Mentors and Gurus shape a person, both personally and professionally. There is no value that you can put to a mentor's importance, and I believe that the tangible impact drew me towards mentoring. The gratitude and appreciation that mentees reciprocate in return for my efforts, makes all the difference - it keeps me motivated and reminds me of the accountability I have towards their careers.
Hailing from the scenic town of Dehradun in Uttarakhand, my journey has been nothing short of amazing. Coding, computers and my career integrated together in such a way that advancing in the programming field became my life's vision. I am Saurabh Bansal, currently working as a Senior Software Manager at Microsoft and this is my story. My childhood was almost like other children, my favourite activity was to visit my grandparents.
I completed my schooling from St. Thomas School, Dehradun, and then moved to Roorkee to pursue my engineering degree. The love for Computer Science gradually seeped into my life. It started off as a mandatory subject at school, but soon enough, I discovered that I have a keen interest and inclination towards the world of coding.
At college, my seniors were a huge influence. We had a Tech Club at college, admission to which was very competitive, as only the top rank holders of each batch were provided a place in the club, after a rigorous process of interviews. I was fascinated by the club, and really wanted to bag a spot. This motivated me to work harder, and maintain a good GPA. I used to admire my seniors at the Tech Club, and they were instrumental in my programming journey, as they taught me programming after college hours. They used to take out time to specifically provide me with the daily session of learning that I relentlessly sought. I feel that was my first brush with mentors, as my seniors went out of their way to help me further my interest in coding.
At my current position of Senior Software Manager at Microsoft, I work on certain important projects, revolving around application development and market testing. I started out as a developer at Microsoft, and before my tenure here, I worked for three years at Oracle.
One of the projects that I was deeply involved with was the development of the android application of Skype, the popular video calling platform. It was an amazing feeling to witness the application launch. Post that, in 2019, I helped in setting up the Noida office of the company, and as far as building a team is concerned, it was a fulfilling experience. We worked on the development of Word Online, and during the course of the project I discovered my knack and passion for team building and mentoring.
If I reflect, I think the keenness to become a mentor was initiated when I observed my own mentors, back at college and also at work, and drew out on the indelible impact they had on my life. Mentors and Gurus shape a person, both personally and professionally. There is no value that you can put to a mentor's importance, and I believe that the tangible impact drew me towards mentoring.
My work with Scaler has spanned over two years now, and over the years, I have implicitly contributed to the tech community. My focus as a mentor has been on coaching learners to facilitate their growth, and guiding them about the importance of holistic development. There are a mixed bunch of learners, each individual with their own strengths and weaknesses, and as a mentor I believe that it is my responsibility to cater to each of them with a unique approach.
Along with technical skills, I also place increased emphasis on building soft skills, as they are indispensable for a professional. The gratitude and appreciation that mentees reciprocate in return for my efforts, makes all the difference - it keeps me motivated and reminds me of the accountability I have towards their careers.
There is no interview that cannot be cracked, if you are thorough with your basics. An in-depth and nuanced understanding of the basic concepts taught to us in the initial years of our college education makes all the difference when it comes to cracking interviews. So focus on your basics, work hard and keep your eyes on the goal, you're all set to go!