. What big problem would you like to help solve through your work?

I think there is a lot of potential for technology in medicine, education and agriculture today, especially in my home country, Ghana. I worked on computer vision research for non-invasive disease monitoring in my undergraduate research and I think there is a lot of potential there for improving healthcare in disease monitoring and prediction. I am looking into that and similar applications of computer vision for my graduate school applications.

3. Tell us about one of the proudest moments of your career thus far.

I was chosen to attend the United World Colleges in Norway for 11th and 12th grade and that set me off on an interesting and completely different path than what I had planned. That was a very proud moment for me that I still hold dear and put above most other achievements. I met people from all over the world and experienced so much through the program. The network it gave me still remains to this day. 

4. Has The Dev Difference helped you in your job search in any way (through the interview tool, the team, blogs, or other information)?

   
   

I used the interview practice tool extensively for mocking behavioral interviews. This helped me practice at any time and place without having to schedule with someone. I would take notes from my sessions career advisor at the university and also write up my pitch and general responses and would practice them on the platform as many times as needed to feel prepared but not overly practiced. The interview process is tense, and it is very important to show up prepared and ready to present yourself well. 

5. What was the most recent role you got, and how did this impact your career?

   
   

I worked as a software engineer with The {Dev} Difference, working on anti-cheating features on the online interviewing platform. I needed production experience that I was greatly lacking after my Master's program and this was a role that really helped me to learn so much about designing and improving software systems. This also helped me to improve my resume and have more to talk about in my interviews. 

6. What are you up to career-wise now?

   
   

Since I've graduated from UChicago with a Master's in Computer Science and worked with The DevDifference as a Software Engineer, I am currently working at the Human-Computer Integration Lab at UChicago as a Research Assistant. I worked with the lab during my masters program and decided to pursue an RA role on an exciting brain stimulation for reaction time project while I look into and apply to PhD programs!

7. Do you have any advice for job-seekers in tech, especially international students?

I think tailoring your resume for specific roles is very important in the current job market. It can be tedious if you are applying to a lot of roles, but that helps you stand out better, especially for the roles you can actually get. Also, utilizing the alumni network from your school can prove invaluable; most people are open to speaking and giving you referrals or connecting you to more relevant people they know. For international students, you can volunteer in your first year of OPT. That can be helpful for getting some experience if you are lacking in industry experience.

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