From BSc in Information Technology to a Data Scientist: My career trajectory will surprise you!
Coming from a middle-class family that lives in a small village in Berhampur (Odisha), I had convinced myself to work in order to earn for my family, right after I finishing my schooling.
Completing my primary education from a rural school in Odisha, I decided to move to Mumbai in search of work. June 5 (2015), I boarded a train and started a journey towards my undecided career. My father’s health was deteriorating, so I started working at a marketing company and then a telecom company. I even worked with the garment sector. By then, I had realized that a college degree was a must to secure a job, so I enrolled myself in Model College, Dombivli for a BSc degree in Information Technology.
I joined the college just for the degree. I was always keen on learning but in-class learning seemed less efficient as our generation became familiar with online platforms like Youtube, where learning was easy and time-saving. I was not allowed to go to Industrial Visits from my college, because of low attendance. Living in a busy city like Mumbai, learning online saved me so much time that was otherwise wasted in commuting to college. I was always interested in software and different technologies. In fact, I learned Python, Java, PHP, Django, and even Machine Learning from Youtube and Udemy.
However, it was still difficult to find a suitable job since I was competing with candidates who have engineering degrees from NITs, IITs, and other premier institutes in India. I was tired of applying on LinkedIn and other job portals. I was being turned down every time. It had started to feel like my resume was being sent to the trash. I had come across Board Infinity’s Data Science course on Facebook a couple of times. So, I registered and enrolled myself in the Data Science course.
My experience at Board Infinity was great! What attracted me the most about the course was its placement plan. The faculty was really good and they paid attention to all the learners, giving us time to understand and clear our doubts. I especially enjoyed the Machine Learning classes, the faculty was someone I could connect to (Punit Shah). Board Infinity has a great exam module, where you are given three chances to improve your performance if you don’t do well on the first attempt.
When the placements came, I was confident because I knew I had worked hard to deserve a good job. Board Infinity’s pre-placement training helped me a great deal to build my confidence in myself by getting hands-on experience with analytical questions. Finally, I got placed at Ascent Wellness and Pharma Solutions Pvt. Ltd at a package of 6 LPA. The hiring managers were deeply impressed with how I answered a difficult analytical question.
My career path has always been a fluctuating one. It has no straight lines. But now, I can finally say that I settled for the first time. But, I keep reminding myself of a quote by Paulo Coehlo, “ The ship is safest when it is in the port, but that is not what ships were built for.” His book the Alchemist has had a great influence on me. I will find my next destination. For now, I am a Data Scientist with this prestigious company that I will be joining on May 24.
Sooner or later, I’ll have my own start-up, however big or small. Data Science is my passion and I will continue to pursue it. Someday, I even plan to build my own Jarvis and also learn to play guitar or violin.
