Dreaming of a career in Software but scared that you’ll end up becoming a couch potato? Or even addicted to the screens? Here’s a solution: learn to strike a balance. A balance between work and your life. While looking for a solution, I came across a young, talented Software engineer based in the United States. A graduate from Cummins College of Engineering for Women, Pune, Chinmai Padalkar has managed to find a way through the world of Computer Science. She has an array of hobbies, ranging from Astro Photography to Gardening.
I was definitely awestruck when I spoke to her about the field of Software Engineering. It was an insightful conversation with a lot of key takeaways.
How did Software begin for you?
I can’t say I have always dreamt of a career as a Software Engineer, it all started with my interest in the computer programming and digital world in Junior College (11th and 12th). Since then, it has always been incredibly fascinating to me how the computer and digital world has transformed. This contributed to growing my interest in Computer Technology.
During my Bachelor’s, I participated in a couple of Hackathon events and research projects where I built small apps which further let my eagerness grow towards building my career as a Software Engineer. As I further developed my skills, I decided to pursue Masters in Computer Science. Today, I enjoy developing new software and learning new programming languages which aligns with my career goals.
What are your main responsibilities?
I work as a Senior Software Engineer at Oracle and my main responsibilities at work are building tools and services to improve customer experience on Cloud Platform. My role also requires regular collaboration with business owners, stakeholders to understand the customer requirements and propose technical solutions.
How do you utilise a 24hr day?
Everyday I wake up with immense happiness and zest to learn something new. This is not just restricted to learning new things at work and it also helps to keep positive energy flowing throughout the day. My day starts at 9 am with daily sync-up with the team members. My working hours are flexible but I tend to wrap up the work around 5 pm.
Typically, I work with my Engineering team along with a business owner to ensure a daily cadence of development of features or a service is established and is in place. My day also involves working on active service issues, if any. This assures and helps to maintain stable service and in turn gives a better experience to Oracle customers.
How has the educational journey been?
After completing my undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering), I attended University of North Carolina (UNC), Charlotte, USA to pursue a Masters Degree in Computer Science. I took the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) which is a prerequisite for attending most of the colleges in the United States. I have also worked as a Teaching Assistant and a Tutor (for undergraduate students) at UNC, Charlotte. This was a unique and great learning experience for me.
What kind of problems do you most commonly deal with?
Primarily, I deal with enhancing the software/service as per needs from Oracle Cloud customers. This can either be improving the existing software features or building any new feature for better usability. In a fast paced Cloud Platform environment, I often come across hard deadlines to meet. This sometimes requires re-planning and may involve switching priorities of current projects.
How important do you think striking a balance is in life?
On a normal day, I would work for 8 hours. Apart from work, I regularly dedicate some time for my physical fitness. This way, I try to maintain work-life balance. There are some days though where I get pulled into any service related escalations. During these days, I try to take adequate breaks to avoid non-stop working. This also helps with my productivity.
What do you love the most about your job?
I love my job because of the diverse team culture. People in my team and across, genuinely care about each other. I also like the flexible schedule to work which helps me maintain my work-life balance. Leadership here recognizes the efforts I put into my work and is always appreciative. Projects I have been working on are personally challenging as well as aligning with my career goals.
What advice would you give to someone who wishes to pursue a career in Software?
In the Software/IT world, things are changing rapidly. Change is the only constant and it’s very important to adapt to the changing environment. Every year or two, I would advise to spend some time really thinking about your career. Go out and warm up, build your network, check out new opportunities, and I am positive that will interest you even more than what you currently do at work.
Here’s where you can find Chinmai:
Instagram handle – chinmaipadalkar
LinkedIn link : https://www.linkedin.com/in/chinmaipadalkar/
All work and no play makes everyone a dull person!
Dreaming of a career in Software but scared that you’ll end up becoming a couch potato? Or even addicted to the screens? Here’s a solution: learn to strike a balance. A balance between work and your life. While looking for a solution, I came across a young, talented Software engineer based in the United States. A graduate from Cummins College of Engineering for Women, Pune, Chinmai Padalkar has managed to find a way through the world of Computer Science. She has an array of hobbies, ranging from Astro Photography to Gardening.
