What job did you have that was completely unrelated to your degree?

Welcome to Indian Startups's Private Community

Career Path Detours

Career Path Detours- Grapevine

Welcome to Software Engineers's Private Community

Like for example -
Engineering in CSE but not working as software engineer
Left normal corporate jobs,  started freelancing
Found out entirely new profession to do?
Farming? 

Curious on what made you take that decision! What the world convinced you about the decision? Did your friends and family treated you differently when you didn't walk the conventional path?

Anyone here done something that isn't normal path?

Consultant

The other day I was discussing with a long time friend of mine regarding a startup idea he had and eventually veered off to why he was doing it. He was doing pretty well and had a good salary at a marketing firm. He always felt that was where his talents lie but now he isn't sure anymore hence the reason why he was looking for something else. He even considered switching to an entirely new field (think along the lines of science/research) but never had the motivation before during our college days. Which made me wonder if anyone has actually done such a radical career change mid way and if so what were your reasons/motivations behind it and how you are faring now.

Reason why people change careers and how they did it.

Software Engineer

People who have had career breaks and joined back the work force. Share your stories

Career breaks

Project manager

Welcome to Business Roles's Private Community

Questioning life choices currently. I think I gave taken the wrong path for myself. I don't really know what would suit me.

I know that it's alright to f around and figure out stuff early career but I'm worried about my salary and career trajectory. As in, I do not want to be stuck in entry level roles forever.

What do you think? Any anecdotes?

Would changing fields+jobs frequently affect your career/salary trajectory?

Account manager

Welcome to Product Managers's Private Community

Has anyone here, moved away from Software Development to something else. Maybe in a completely different direction, like became a graphics designer, or Game developer etc. or in a similar direction, like went towards Product Management or something similar. 

If yes, then I want to know your experience with the switch, and the steps you took to make it happen. 

I got into Software engineering 2-3 years ago (attracted by the salaries) but now I just don’t feel like doing it anymore at all. 

I asked a friend who’s a PM, and his take on this was, if i wanted to keep earning how much I currently do (20-30 LPA), and want to go even further than that, then SDE is the only option, PMs do not get paid that much amount, when compared to SDEs in the longer run. 

What’s your take on this?

Switching careers

Graduated from a Tier 1 MBA, got into a rando role very early on during placement (think Day0). Totally messed up job change during covid (pay reduction), and suffered more with family issues. I am probably earning a lot lesser than my average batchmate, and not at a good designation (or skills) either.
Trying to get back on track with my career via consulting or Category role in startups. Need advice on how to get there. Getting rejected by most consulting cos (even big4) and startups on online portals while applying.

Fucked up my career what to do

Hi folks, 

I'm Kashish, the CEO of EquityList and Founder of Cloud Capital which I run as a solo GP.
A little bit about what we do: 

EquityList is a full-stack equity management platform by AngelList India. Companies across India, US and Singapore use EquityList to manage their cap table, stock options (ESOP/SAR), shareholders, and related compliances. Managing equity for 10k+ stakeholders, 250+ companies and ~$1B in stock options.

Cloud Capital has deployed $8M+ in 55+ startups such as Airmeet, Rupifi, Orange Health, DevRev, ZET (OneCode) and others. I've also angel invested in startups such as OSlash, Atlys, Chronicle, Even Healthcare and others.

Excited to do this AMA, and look forward to answering any of your questions about ESOPs, cap table management, investing, entrepreneurship, and more!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kashisharma

Live AMA: Hey everyone, I'm Kashish, CEO of EquityList. Ask me anything!

Hey,  any one have issues with educational certificate, i can guide you further to get a better job with better degree.

Degree related problem

Data engineer

Welcome to IT Company Discussion's Private Community

Hi all,

I need some advice from someone in my situation.(Spoiler : Long post )

Some intro : Ever since i was a child i wanted to be a doctor (I was good in Bio and bad in maths with 56 /100 in 12th Maths ), as such i prepared for NEET , and dropped one year for the same , as my father is a farmer ,only way i would be doctor is to crack into a government college where fees are low . I worked hard for a year but i missed the cutoff mark for Gov MBBS seat by 12-14 marks , i got multiple offer letter from Gov-funded colleges with fee about 3 L per year , but as my father didn't have 3L in his bank i was not able to provide a demand draft (DD) on admission date and they rejected me.Which had a impact on my mental health.

As i had some interest in Android ROM/kernels , i took admission from Btech CSE in tier-3 college, as the fee was low and i thought i can learn coding and get a decent off-campus offer. But unfortunately for me i struggled to clear maths related papers again and had 5 backlogs over 4 years . I spend my 4 years trying to clear all papers within course time ,which i succeeded with a low CGPA of 7 . But I never learned coding well and didn't know about things like leetcode  etc.

I tried months for job in 2022 , but none was hiring as i was from tier 3 college + low CGPA , i finally got an offer from Consultancy for C++ developer role .They told they will deploy me in IBM in contract to hire position with a salary of 3LPA . But on day 1 at IBM i come to know my project is Application support , and that this project was closing soon , now in 2024 project is over and am unemployed again.

Now when i am applying via Naukri i am only getting BPO calls with low CTC (below 4.5LPA ) , Noone is even considering me for SDE roles.

Only positive is i cleared CAT and got into provisional list of IIM Sambalpur, last year ,But didnot go as fee was very high for me (15L+)

I feel i have destroyed my career and even leetcode guys are not getting jobs there days . Only hope i feel i have now are :
1)Write CAT again ,Go for MBA in a decent college as i have interest in stock markets (Paid my UG fees by trading ) ,This means i will have to take 10L+ loans ? Also , is MBA worth it for someone with no finance background in UG ,will i get job afterwards?

