INDIA: In a conversation with founder & CEO of Transcontinental Times, Roshan Bhondekar, Indian software engineer & cloud IT services enthusiast Shrikant Jadhav opened up about forthcoming technologies & opportunities in the IT sector.
Jadhav, the guest for another episode of Transcontinental Times special 360° live, works in the IT industry. He has been in the IT industry for over 13 years. Jadhav has assisted several IT engineers in gaining momentum in the right field.
Jadhav recalled his early days in his hometown of Maharashtra, where he was drawn to computers since elementary school.
“It was difficult to gain access to computers (those days). My parents, on the other hand, provided all resources. As a result, I gained access to computers. I became more interested as I learned more about it.
Aside from computers, Jadhav was influenced by his elder brother and neighbours who were already working in the IT industry. “I was also inspired by my elder brother, who wasn’t in the industry but encouraged me to join,” he added.
IT Industry is very vast
Jadhav stated that the IT industry in India is vast when discussing key focus areas. It has several streams and sub-streams. He added that to be successful, a person who is ambitious to join the IT industry should focus on the development of a mental state and technical skillsets; the person should be open to challenges.
Hard Work is fundamental
Jadhav conversed about the drastic changes across the IT industry right now & the industry 30 years back; he quoted, “There’s a misconception in society that IT is kind of easy money, which I think needs to be changed. It’s not the case. Like any other field, hard work is extremely important. To be successful, you need to prove (yourself), you have to have the technical expertise; once you have it, then there’s no coming back.”
“Without passion, people won’t find interest in this field. Passion has to collide with a career. Just being good at academics can’t help, passion should be there. I am here for 12-13 years, without passion I don’t think we’ll survive for that long, so passion is important.”
IT industry is much more than just programming
Talking about available opportunities & scopes, Jadhav said that the people outside IT, look at IT as only coders & programming people. He too has comprehended the same, during his college days.
“When you come into IT, there are many streams & sub-streams into it. But people ignore it. There is QA, solution designing (Jadhav works in this field); there is business analysis, a project in program management, product development. People look at IT only as consultancy, development, or coding space. There is a place for every skill over here. Negotiation, sales, skills are appreciated here (in the IT industry),” he added.
For the leadership role
When discussing achieving leadership roles and the qualities required for it, Jadhav stated, “Amazon has solved that problem. They developed their 14 leadership principles. Among those, one should be customer-focused and willing to learn new things. Before considering team members as resources, the leader should consider them as people first.”
“People come & go; every organization has its different ways to work. We should provide an environment for the people to grow, automatically process will find the way. Once the people are encouraged, they will bring the best of them; they will help an organization grow. The IT industry is so harsh. It is like perform or perish! Performance is important. Keep learning. Focus on the growth of yourself along with an organization.”
Organizations & work-life experience
Jadhav stated that attrition is a major issue these days when discussing the alternative rate of employees.
There are a variety of reasons for this, including a conflict of vision on the part of the individual, a conflict in the vision of the organisation, or monetary considerations. He said that the organizations should have faith in their employees.
“I was able to find new opportunities, so I did not change my organisation. Furthermore, I believe that this and the leadership role should not be linked,” he added.
Discussing an obvious criticism at work, Jadhav quoted, “I see it positively, as a learning opportunity. If it is because you are lacking something, then you can improve. If it is office politics or other stuff, ignore it; that is how I deal with it.”
Conversing about work culture, Jadhav conceded that, in India, work culture is so competitive. Due to various reasons like time zone, we end up working a lot which leads to a stressful life. The work culture in India is not pleasant compared to other countries. Besides, it is improving, mindset is changing.
Placements & a special message
“For those (students) who don’t get campus placement facility. Still, they can learn new things. There are many online platforms for learning. It is all about skills; if you have skills, you get opportunities. So, I don’t see any issue with lack of placement facility,” Jadhav said.
He forwarded a special message to freshers & especially the ones who are from rural regions & want to join the IT industry. He quoted that many students from rural regions somehow develop a fear or an inferiority complex within them. But they should know that the conditions they come from or the struggle they had to face helps a lot. It makes you more aware of further challenges in life.
“You should work with dedication in the right field. Success is yours. Keep learning, keep growing & upskill yourself; there is no alternative for hard work. He conveyed this message in Marathi, his mother tongue.”
Watch the whole interview:
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