I was definitely awestruck when I spoke to her about the field of Software Engineering. It was an insightful conversation with a lot of key takeaways.
How did Software begin for you?
I can’t say I have always dreamt of a career as a Software Engineer, it all started with my interest in the computer programming and digital world in Junior College (11th and 12th). Since then, it has always been incredibly fascinating to me how the computer and digital world has transformed. This contributed to growing my interest in Computer Technology.
During my Bachelor’s, I participated in a couple of Hackathon events and research projects where I built small apps which further let my eagerness grow towards building my career as a Software Engineer. As I further developed my skills, I decided to pursue Masters in Computer Science. Today, I enjoy developing new software and learning new programming languages which aligns with my career goals.
What are your main responsibilities?
I work as a Senior Software Engineer at Oracle and my main responsibilities at work are building tools and services to improve customer experience on Cloud Platform. My role also requires regular collaboration with business owners, stakeholders to understand the customer requirements and propose technical solutions.
How do you utilise a 24hr day?
Everyday I wake up with immense happiness and zest to learn something new. This is not just restricted to learning new things at work and it also helps to keep positive energy flowing throughout the day. My day starts at 9 am with daily sync-up with the team members. My working hours are flexible but I tend to wrap up the work around 5 pm.
Typically, I work with my Engineering team along with a business owner to ensure a daily cadence of development of features or a service is established and is in place. My day also involves working on active service issues, if any. This assures and helps to maintain stable service and in turn gives a better experience to Oracle customers.
How has the educational journey been?
After completing my undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering), I attended University of North Carolina (UNC), Charlotte, USA to pursue a Masters Degree in Computer Science. I took the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) which is a prerequisite for attending most of the colleges in the United States. I have also worked as a Teaching Assistant and a Tutor (for undergraduate students) at UNC, Charlotte. This was a unique and great learning experience for me.
What kind of problems do you most commonly deal with?
Primarily, I deal with enhancing the software/service as per needs from Oracle Cloud customers. This can either be improving the existing software features or building any new feature for better usability. In a fast paced Cloud Platform environment, I often come across hard deadlines to meet. This sometimes requires re-planning and may involve switching priorities of current projects.
How important do you think striking a balance is in life?
On a normal day, I would work for 8 hours. Apart from work, I regularly dedicate some time for my physical fitness. This way, I try to maintain work-life balance. There are some days though where I get pulled into any service related escalations. During these days, I try to take adequate breaks to avoid non-stop working. This also helps with my productivity.
What do you love the most about your job?
I love my job because of the diverse team culture. People in my team and across, genuinely care about each other. I also like the flexible schedule to work which helps me maintain my work-life balance. Leadership here recognizes the efforts I put into my work and is always appreciative. Projects I have been working on are personally challenging as well as aligning with my career goals.
What advice would you give to someone who wishes to pursue a career in Software?
In the Software/IT world, things are changing rapidly. Change is the only constant and it’s very important to adapt to the changing environment. Every year or two, I would advise to spend some time really thinking about your career. Go out and warm up, build your network, check out new opportunities, and I am positive that will interest you even more than what you currently do at work.
Here’s where you can find Chinmai:
Instagram handle – chinmaipadalkar
LinkedIn link : https://www.linkedin.com/in/chinmaipadalkar/
Nidhi is a 20 year old ambivert who completed her schooling from Nath Valley School, Aurangabad. In 2018, she joined the MIT School of Fine Arts and Applied Arts in Pune to pursue her BFA in Applied Arts and Visual Communication. She has a soft spot for reading, writing, and travel. Helping others find their true passion, is one of her interests. As a writer on Careerfox, she intends to interview professionals from diverse career backgrounds and blog about them. She believes that this would not only nurture her love for writing, but also would help youngsters make more informed career choices.