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Published on 04/21/1997 All articles from this issue

School specializes in teaching local Russians computer skills

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By Danya Epstein

Special to the Town Crier

In the past few years, there has been an influx of Russian immigrants to the United States. Many of them are well educated and intelligent, but like many immigrants for whom English is a second language, they have trouble finding a job or may have to take a low paying one.

But now software quality assurance testing has become the domain of Russian immigrants in the Bay Area. "They cannot compete for minimum wage jobs. When they come to software testing, they can. People in testing are much more tolerant of their English skills," says Mikhail Portnov, the founder of Portnov Computer School.

In the small suite of a Mountain View office complex, the school confers on its students the skills for software quality assurance testing. All classes are conducted in Russian.

Portnov, who left Moscow in 1990 and is now a Los Altos resident, faced the struggle that many Russian immigrants face in the United States: finding a job. In Russia he was a telecommunications engineer and a scientist in "intensive methods of vocational training," in other words, "fast teaching."

Despite his background, his technical skills were obsolete in the US. 5 years ago, a friend brought him to software testing, and he has not looked back since. Although he was layed off in three weeks from his first job, he immediately found another for higher pay. Impressed with testing, Portnov decided to help other Russian immigrants get into the field.

In August 1994, the JCC in Palo Alto gave him a small room with old donated computers to start his business. Portnov published several articles in Russian newspapers. His first class had 18 people. In two months, after the graduates had found jobs, "everyone wanted to be a tester." Now the school boasts 200 graduates. There are currently 70 students taking classes at the school and myriad other testing schools. "We started the software testing 'gold rush' in the Russian community," he said.

Both he and his wife, Svetlana, own and operate the school. They also own the Los Altos Software Testing House, Inc. The testing house offers quality assurance services to companies that need additional testing on their products.

Amid the cacophony of Russian voices, students at the school practice on Windows computers. Most classes are conducted in the evening, so students can study and keep their regular jobs. The course is 20 weeks and a new course starts every three weeks. The school offers the classes "Introduction to Computer Technology" and "Testing Computer Software." Also offered are advanced classes in the computer languages C, C++, and Java.

Beyond technical skills, the school also teaches its students job searching and interviewing techniques. Interviewing is a special problem because, according to Portnov, "In Russia, if you say you know this and that, they kick you out," Portnov said.

The school teaches students that they must assert themselves and ask questions. "I teach them how to sell themselves," Portnov said.

To give students work experience, the school offers internship programs with Bay Area companies. After graduating from the school, students take jobs at many companies including Intuit, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard Company, Cannon, and Informix, and Xerox. "Some people find jobs in a week," he adds. Portnov claims that the school has 100 percent job placement. "The best reward is looking at [past students] and [seeing that] they are happy," he concludes, "We bring people back to life."

The Portnov Computer School is located at 1580 W. El Camino Real, Mountain View. For information, call 237-0591.