Here’s how I restarted my career after a 5-year break
Shambhavi Mulay, a woman tech professional with more than 10 years of experience took a 5-year career break to follow her interests. Shambhavi quit her career as a tech professional to work as a full-time teacher. From earning a Bachelor’s degree in Education to pursuing her linguistic interests in Sanskrit and German, Shambhavi has proved that women can have it all. Here’s how she kickstarted her career after a long gap.
Trust the process was an impactful slogan coined in the late 70s, popularized widely in sports and culture. And I believe in it wholeheartedly. We live in a world that focuses too much on the outcomes rather than the road that leads to them. There is an inexplicable urgency to reach the result without immersing oneself in the process, and that sort of rush can never deliver the best possible outcomes. I firmly believe that there is no shortcut to success and the journey that leads to a certain outcome is as valuable as the result itself. But why am I referring to the process and the outcomes here? Well, because today, I am on the verge of restarting my career in technology after investing time and energy in first upskilling myself. Today, I am confident that upskilling has given me an edge over others who may have been trying to restart their careers without spending time on learning first and being equipped with knowledge of the latest digital technologies.
Armed with a graduate degree in Computer Science, I began my career at a reputed software firm. I went on to work in the tech sector for about ten years, and it was a learning experience that set a new course for me. But after a decade in technology, I wanted to take a break and focus on some of my other interests. In 2015, I quit my job and went on to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Pune, after which I worked full time as a teacher. With time, I realized that I could not be away from learning and, that led me to pursue my linguistics interests and do certification courses in German and Sanskrit, followed by a Master’s degree in Sanskrit. I loved teaching and learning, and I acquired some valuable soft skills during this time as well that I know these skills will stand me in good stead in the years to come.
But through all of this, I knew that I wanted to get back to the technology sector. We are living in a time when technology is driving not just business progress but is bringing a change at the grass-roots level and I wanted to be part of and drive the change. But getting back to a corporate tech job was easier said than done. I had been out of the field for five years during which I had learned new skills but not kept up with emerging technologies. I tried my luck with various return to work programs offered by different organizations, but the jobs on offer did not excite me. And my lack of knowledge of digital technologies failed to impress any prospective employers. I realized that to land the job of my dreams, I would have to upskill in the latest technologies but did not know how to find such an upskilling program.
Around this time, I heard about VMware’s VMinclusion Taara. A return-to-work program designed to address the exact problem I was facing –upskilling in the latest technologies. I connected with former colleagues in the field to understand what they thought of the program. They told me that VMinclusion Taara was one of India’s largest upskilling and return to work programs for women on career breaks, specifically designed to help women like me return to the tech sector when we wanted to. I also browsed websites to know more about it and watched videos of Taara candidates who had restarted their careers after upskilling with the program. I even connected with these candidates separately on LinkedIn and other social media platforms and was overwhelmed hearing their stories. Their conviction that Taara had helped turn their lives around convinced me– this was the program I needed to get back to the technology field. With no further delay, I enrolled for VMinclusion Taara and took off my journey with faith in both my abilities and the program, with a reminder to ‘trust the process’ completely
Of course, the events of this year made it difficult to focus on learning. But the self-paced nature of the courses meant that I could learn at my convenience. I knew that the pandemic would wreak havoc on the workforce and that women would be immensely hit. According to the International Labour Organization(ILO), women’s jobs are 1.8 times more vulnerable to this crisis than men’s jobs. I also knew that once the world recovers from this pandemic, there would be greater demand than ever for digital technology skills, and this was the best time for me to invest in learning. With this in mind, I reorganized my daily routine to dedicate some time for VMinclusion Taara, and my family pitched in with all the additional support to make life easier. And I loved the learning journey.
Taara helped me learn not just digital technologies and current industry trends but also helped me master other skills like analyzing job descriptions, preparing for interviews, and building a winning resume. It also allowed me to network with other women like me on a career break to exchange ideas and even motivate each other. I regained the confidence in my technology abilities that I had lost over the last five years. I realized the significance of return to work and mentorship programs in rebuilding my career. And the most amazing thing is Taara focuses on helping women rebuild their careers by setting them up for long-term success.
Technology-led disruption is ever-evolving and full of new and exciting possibilities. And to succeed in the technology industry, one must stay on top of emerging trends and new technologies. I have completed all three levels of Taara and placed with a reputed organization. I’m glad I made a smart choice to upskill with Taara. I hope more women leverage this unique opportunity to reboot their tech careers. The VMware certification helps you rebrand your profile and make you highly employable.
