Day 01:

After completing a hands-on exam at my office, which is a typical procedure in many companies after training, we all left the office with a fresh mind in the evening. However, our minds couldn’t help but remind us, “You finished an exam at the office, not in college; you can’t be stress-free.”

Day 02:

The following day, some individuals were found to have cheated during the hands-on exam. So, the morning brought an unexpected surprise: “Congratulations, you have another hands-on today.” This was different from school or college exams where if you fail, the questions become easier. Here, it wasn’t the questions that got harder, but the requirements. Despite this, we managed to pass. ✌

Days 03 to 06:

Time moved on.

Day 07:

Then came the internal interview call from another GDC (Global Delivery Centre), with seniors on the line. The five of us were uncertain about the nature of the call. Suddenly, in a group call, the heading read “DevOps Resource Discussions.” They started explaining “What is DevOps?” “What do they do?” and “Why is it important?” Then, a sudden question arose, “Are you excited about joining DevOps?” We were caught off guard, thinking, “But, we were trained as full-stack developers, and that’s what the hands-on was for.” One of the seniors said, “Yes, we know, but we need DevOps engineers. We are asking for your willingness to join; we’re not forcing it. It’s an opportunity to work in this field.” I thought, “Oh man! We’re in trouble; we don’t know what DevOps is.” Without thinking, I rejected the offer. I don’t regret it.

The next day, I began to think, “You just turned down an internal offer. They might put your name at the bottom of the list, and you may not get any more opportunities.” This is where I started learning my first lesson: “Create Your Opportunity.”

I began searching for opportunities within my company that aligned with my interests. I discovered that one of my peers was pursuing UI/UX design and receiving training. I reached out to the friend who had joined the UI/UX program and asked her, “How can I get into UI/UX?” I know, I’m a full-stack developer who rejected DevOps, and there was no apparent reason to join UI/UX design. However, my interest in UI/UX was sparked during my first year of college when a senior named “Madan” introduced us to the magical tool called Adobe XD. He explained how it worked, why designers used it, and more. That small seed of interest led me to approach my friend, who directed me to the UX lead. Here, I am. A UI UX Designer working and worked on multiple projects.

To be continued…