Achieving Success in Tech Industry: Sneha's Inspiring Career Transformation
Discover how Masai School transformed Sneha Naik from a B.Sc graduate to a skilled software developer at CloudThat.
Sneha Ishwar Naik is a B.Sc graduate, hailing from the coastal region of Karnataka. Always one whose name you could find on the topper lists of her college, preparing for competitive exams felt like the natural next step. However, life had something else in store for her.
After making the scary choice to completely transition her career path, she joined Masai to find her place in the evolving tech world. 37 weeks later, she is a skilled software developer working for CloudThat. She makes time from her busy day to talk about her experience in Masai and advice to future students.
How did you find out about Masai?
After finishing my graduation, the next step for me was to prepare for competitive exams, given my academic background, leaning into it felt natural. After spending almost a year preparing for the same, I got to hear about Masai from a friend. Her cousin had joined Masai earlier and got placed in a fantastic company.
After hearing about his journey and offer, I started thinking about Masai. My brother, who’s a software developer himself, also helped me a lot with making up my mind about joining and that I could do it.
How did your parents react?
They were very supportive, actually. They were always ready to motivate me and make me feel like I could make the transition. Whenever I wanted to slack off even a little, they were there to remind me to push myself a bit further. Even my brother was a source of inspiration and help whenever I needed it.
Undertaking a career transition journey is often a daunting and challenging endeavour. Nevertheless, the bedrock of success in such undertakings often lies in the presence of a strong support network. For numerous individuals, their parents' reaction to a momentous decision can serve as a catalyst for transformation. In my own odyssey, I count myself exceptionally lucky to possess parents who not only grasped my aspirations but also remained resolute in their unwavering backing during this transition.
Upon divulging my intention to embark on a career change with my parents, their response proved to be profoundly heartwarming. They didn't react with scepticism or resistance but embraced my decision wholeheartedly. Their immediate and continuous support played a pivotal role in bolstering my confidence and belief in my ability to navigate this transition successfully.
My parents became my biggest cheerleaders. They were always there to provide motivation and encouragement, helping me maintain my focus and determination during moments of doubt. Whenever I found myself tempted to take it easy or questioned whether I was making the right choice, their words of wisdom and reminders to push beyond my comfort zone were invaluable.
Moreover, my brother also emerged as a source of inspiration and assistance during this pivotal phase of my life. His experiences and insights proved invaluable as he offered guidance and a listening ear whenever I needed it most.
The unwavering support of my family transformed this career transition from a daunting leap into an empowering journey of self-discovery. It reinforced the importance of a robust support system during significant change and decision-making.
What was your favorite thing about Masai?
Masai emphasizes practice-based learning, which I believe is the best way to teach anything. The assignments we had to complete always made us put our learnings into practice. Not only was it helpful, as we weren’t just learning theory, but it also allowed us to gauge our level of performance very well.
My favourite aspect of Masai has to be its unwavering emphasis on practice-based learning, a cornerstone of education that, in my opinion, stands as the most effective approach to mastering any subject matter. What truly sets Masai apart is the way it seamlessly integrates this philosophy into its curriculum.
The assignments and projects we were tasked with were never mere theoretical exercises. Instead, they were thoughtfully designed to compel us to apply our acquired knowledge and skills. This hands-on approach proved immensely beneficial and transformed our learning experience into a dynamic and engaging process.
By actively engaging in practice-based learning, we weren't just absorbing abstract theories but navigating real-world scenarios and challenges. This deepened our understanding and enabled us to assess our performance objectively. It allowed us to identify areas that needed improvement and areas where we excelled, providing invaluable feedback for our growth.
Masai's commitment to practice-based learning is a pivotal bridge between theoretical knowledge and its practical application. Beyond the mere impartation of knowledge, Masai goes the extra mile in equipping students with the vital skills necessary to translate theoretical knowledge into tangible, real-world actions effectively. This emphasis on practicality is the distinguishing hallmark of Masai, setting it apart as an outstanding institution. It moulds students who possess a wealth of knowledge and are adept at applying that knowledge in real-life scenarios.
How was your construct week experience?
The construct week project is extremely helpful! It’s not like it was just a one-week thing, even after that whenever we got any free time we went back to the project, refining it, improving it even just a little. Along with learning accountability, I got to connect with other people and learned from their methods and thought processes.
It was a good experience in also learning how to manage work in a group of people who are different from each other in their working process. Maintaining communication, assigning work, and pushing each other to meet deadlines. Mirroring how we would work in an actual professional environment.
Even now when I’m working, if I get stuck somewhere I come back to refer to the construct week projects, they are just that helpful.
Tell us about your placement experience
I had quite a novel placement experience, as I didn’t interview for a single company. After finishing my last unit, which was the revision unit, I had planned on sitting for some interviews outside the placement process first, just to get some experience.
I had hoped that armed with that outside experience, I’d be able to do even better in the Masai placement process. With that in mind, I gave the interview for CloudThat, but to my surprise, I cleared it in the first go and directly joined. So it was different but satisfying and equipped with the relevant skills and knowledge from Masai. It was a very smooth experience.
Advice to future students
I’ll just share what I told to some of my friends who were confused. You should join Masai, even if you feel you are lost right now, you can join Masai. Call it a solution or a direction, but once you join, you won’t have time to be lazy. You have to be attentive and proactive to make the most of it.