Balancing personal life and a job along with an ongoing post-graduation program takes a lot of dedication and Geheni was able to successfully push through. Read along to learn about Geheni Thilakesh’s journey with Great Learning’s PGP Data Science and Business Analytics Course in her own words.
Coming from a family where no woman had gone beyond studying UG, getting the first PG degree from great learning truly meant nothing short of an achievement for me. Being able to work and study at the same time was challenging but rewarding. My professional background involves quite a lot since I am one of those people that like doing multiple things. I have been a designer, content writer, research analyst, project manager, and currently trying to learn more by identifying & integrating my strengths and my passion.
Being a woman comes with its own challenges, just as being a professional working in an office does. Women have it harder, sometimes. But women also have the superpower of overcoming when it gets harder! Two of my biggest professional challenges as a woman were – 1. Being a woman does not mean my argument is less valid than a man & 2. It’s not okay to speak disrespectfully to a woman employee because she is younger in age. Dealing with a challenge can mean different ways – speaking up for yourself, getting help from a colleague, or leaving a toxic work environment. Whatever feels instinctively right is the right way to deal with a challenge at work.
I have not yet reached that stage in my life where I require a career break any time soon. Although I personally know women who are disregarded by certain companies when they see a break in their resume. I also know women who were promoted on maternity leave. I think more firms should adapt to swinging that way and change their outlook by considering a break as a strength rather than a weakness.
My first job with McKinsey & Company is what sparked an interest in analytics & data science. Being on the visual design end of projects, I was curious to be on the problem-solving end. Rather than merely designing documents, I started to develop an interest in the factors and steps that lead to the solution. I began to discover how data was being used to unravel impactful business solutions. And that was the beginning of my stint with data science.
I think the words “technical” or “engineering background” is what’s keeping more women away from pursuing data science. Before I learned about the simplicity behind the concept of studying data as a science, I myself was under the impression that it’s too technical for me, and I do not have an engineering background which means I will not excel at it. The stigma around how “technical” data science is should be reduced by spreading more awareness that data science is simply the science of solving problems by understanding what the data is trying to tell us. The answers are right in front of us; we just need to be able to see them. I think women are naturally better problem solvers, and data science absolutely needs more women showcasing their capability and skill.
The first thing I would like to say to an aspiring data scientist is, “Go for it!”. In terms of career advice, my advice would be to never stop exploring. Data science is an ever-evolving field with new ways of looking at data and novel solutions every day. There is no wrong way to solve a problem or a particular direction to follow – data science gives you the freedom to listen to yourself by having multiple ways to solve a problem.
I chose Great Learning as much as Great Learning chose me. The day I got the call saying I was selected for the program, I was absolutely elated to be chosen into such a premier institution. Great Learning helped me by providing me absolutely everything that was necessary to get started in my data science journey. From state-of-the-art learning programs to the best-in-class faculty who were truly amazing, tactically created assignments and projects to give me that perfect amount of hands-on experience, amazing classmates from different experiences and fields, recorded classes, CV creation help, constant motivation, and instant query resolution from our program managers – it was the best thing I could ask for to kickstart my analytics career.
But I’ll be honest, and it was not as easy as I thought it would be. Balancing personal life and a job along with an ongoing post-graduation program takes a lot of dedication, effort and often required me to push myself harder than I could. But we need to always remember why we started and always appreciate how far we’ve come. Oftentimes, we end up focusing on how much is left to do. We forget to appreciate ourselves for how far we’ve made it. There are times when I could balance things out and times when I felt I was miserably failing. We need to know both those feelings are okay. Being self-motivated and believing in yourself can go a long way!
However, my recently acquired skills have significantly improved my confidence levels and made me believe that I can achieve anything I set my heart to. When we start to feel more confident in our skills, it manifests itself in different aspects of our life. I have learned better ways of dealing with things, more efficient ways of communication, and improved methods of solving problems! Focusing on holistic development is key to reap the benefits of your development not only professionally but personally too!
