A fresher’s journey in Shiksha.com’s Office
Author: Deepanshu Galyan
In our graduation years, each one of us cogitates about how our corporate offices will be! With different expectations and hope, we try to play all the possible scenarios of our offices. From the canteen to the workstation, without skipping a single detail, we plan everything meticulously. However, all these expectations come with anxiety and fear; fear of not having them met. Fortunately, in my case, they did meet!
This summer, I completed my college and embarked on the path of my corporate journey. Fresh out of college, I flew my graduation cap off and landed right on my workstation. Anxious, exhilarated and excited, I started my first job.
On July 24th 2019, I had my first day in office. The memory of that day is still so fresh and vivid in my head that I can remember every little detail. At 10 am, we (I and other new employees) were assigned with our assets and completed our legal formalities. The assigning process ended with the allocation of our verticals. Along with three others, I was assigned in Shiksha. It was followed by our floor tour. While the floor tour of going on, I kept processing one question over and over again in my head; the question of my allocation in the team I desire and to get allocated with the work I am passionate about? Unexpectedly, before our team allocation, I was asked about my field of interest and this paid me off well. I got allotted in Team Study Abroad as a Front-end developer and finally, the day that began with an emotional imbalance came to end with a smile on my face and peace in my head.
The initial month was already planned for me. The main objective of the first month is to make me familiar with the technology stack used at Shiksha. The entire month was split day-wise to dedicate each day to one specific technology (front-end or back-end). These knowledge transfer (KT) sessions were mentored by their respective Subject Experts from Shiksha.
These training sessions worked in three folds to my benefit. First, I get to enlighten myself with the knowledge of new technologies used in big internet companies and here, at Infoedge. Each session was focused on one particular technology, emphasising its use cases and limitations. Instead of book knowledge, they were mapped around the practical usage of the tech in a real-life scenario. The assignments assigned to me for every session was designed to improve my hold on that technology and to provide me with a better understanding of its applications. The challenges I faced during the completion of the assigned tasks were xerox of what I might face while doing real development. Apart from the technology stack, the workflow and the products of the companies came to my knowledge. Second, while playing around with all these technologies, I was able to figure out the technologies that intrigue me most and I want to explore further. Lastly, it aided me in getting acquainted with my colleagues.
The one other thing that I noticed during my sessions was the focus of the firm towards the learning of its employees. Like the partakers in the parade, people participate in learning! Employees at Infoedge are technology-driven and self-motivated to learn new technologies. They break their boundaries to try new technology and the fact that one should experiment as much as (s)he can, was percolated to me from them.
After the first month, I joined my team. My inclusion in the team begun with the 5 minutes daily stand-ups. The objective for the stand-ups is to let your teammates know about the projects you are working on. The stand-ups followed Code review meetings, the Retro meetups, ticket estimation and gradually, I was completely involved. The introduction of these meetings was intimidating in the beginning but soon I realised the importance of each one of it. I am not going to mention the pros and cons of these and why one should take them seriously as you can easily access it on the internet.
Then the time came to do the actual work and my first ticket was assigned to me. Although the work was minimal, it took a great effort on my part. I spent the major share of my time and energy to understand the code. I, in my opinion, believe that the objective of this task was solely to make me understand the code. The employees on my floor are convivial. The ease of reach-ability to them came to my realisation while I was struggling through the ordeals of the ticket. Every naive obstacle I faced was resolved with the aid of the colleagues. The completion of this task proceeded with my first code-review. The limelight of that meeting was the appreciation that followed. It was motivating enough to get me out of my lethargic mode and keep me going to do much better than I am currently doing.
After completing almost two months at Shiksha; I, along with the other new freshers, was assigned with the responsibility to organise the fun activity for the quarter. The entire management of the event, from the idea to the execution, was management by us. Our business partners guided us in this process and successfully, we pull the first Shiksha Olympics off.
To sum it up, I can say that as a fresher at Shiksha, I was nervous. I had my doubts regarding my adjustment and performance in the corporate world. These doubts were the source of my fears. But now, it’s been 80 days at Shiksha and I can say, I feel right at home!
