Continuous learning and upskilling is the key to staying relevant in the constantly changing world around us. Read about Athira’s journey with Great Learning’s PGP- Data Science and Engineering Course (PGP DSE) today!
What is your professional background?
I did my engineering in Computer Science from Nandha College of Technology in 2014. I worked for nearly a year with Tech Mahindra as an Associate Software Engineer and for about 2 years with Cognizant as a Senior process Executive. The job was a supporting role which focussed majorly on business continuity coordination.
Why Great Learning?
Because my previous role was non-technical, it became monotonous and eventually boring. Initially, I was thinking I would continue the job and along with that, an online course on weekends. On suggestions from friends, I realized this field needed my complete attention and had many great career opportunities. I started looking for a full-fledged classroom course and read some great reviews about Great Learning. The course offered was very convenient, as it was for 5 months only. It gave me a valuable addition to my career, along with skill enhancement. I left my job and relocated to Bangalore.
What is the best thing about PGP- DSE?
In my previous job, although the role mentioned Data analyst, I was working mainly with Excel. My understanding of the subject was almost like a fresher. The faculties helped a lot, starting from scratch to an in-depth explanation of the topics, especially with the statistics. The two things that are the best are the faculty and the curriculum. Soon after finishing the course, I realized that the curriculum was pitch-perfect and complete.
Did PGP DSE help in your career transition?
I am now working for Marlabs as a Tableau developer, where I am working on data analytics projects using Python. It started with an aptitude test, followed by technical discussion, involving 7 candidates. It was an open tech discussion and out of 7, 3 people were selected and all 3 were from Great Learning. The final round was a machine test where they gave us 2 – 3 data sets and asked us to create dashboards. After that, seeing my performance, they selected me for this role. Since the majority of the team are freshers and because of my clear understanding of the field, I started working on some interesting projects.
How was the placement support from Great Learning?
Mock interviews helped us a lot by giving an experience of an actual interview-scenario. I can see that I have improved a lot by giving a lot of interviews and learning from the things that went wrong during them. Without GL, I don’t think I would have landed up in this role.
Also Read: Companies and Industries Hiring Data Scientists in 2020
Advice to future PGP DSE aspirants.
I am sure some will be skeptical to leave their jobs and enroll for such full-time jobs. But I think if someone is looking for a serious jump into the field of data science, they should be ready to take the risk and GL offers complete support during your journey.
For more such success stories, watch this space.
