VMinclusion Taara — A Bridge Back to Confidence, Ambition, and Success
Bhavini Gadhiwala, is a mother of two, a homemaker, an engineer and a graduate of VMware’s return to work program, VMinclusion Taara. This is her story.
On a bright and sunny morning, I start up my laptop to log on to my VMinclusion Taara account and I pause to think. Life seems to have come full circle. Years ago, when I went abroad to pursue a post-grad degree, I knew it was the ticket to a successful career and financial independence. Today, I am a graduate of VMinclusion Taara’s online certification course on the latest digital transformation technologies, and I know that this is my ticket to a successful career, one that I thought I’d lost forever. It’s taken me a while to get here but I am so glad I rediscovered the hope and confidence for a better future. I hope my story can inspire other women like me to live their dreams once again.
A math lover, I graduated with a degree in Computer Science Engineering from SVNIT, Surat. I soon embarked my professional journey with Verizon Communications in Philadelphia. My need and eagerness to keep learning led me to pursue a post-graduate degree in CIS and Business Administration from Temple University, Philadelphia while on the job. I never let my joy for learning fade, even while heavily pregnant. It was not easy but I had my wonderful family to fall back on for support. They say your family is the strongest pillar in your life and it definitely is true for me.
The arrival of my daughters and our move back to India posed the first real challenge in this balancing act. I soon realized that a full-time career was impossible as my daughters were too young. They could only speak Gujarati and English and needed my support to adjust to their new environment in Bengaluru. I did not want to lose touch with the tech world completely and hence I began working as a freelance consultant.
Once my girls were old enough, I wanted to re-ignite my professional dreams. But there were huge challenges ahead of me. I knew I had to upgrade my skills but didn’t know where to start. One day, I heard about VMinclusion Taara and their mission to upskill and retrain women like me! With my fingers crossed, I soon signed up for the program. The course is available online, so the location I am based is not a problem and I can learn remotely. Moreover, it is completely free, which I believe means VMware is serious about leading a change in the industry with its focus on diversity and inclusivity.
Today, I am a VMware Certified Professional in Cloud Management & Automation and a graduate of the VMinclusion Taara program. I have finally been able to land the job of my dreams and can’t wait to be a part of the workforce again. I am confident because I have all the skills and knowledge I need to make my mark in the modern
Women face a number of challenges in the workplace — inequality, discrimination and being left behind during the time they focus their energies on the personal front. What thousands of women need aren’t just supportive policies in the workplace but also a way to return to work after a career break.
VMinclusion Taara is a unique initiative started in partnership with Women Who Code and it recognizes a serious problem in the market — that of upskilling. Upskilling women works at so many levels, it brings women up to speed with the technology and hence bridges a gap, gets them job ready and empowers women to face opportunities with confidence. VMinclusion Taara has made me confident about returning to work after this long personal break. It really is a ray of hope and opens up so many avenues for women like me.
The initiative has been a helping hand and the perfect guide that I needed, to find my way back into the workforce. In conclusion, I would like to thank VMinclusion Taara, for truly being my bridge back to confidence, ambition, and my second career innings.
