Technical Architect at Verndale ; Sitecore MVP
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started?
I am from Ahmedabad – A city in the state of Gujarat, India. My first degree was in Civil Engineering.
I worked as a laboratory technician as a trainee testing soil, water and concrete samples and then as a CAD Draftsperson/developer for a few years. While working with AutoCAD, I was exposed to AutoLISP – the programming language for CAD – which prompted my interest in programming. I obtained my master’s in computer science with Java from London. As luck would have it, I ended up with opportunities in Microsoft Tech-stack and moved to the USA in 2006; got trained in Sitecore in 2007 and started working on Sitecore projects – most of them with Commerce platform integrations – Microsoft Commerce Server, MediaChase(Now Optimizely), InsiteCommerce (Now Optimizely B2B), uCommerce, Sitecore Commerce…to name a few!
I am presently working as Architect on Commerce Team at Verndale – a great team to be part of.
I love the way my interests have carved my career path and I am blessed to be doing what I love! One exploration led to another! I have enjoyed working with a variety of eCommerce clients over the years – paper, flowers, windmills, chocolates, coffee, brewers, pyjamas, teddy bears, cables, jewelry, diamonds, school supplies, beer & wine! With eCommerce, there is never a dull moment – only challenging/fun moments! In my 15+ years with these projects, I have developed a good level of intuition when it comes to eCommerce of all flavors – B2B, B2C, B2B2C, C2C…!
When not working, I enjoy singing Bollywood songs or read books – books take me places. I also love long walks and binge-watching my favorite TV shows!
Was there ever a time that you wanted to give up when pursuing a career in tech? What kept you motivated?
Nope! Never occurred to me. I have loved and enjoyed every project, every challenge over the years. Always learning and doing better than yesterday keeps me motivated (and on my toes!)
What resources have helped you along your career?
My mentor/s for sure. They have pushed me and encouraged me to find answers and learn on my own. Various training programs that I have gone through have provided me with the learning and additional resources over the years. In addition to these, the slack and stack-exchange communities have been an excellent source of help and learning over the years. And last but not least…GOOGLE!
What challenges do you see for women in tech today?
DO NOT shy away from asking questions. Be polite but be firm, raise your hand and say what you have to say. Be brave and honest in admitting your mistakes.
The most valuable lesson I learned from my mentor: Failure is not the end of the world. Until you fail, you won’t learn how to succeed.
All that I have included in the tips above, I wish somebody had told me all of that at the very beginning of my career.