2)Try to get out of india to any European country to do any PG taking 15L+ in loans and try to find any job there.
Keep in mind i am only breadwinner in my family ,Age : 26 , UG passout 2021.

Which of the following should i try for ?
I know its long post and many wont read, if you read the post please comment recommendation .Thanks

I destroyed my career for nothing - Need advice

Operations engineer

Hi!

I'm currently doing my Masters from tier 1 University in India and have 4 years of experience working as a Data Scientist in an MNC.
When I go for a job search for a Data scientist role soon, will my job experience before Masters be considered and given a role according to the seniority?

Experience before Masters

Data scientist

We’ve all read the software engineer turned PM story. And although very commendable, and kudos to them for doing what needs to be done, I’d love to hear people who’ve gone down the not so traditional career path or have had weird career trajectories. Are you happy about the decisions you’ve made? Are you content? Is there something you would do differently?

Share your not so conventional career trajectory

Product Manager

Welcome to Confessions's Private Community

Hello everyone,

I hope you're doing well. I find myself in a challenging situation and could really use your advice and support.

**Context:**
I graduated in 2021 with a degree in electrical engineering from a decent college, but unfortunately, I didn't secure a placement. Since then, I've been struggling to find my path and ended up taking random jobs, leading to a significant gap in my career of almost 2 to 3 years. Alongside my career struggles, I've been battling with depression and anxiety, which have been exacerbated by the lack of support from family and friends. Despite seeking help from therapists and doctors, I haven't seen much improvement. Additionally, I attempted the GATE exam without success, as I lack passion and feel limited options are available.

**Request:**
I'm feeling lost and fearful about my future, especially considering my physical and mental health issues. My confidence has taken a hit due to repeated failures, and I find myself fearing everything. I'm reaching out to this community in the hope of finding guidance, support, and perhaps some practical advice on how to regain my confidence and overcome these fears.

**Additional Request:**
If anyone has faced similar challenges or has insights on how to rebuild confidence after setbacks, I would greatly appreciate your input.

Any insights, personal experiences, or suggestions you can offer would be immensely appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any help you can provide.

Warm regards

Seeking guidance for carrer and mental health

Software Developer

for me. i spent college studying for grades and 20s making money in a job I don't like, but never got to make the memories I should've with all my friends. I regret doing all of that

what is your worst mistake professionally?

Hope this post reaches everyone well. I'm a final year engineering undergrad student from a core branch in a Tier 2 college. I'll cut to the chase - I hate my degree and want to switch over to DIgital Marketing. I recently completed a two month digital marketing internship in an arm of a retail brand. This was to test the waters; to see if I actually like Digital Marketing or just the idea of it. Turns out, it's pretty fun. While the tasks were mundane, I handled basic stuff like on-page SEO tactics, LOTS of content writing and a market analysis of our competitors. I wanted to also venture into other domains (like Performance Marketing and Brand Management), but I wasn't given the chance to do so.

Coming to the topic, what do I do from here? Look up case studies? A remote intership (which I'm unsure if I can handle with college)? And what exactly does 'build a portfolio' entail? And yes, I know the market is in the doldrums right now. This might be the worst time to embark on a career in Marketing, but I need to bet on myself now.

I've started applying for internships (January-July, leads appreciated!), and need guidance from someone elder than me on how to navigate the situation I'm in. Apologies for any errors.

TLDR: Engineering student hates his degree (nothing new), loves Digital Marketing, needs guidance from someone senior to figure out a path towards an alternate career.

Switching over to a career in Digital Marketing.

I’ve noticed a pattern that most folks at leadership have a masters degree at least (mostly mba). Im at that point where leaving my job (20LPA, 5YOE) for 2 years does not make sense and getting into ISBs would demand a strong Gmat score which looks difficult.
Should I take a MS or some other masters degree for the sake of it? Just so that I might be in contention for senior roles years later?

If not MBA, then what?

Growth Manager

Seeking Guidance on Career and Health Crisis

Sharing some reflections on this:

1. Product is not a function with a large hierarchy / multiple levels in the ladder. Managerial responsibility comes in very late in the product career and the spans are typically small (relative to other functions like engineering, sales, operations). This also means a steeper funnel to the top and only a handful VP Product roles in the industry.

2. Product is centered around technology and digital consumer trends, both of which are fast changing. This requires constant unlearning and relearning. But more critically, this also means that previous knowledge/experience hits a plateau on marginal value beyond a basic threshold (where you have developed some essential product semse and skills).

3. Product managers are also much higher-paid vs other functional peers, at comparable years of experience. This means that a PM gets to a very high salary (say, 1+ crore) by the age of 40 (15-20y into their career). Tech functions in non-tech companies (like FMCG, banking) cannot offer that kind of pay, meaning salary growth beyond a point is limited to tech-first companies / limiting addressable market for lateral moves.

All of these considererd, how should PMs think about the longevity of their careers? Unlike traditional roles, this does not seem like a "retire at 60" job. What would be the realistic age one should plan for, at which career growth and salary growth will stagnate? What are ways in which a 80%ile PM can extend their career (eg: also taking up engineering management or P&L responsibility or growth function etc., to increase scope)?

PS: this post is not for the top 5-10% PMs. They will always find roles at VP level etc, this is for the 50-90%ile bucket of PM talent.

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