You know when you’re a kid, and you’re asked what you want to be in life? I was told that I’d be an engineer.
I never really questioned it, and I went along with the idea. It was an added bonus that I found physics interesting as I prepared for JEE. With my family’s constant support, I didn’t think I would face any problems. Today I am working at Ola, but the problems I faced during the process have taught me so much more than any degree could!
But when I did, I didn’t realize it would hit me as hard as it did. What most people don’t learn in such a situation is that when failure strikes you, standing up, again and again, is the most challenging part of it all. But, I live by this quote by Elon Musk- “Persistence is very important. You should not give up unless you are forced to give up.”
I started preparing for JEE examinations after my tenth grade. I sat for the exams but was unable to clear them. I took a gap year which was a demanding and challenging time in my life. That entire year went by in a bleak blur. But despite that, the following year, my state rank improved quite a lot. I gladly took admission to Jadavpur University and started studying Computer science engineering.
I took up a summer internship at General Electrics and was offered a full-time job on the condition that I wouldn’t be allowed to sit for my placements later in the academic year. I did not find it reasonable and decided against taking the offer. I did not do well during campus placements because I had spent all my time and energy on the summer internship. Companies came and went, but I did not get any offer from a company of my choice!
It was then that I decided to get myself enrolled in an academy and upskill myself. I heard about Scaler Academy via one of their informational emails. The online coding courses that helped people get better at their programming skills intrigued me greatly. I got to know that they were taking a test to select students to mentor and that passing it would mean I would get the guidance I lacked at the time.
The academy taught Low-level Design, High-level design, which was something that no one was teaching at the time. I remember Vivekanand Vivek teaching me Data Structures and Algorithms. There has rarely been a day when I couldn’t solve a problem related to this topic because he taught it too well. I had a mentor called Archit who guided me through the interview processes, and it was a treat to talk to him all the time!
Despite Scaler’s continuing referrals, I wasn’t getting any offers. My interviews weren’t going well at all. It was getting tougher picking myself after my countless attempts at making my dreams come true, and I took each one of them as an opportunity to learn and improve myself by filling the gaps in my preparation.
Then one fine day, I got interviewed at Ola. I could not believe how everything I had learned up until that point helped me in that interview. I solved problems quickly, and soon enough, I was a part of their team. It was then that I realized that obstacles are a part of life. We must embrace them. We have to take risks in life. Otherwise, we won’t get anywhere near our actual goals.
Now, I want to grow more in this sector and work for Google one day. On the way to my destination, I have realized that it isn’t the paycheck that makes the difference but the atmosphere and work culture. I aim to work somewhere where I can learn the importance of having a balanced and challenging life. I want to have my own company, something I can own and share with the world. Someday you just might see me listed in a magazine for having built something that has changed the world for the better.
Connect with Zargham Danial with LinkedIn