Getting back to work after a career break can be difficult. However, working towards your goals pays off. Read further to learn about Shwetambara’s journey with Great Learning’s PGP Data Science and Business Analytics in her own words.
Disclaimer: The document contains my personal views and opinions and do not represent those of people, institutions or organisations I am and I was associated with in professional or personal capacity.
I am working as a credit risk & analytics professional with over 15 years of work experience. I am married and have a daughter. I am a computer graduate and an MBA by qualification. I started my career with IFMR as a Researcher in financial inclusion. After spending 2 years, I moved to banking with ICICI Bank Ltd, where I gained experience in financial product development, process & policy development, financial statement analysis etc. Having spent nearly 5 years at ICICI Bank, I took a maternity break of around a year.
I did take the maternity break in 2012 for close to a year. Honestly speaking, it was difficult to return to a job after a break. People were doubting my skill sets and my commitment towards the office after having a new-born baby at home.
I learnt python and completed an online course on Data Science using Python. This step gave me the confidence to take up a job in analytics domain where I could learn while working on analytics projects. I got the opportunity with another start-up (Think Analytics) where I joined as a Project Manager with a responsibility of designing and driving analytics projects for financial institutions (banks/NBFCs etc.) While being at Think Analytics and working on an analytics project, I realized that I needed a concrete upskill development in the field of Data Science so that I could be more productive for my team by asking the right questions and guiding them better. Thus, I joined Great Learning’s Data Science and Business Analytics program to acquire new skills in the area of Machine Learning, R and Python. Currently, I work with J P Morgan and Chase as a Vice President – Portfolio Analytics.
So far, I have never faced any professional challenges at any of my work places on account of my gender. I am driven by meritocracy, periodic upskilling and hard work and I strongly believe that my continuous pursuit for learning has been catalysing my career growth.
While working on my tech venture in 2017, I realized that data and technology are the future and I needed to transition my career into this field in order to remain relevant in my professional life. I observed that career transition was not easy and in order to materialize it I needed to brush up my computer application skills since the computer world had changed remarkably from the days I had done my computer graduation. I started reading about all new concepts in the domain of data and technology. Once, while browsing through such articles, I came across the emerging field of Data Science and it caught my attention. I then researched a lot about this domain and decided to give it a try. So, I learnt Python online through a self-learning portal and completed a small module on data science using Python. It broke all my apprehensions about this field and I decided to go for a good classroom program in Data Science.
Generally, you will find women juggling between their professional and personal life and they are always running short of time. Data Science being a new domain, learning Data Science is perceived to require a considerable time investment, which most of the working women with other household responsibilities find it difficult to commit.
Moreover, those women who do not come from a coding background are more aversive to take a plunge into this new stream. In my opinion, if we want to encourage more women to join Data Science, one needs to work on changing the false perception around this stream from being “too technical-requiring huge time commitment” to “technical-requiring some time commitment”.
Data Science is an exciting field for anyone who loves telling stories via data. As I mentioned earlier, career transition is never easy especially when you have crossed a certain vintage in your profession. Having said that, it’s not impossible either. I would advise you to first do your homework seriously before committing yourself to transit in this domain. Read as much as you can about Data Science to understand the various aspects of it. Watch a couple of videos to get a sense of this world of data and technology and how it’s shaping the future. If you get excited enough to be part of this evolving field, then assess whether your existing organization supports transition to its Data & Analytics or an equivalent vertical, provided you have the required skill sets. Enrolling for a good Data Science program to upskill yourself should be your final step.
I was looking for a good classroom session on Data Science when I came across Great Learning. When I researched more about the course delivered by Great Learning, I found it to be comprehensive and very well curated from the point of view of application of tools and techniques under Data Science rather than just covering the concepts. The program ensures that the participants not only learn the concepts but are also confident enough to apply those concepts to address business problems.
Before joining the program, I could assess that I had to carve out time for this program if I wanted to do justice to my aspiration to upskill myself. So, I was mentally prepared. I am a working-women with child and elderly care responsibilities and hence I needed to manage my time judiciously. One thing that worked for me was that I never missed my classes. I ensured to be present and attentive in each class to grasp all concepts being taught over there. I accommodated three hour per week in my busy schedule to revise the topics being covered by going through the recording sessions and re-doing a few of the classroom exercises at home.
My upskilling with the acquired Data Science skill sets have boosted my confidence. There is a sense of rejuvenation within me as I am aware that I am ready for the future. This feeling has made me very secure about myself and my skill sets which is getting reflected in any work whether it is in my professional or personal life. Thank you, Great Learning, for facilitating my Data Science journey!
