A 7 Min Diary: Why Did I Choose A Career In Tech?
My thoughts on technology as a career path
In this diary entry, I want to share my thoughts on how and why I decided to pursue a career in tech. For those who are still unsure about what they want, I hope they get some good insights.
I will try not to be biased towards the tech industry (but I probably am). I want you to be aware that every field has its merits and demerits. Do your exploration to discover the kind of work you would really like to do.
The computer with which I write this article, the internet that empowers me to publish it for anyone at any corner of the world to read it, and then the smartphone that keeps me connected to all of them- Technology is fundamentally like magic for me.
Having seen how computer science and engineering, in general, has changed the world as I grew up, had a very significant impact on my thought process.
I have always been interested in STEM. I used to read my entire science textbook during the summer holidays even before school would start. It was fun to know about different things and how the universe and reality worked.
Pursuing STEM at high school was no brainer. While I was also fascinated by video games and computers, traditional programming was not something I liked at this point. I never understood the C language taught at school and opted for Biology in my 11th and 12 grade.
Once I entered college, things got a lot ambiguous. I realized CSE was a lot more than the C language syntax and pointers that I felt abstract. I got interested in how AI can be used almost anywhere to solve a wide range of contemporary problems.
When I explored deeper, I found out other interesting options outside of mainstream tech to consider- Consulting, Marketing, HR, General Management, and Finance.
From the tech side, I considered- Bio-medical, Software (inclusive of AI, Data Science), and Electronics/Robotics.
I was also considering to be a writer.
As I mentioned in a previous article, one of the early criteria I considered was the money one could make in each profession. Consulting and finance were lucrative, which was the reason I started exploring them.
Eliminating the options I had
College provides us with a lot of space and time to explore our interests. I think that’s one of the USPs to even attend one. During my time there I have done internships in several of the above-mentioned domains. I worked as an HR consultant, a marketing analyst, a research intern, a software developer, a category manager, and have build projects in IoT, AI, and Data Science. I have also worked as a freelance writer. After exploring enough, these were the conclusions I arrived at:
- Finance was something I never found interesting. While I do explore this field to better manage my personal finance and investments, it was clearly not a career option for me. So, I ruled it out right away.
- I learned a lot from various marketing stints I had. But in that process, I realized that it was not something I would want to do to make a living. I was more inclined to market things I am really passionate about, like my own projects, or stuff I care about as an independent digital marketer/content creator not associated with anyone. So, marketing as a full-time career option got ruled out.
- I had a bunch of PORs related to general management, with the most significant one being the Category Manager and then a Team Lead at a digital media startup. It was a great experience but one shortcoming I had was that my time would completely go into managing the team and curating work. While I could also do some of that work, it gets increasingly hectic. I knew that I will always want to create stuff in some capacity and not do something purely managerial, at least in the primitive years of my career.
- My HR experience was pretty unique. I ruled out this option because it was definitely not something I want to do for a career but something I wanted to learn as a life skill, to understand the talent market, and to coordinate better with people.
- Writing as a career path? For me, it has always been a hobby. I realized I wrote only when I wanted to. I noticed I could still write at my own pace without having to do it full time. And if I have to be honest, I am very picky about the things I write or the freelance work I accept. So, it was not a good option to make the threshold money I hope to make.
- Coming to the options I considered in tech, the more I explored the more I realized how computer science is unanimously present in all domains. So, knowing it was essential. There were two ways I could approach it, become an expert in a specific domain, say robotics, and then learn the required CSE knowledge for that domain. Or, I could become an expert in CSE and learn the domain specifics as and when required depending on what I am working on. The second approach gave me more flexibility as I wasn’t sure about any specific tech field. I wanted to explore all of them.
After all this filtering, there were two strong options I had- Consulting/Analytics or Software?
I had a lot of interest in consulting. Problem solving and analysis is something I am highly passionate about. In my final year of engineering, I was also targeting consulting and analytics roles in my placements. I was exploring off-campus options too.
There was one issue with this field- the top firms rarely hire off-campus or the undergrads. So, the obvious way to get into this field with a well-paying tier 1 job was to do an MBA from a top college where these companies hired from. I will talk about my thoughts on this in a future article.
The harder route would be to apply to startups and smaller consulting firms and then grow up the corporate ladder. This also depends on the preferences people will have.
Interestingly, I got an offer in a software profile three weeks into placements. It was a bit early and I didn’t get to appear for any consulting role on campus.
But soon enough, I knew getting into consulting to work for clients per se would be a terrible idea for me. Frequent travelling, long working hours, and excessive client communication were immediate red flags. I prefer a rather silent and balanced lifestyle with minimal travelling (Should wait and see what permanent changes COVID-19 would make). If you are the opposite of me, you would probably love the consulting jobs. Was this pursuit worthy of the few extra tens of thousands you would make? For me, it was not, as software already paid more than enough.
I stopped my off-campus pursuits after this to relax for a while and try some personal projects. And so, I started my career in software engineering. My love for consulting still exists. While the knowledge of tech can help us formulate how it can solve a problem, the knowledge of consulting helps us consider the business aspects to do it in the most efficient, profitable way. I do think that both domains are extremely useful in arriving at a holistic solution in problem-solving.
I also started building an affinity for product management, something I may pursue a few years down the line.
For me, the final decision and affirmation boiled down to a single question-
“Do I want to create stuff that others can use or be the person who uses such stuff to do their work?”
After all the exploration I did, I found my answer- I wanted to create them. Tech was a great place to be for that. Products of tech are used not just by the public but also by every other profession like marketers, consultants, analysts, HRs, etc. and for me, being able to create such products felt like the right place to be. It also gave better scope for entrepreneurship.
For a deeper reflection on these thoughts and what exactly do I want to create, or how did I figure it out, read my previous diary entry on remembering my roots here.
What are the key takeaways for you?
- College is the best time to explore. Try to do internships in all kinds of domains you are inclined towards. It will give better clarity on what you really want.
- It is never too early to seek internships. For instance, I started looking for work only from my 4th semester. I did think doing internships from the first year is too early and I may not have the required skills or no one would hire me. When I look back, I realize that we define our potential. I could have started my hunt right from the first day of college. Have confidence in yourself and once you start exploring, you will also become street smart on these topics.
- Network with the people already pursuing the careers you seek. As I always say, learning from other people’s experiences is one of the most productive kinds of learning you can get.
- Only with hands-on experiences across industries will you notice the things you really like, the kind of lifestyle you want to adopt, and the kind of jobs that you will find satisfactory.
A free and interesting read I often recommend to people hoping to pursue a career in tech.
Until next time :)
