Ayush’s story - A tale of betrayal, upskilling, and landing that dream job. FINALLY!
Ayush's rise from the ashes of betrayal to landing that dream job is the story of every other guy who has had a major setback, and is keen to learn but cannot do so due to economical constraints.
To make a career out of his passion for programming, Ayush pursued Computer Science Engineering with the hope that his college would upskill him in four years and get him placed as a software engineer.
But sadly, that did not happen. After teaching some basic lessons in the first year, the students are left on their own. Attending classes is not mandatory. They are asked to appear just for examinations. In a nutshell, there is little or no intervention from the college. The students get no benefit out of it and the college robs them of nearly six lakhs of rupees in the name of a degree.
Ayush felt betrayed and hopeless. But he was determined to become a software engineer. Masai School's PAP came as a ray of hope for Ayush. ISA allows you to study the course of your choice of 0 upfront fee. He joined Masai School in January 2021.
After grinding for thirty weeks at Masai, Ayush landed a job at Cuemath as a front-end developer. He recently interacted with us to talk about betrayal by his college, his time at Masai, and his future goals. Read the full interview below.
How was your experience at your college?
In the first year, we were excited to learn programming. But all we got was basic learning. Apart from that, we were taught subjects that had little to no importance in our career as developers. We conducted some lab experiments as well. If I look back today, it all seems very weird.
In the second year, we could stay back in our hostels if we did not want to attend classes. We were allowed to appear for exams only. And, in case, if we could not clear exams, we would get help from our college. This was strange. It remained the same in the third year as well.
In the fourth year, I started preparing for GATE. They postponed our last exam multiple times because of the pandemic. Meanwhile, I was looking for jobs, since I knew I would get little or no help from my college. During this period, I came across Masai and joined in January 2021.
How did your parents react to your decision to join Masai?
Initially, my parents, especially my father who is a businessman, were sceptical about Masai and PAP (Pay After Placement). My father couldn't believe that an institute would teach with no upfront fees. He spent 2 days going through the Income Share Agreement, and after detailed research, he finally let me pursue Masai. When it was time to sign the ISA, he read that document carefully for two days. Finally, after thorough research, he was happy that I was in safe and secure hands at Masai.
How was your experience with Masai?
I learned more in just one month than I had learned in four years of college. The process became exhausting sometimes. While we were learning React, it was difficult for me to catch up and I felt demotivated. But, the mentors and IAs were supportive.
Before joining Masai, I was afraid of talking to people, but being a part of the Utter Program, we were trained in communication skills, and it made me more confident about myself and improved my communication ability.
The MAC process in the last unit at Masai is phenomenal. They prepared us for the interviews and the corporate world during these weeks. We also revised everything we had learned. There were mock interviews. There were mentorship sessions by leading industry mentors. It is a wonderful experience.
I had paid nearly six lakhs in college fees. But, I could not get placed. It was not worth it at all. At half the price, I got a job in just seven months with the help of Masai. So, that says it all.
What projects did you build during Construct Weeks at Masai?
We had built clones of Bath & Body Works and Toggle Track. It was an amazing experience. During the second pandemic wave, we had fifteen days to complete our project. So, we built a clone of Instagram. It was top-notch and was appreciated by everyone.
When we build a project, we have to plan everything. That makes us good planners. We learned team and time management while working on these projects. We applied these learnings in further projects. They are helpful even today.
How was the placement process at Masai?
It was a smooth experience. I sat for the interviews of four companies. Initially, I faced rejection from companies like Meesho and Slice. But that could not break my confidence and I stood determined. Finally, I was selected as a front-end developer by Cuemath.
Where do you see yourself in the coming years?
I am looking forward to leading a team of engineers at Cuemath. I love the work environment at Cuemath. Everyone is treated with the utmost respect, irrespective of their position or work experience. This is something I love about Cuemath and that is why I want to build my career here only.
Have you recommended Masai to anyone?
Yes. I have recommended Masai to over eight people. They are my school and college friends. I feel very happy when I recommend Masai to anyone.
I advise them to work hard, stay focused, and trust me and Masai. I assure you that they will always be there to help if you need it.