After completing my post-graduation in Computer Science, I joined one of the reputed MNCs in financial services and banking. Time flew by and I did not even realize that I had completed more than seven years with the organization. During this time, I got married and travelled overseas for an onsite project. The project was going to get stretched for longer, but I did not want to stay away from my family any longer.
I resigned and came back to India and took a short break. Then, I joined another reputed MNC. While I was settling in my new job profile, my husband told me that he has got a job in UK. I had no choice but to shift to UK with him and my one year old daughter. Time flew in the blink of an eye in Manchester. My little one has started her school and I realized that I should finally get back to my career. I started looking for jobs, but my visa was going to expire, so I had to return to India.
In India, my second daughter was born, and another three years passed by while I was constantly juggling between household chores, managing the kids, and supporting my family.
I had still not dropped the idea of returning to work, but probably the companies I was applying for were in no mood to give me a chance for a comeback. I started plummeting into a shell. But as they say- tough times don't last, tough people do.
My sister-in-law kept pushing me to restart my career. In August 2019, I got a job to teach coding to kids online, but the schedule was hectic. I could not keep up with it after COVID affected us, so I had to discontinue.
It was around that time that I became a part of Aspire for Her (AFH) community which empowers women to restart their career. The CyberShikshaa program advertisement was shared by someone in our AFH WhatsApp group. I joined the course with great enthusiasm. The curriculum looked great. We had a well experienced and professional trainer. DSCI was very supportive and conducted motivating sessions with Privacy experts.
However, I could not clear the DCPP certification in my first attempt. I was not thorough with my preparation. The lockdown was at its peak and the absence of a house-help added a lot to my workload. I was on the brink of another mental breakdown. I was fortunate to have my sister-in-law and my husband by my side who encouraged me to take the exam for the second time.
I mustered all the remaining strength in me and decided to prioritize myself for the coming seven days. I kept telling myself that these seven days could be life changing and I must give my best. I took the exam, and the results came in after a few days. I had aced it! It was one of the happiest days of my life.
A few weeks after clearing the exam, I received a mail from DSCI that I have been shortlisted for an interview with Infosys. I went through the selection process & eventually joined Infosys as an Advisor for Data Privacy and Protection.
I'm glad to see that companies are giving the option to WFH to their employees. That's the best thing that can happen to women like me who have to look after their kids. I know a lot of women who have a career gap of ten years and more. Post the pandemic, they are now happily making a comeback because of the flexibility to work from home.
Only a shift in the mindset is enough to help women restart their career. Motherhood should only be seen as a next chapter in their life, not as an end to the career for which they have aspired all their life.
Right from my college days, I was always interested in studying a blend of cyber security, law, and policy; and this program was offering exactly that. I took a leap of faith and enrolled for the program, and it turned out to be a lifeline for me. Especially amidst the stressful chemotherapy sessions.
(from Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir)CyberShikshaa is a great platform to learn advanced cyber security tools. This course has transformed my life and getting placed at HCL is like a dream come true. The webinars enhanced my knowledge in the field of networking, cryptography and cyber security. Apart from technical knowledge, it also helped in improving my communication skills. Girls can enhance their capabilities and grab the best opportunities in future.
(from Patharkandi, Assam)After B.Tech, CyberShikshaa course helped me in my professional career. This course has taught me online safety, security, and how to protect myself from cyber world. As new technology is coming, more cybercrime is increasing day by day. So I recommend CyberShikshaa training to all women.
(from Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh)CyberShikshaa is a good platform to learn cyber security and apply that knowledge in real time applications. Apart from this, it has helped me a lot to improve my confidence level, communication skills, teamwork, and ability to understand people.
(from Jalu, Amravati, Maharashtra)CyberShikshaa program has been a turning point in my life. It helped me a lot to lift my knowledge in cyber security and trained me to be more confident in life. For me, this course was the last hope to get a job.
DSCI and Microsoft are giving one of the best opportunities for girls who can't afford to pay lacs of rupees to build a career. So, girls go grab it!
(from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh)CyberShikshaa program came to me as a blessing as I was jobless for four years. The journey through out the training was very knowledgeable and helpful, apart from the technical knowledge, soft skills sessions were conducted regularly for overall grooming of the students.
(from Nagpur, Maharashtra)CyberShikshaa program really helped me improve my technical skills and confidence. Cyber security is a very interesting field to work at different levels. Thank you CyberShikshaa for helping me get this great opportunity at Aujas where I am working on Web Application Penetration Testing, Mobile and API Penetration Testing.
