The go-to guy for fixing things is now a Software Engineer - Meet Rohan

Born in a small village in the Idar district of Gujarat, Rohan Patel has had an unparalleled clarity about his goals from the very beginning. He had an innate passion for fixing things, especially technical issues in computers, gadgets, etc. since his early days.

And that has translated to his higher education and career choices as well. He joined the WEB11 batch to learn Full stack Web Development at Masai and currently he’s working at a unicorn startup called NoBroker.

In a conversation with Rohan, we asked him questions about his early life, career, journey with Masai, his transition from a student to a professional, and much more. 

Go through this article to understand his journey and to know how you can be a Web Developer too in 7 months.

Here are a few excerpts from the conversation-

Tell us about your educational background.

I finished my B.E in Computer Science from LDRP-ITR college, Gandhinagar last year. Since childhood, I’ve had an affection for technology and software. I was the go-to guy in both my neighborhood and school for solving any kind of technical issue. So, I naturally opted for the Science stream in 12th, and Computer Science branch later on.

How was your college experience?

College life has been one of the most amazing experiences in my life till date. Hostel life, hanging out with friends, etc. were all memorable moments.

I had expectations of getting placed in a good company but unfortunately, that wasn’t to be.

What challenges did you face during campus placements?

I was in the 6th semester when COVID struck and everything transitioned to online mode. Lectures were taking place on zoom. I didn’t really have the same focus anymore.

Then came the placements. I wasn’t comfortable giving online interviews and so, I couldn’t perform to the best of my ability and got rejected.

Why did you join Masai School?

After my failed attempts in college placements, I started looking for opportunities to up-skill myself. My elder brother told me that there’s this bootcamp that teaches Web Development and Android Development and it’s a pay after placement(PAP) program. With the thought that “a better future could be waiting”, I decided to put my time into Masai.

What convinced Rohan to join Masai? How was your user journey from knowing about Masai to enrolling?

I researched on Google and YouTube and came across a video from an alumni’s channel. He cleared almost all the doubts in his video.

What were your initial thoughts about 9-9-6?

About 9-9-6, I was confident that I wouldn’t have much of a problem following the tight schedule. Also, being from a Computer Science background, I knew that I just have to build on the basics. 

After Unit 1, I was completely immersed in the program. I liked every minute of it. In fact, I didn’t know what else to do except coding.

What’s the difference between the amount of coding you do at college and Masai School?

Massive difference. In college, we just do two lines of coding on lab days and that’s it.

At Masai, you’re coding all the time, well most of it. You have sessions, assignments, projects, etc. We were building websites from scratch during construct weeks. If I were to give you an exact figure, I’d say 1 month of coding at Masai = 4 years of coding in college.

What did you like the most about the curriculum?

I think CSBT sessions were of great help. The team does a splendid job of personality development, be it in communication, presentation or teamwork.

I have developed a good amount of confidence and expression, owing to the CSBT team.

There also was the Utter program for students who needed improvement in English speaking skills. I was a part of it and I have definitely improved a lot prior to joining Masai.

As part of the syllabus, we had to solve 7 DSA questions everyday, which felt both tricky and fun.

Can I know who were your favourite Instructors at Masai?

Swanand Kadam and Prabhanjan were great during coding sessions.

For the back-end development part, Dhaval Chheda was exceptional. 

How did your placements go?

It was a bit worrisome for me in the beginning.

Placement weeks started somewhere around 19th Jan.

Companies arrived and started shortlisting the candidates for interviews. I was first shortlisted for MPL. I watched a few previous lectures by the instructors to brush up the concepts.

But, I had to Postpone the MPL interview as I got sick.

Later, I got shortlisted by 3 more companies including MyGate, NoBroker, and Zomentum.

I had 3 interviews scheduled on the same day. That morning, I appeared for the NoBroker interview and 30 minutes later, I got the news from Gargi (Placement Coordinator at Masai School) that I’d been selected. I joined without hesitation.

How did you feel when you got the news? What was your parents’ reaction?

I literally got goosebumps. It was my first technical interview and I had cracked it. My parents were even more elated, they distributed sweets in my old village.

Did you have any limitations pursuing the course from your village? 

Not much, apart from the fact that I didn’t have access to wifi there. So, I was studying using my phone hotspot.

How would Rohan describe the PAP based fee structure?

Pay After Placement is the most wonderful thing about Masai. It opens up a path for students who don’t necessarily have the financial means to pursue such careers. It levels the playing field for everyone.

If you have a laptop and an internet connection, you can become a Developer at Masai. You don’t need money to pursue your ambition.

At last, Rohan sums up by saying :- “At Masai, there is no competition among the peers. Everyone is competing with themselves, trying to be better every day. The Masai team teaches in such a way that’s meant for every individual in the batch. They cater to every student’s needs separately, whether the student is from mechanical background or CS background like me. 

If you’re ready to give your 100%, Masai will leave no stone unturned to build your career.”