Salesman to Senior Engineer, Nikhil’s incredible journey at Masai
Nikhil worked as a jewellery salesperson to support his family. He quickly realised that he was being taken advantage of at work. An accomplished and well-respected future was Nikhil's goal. He discovered Masai's Pay after Placement programme, which could change his future.
Even if you blame our education system, the sad fact today is that colleges and universities fail to effectively prepare students for the workforce. They made a lot of promises regarding employment at the start of the degree, but after graduation, students find it difficult to get a decent job because of their lack of skills.
Nikhil, from the southern state of Kerala, is one of these millions of students. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and a Master’s degree in Computer Applications. Nikhil was forced to take up a job to support his family as a salesman at a jewellery showroom because of his lack of relevant skills.
He soon realized that he was being exploited at his workplace. Nikhil dreamt of a better future where he was paid and treated well. Soon he came across Masai and its Pay after Placement programme. He joined Masai to change the course of his destiny. Determined to escape the terrible trap, he worked hard for the next seven months to transform himself into a software engineer.
Today, he works as a Senior Developer at Capgemini. A while ago, Nikhil joined us to share his incredible journey, so that it reaches the masses and inspires coming-of-the-age developers. Read below the full interview.
Why did you quit your previous job?
It was a terrible job. I am glad that I quit that early. It was in a jewellery showroom. I used to work for over 12 hours. Plus, we were required to work on public holidays as those are the days when people buy a lot of ornaments, especially during festivals.
So, because of that, I had lost touch with my friends. My social life was over. It was not even a high-paying job. So, I decided to upskill myself in a field that would pay me better and quit my job. After two months of looking at various options, I came across Masai.
How did you trust Masai School?
The fact that Masai accepts fees only after a student secures a job earning more than 5LPA sparked my interest. So, I started my research at Masai. I spoke to the alumni of the Masai. I read articles and posts on various platforms like Quora, LinkedIn, etc.
There were plenty of alumni success stories. The more I read about Masai, the more trust was being built. I took the risk and, with faith; I joined Masai.
My parents were skeptical initially, but after I explained Income Shared Agreement (ISA) and 9-9-6, they were also convinced. After I got placed with 3x the salary of my previous job, they were on cloud nine. The hard work of months had paid off. Today, not only I, even my parents recommend Masai to a lot of students.
What are your thoughts on 9-9-6?
Personally, because of my previous job, I am used to a hectic schedule. So, 9-9-6 was not that difficult for me. But, I feel anyone should be comfortable with 9-9-6 if they want to build a successful career in IT.
Work really hard for 30 weeks and get ready for the hustle. The 9-9-6 formula prepares you well for that corporate world. You will not face any problems if you have gone through 9-9-6. You will understand the value of time, planning, and urgency. Hence, I feel 9-9-6 is necessary.
What impressed you the most at Masai?
What impressed me the most at Masai was how everything was organized so well. From the design of the curriculum to the scheduling of the classes, everything is done, keeping in mind the smallest details. This is exceptional. You hardly find any flaws anywhere.
Plus, the management is always quick to follow up on the inconveniences and problems. Someone from the team quickly solves them if they are genuine and are reported properly. They solved my queries quickly. It was unbelievable to me. That impressed me a lot.
How was the placement process at Masai?
The overall experience has been great. The best thing is that you can sit for the interviews with as many companies as you want. There are no restrictions in place. So, you have this freedom of choice.
The whole placement team is on standby to help you with even the slightest inconvenience. They are also the source of motivation after rejections. As far as I remember, I had appeared for the interviews with four companies. Finally, I was selected as a Senior Developer at Capgemini.
Do you think it is worth paying three lakhs to Masai?
Before I joined Masai, I felt it was on the higher side. But, now that I have a job that pays me very well, it feels absolutely worth it.
See, your time at Masai is going to be a life-changing experience. The teachings will be with you forever, long after you leave Masai. The valuable lessons that you learn here are not found anywhere else. So, I strongly feel it is worth every penny. And, especially with ISA, it is fantastic.
I recommended Masai to a lot of my friends and even to my family members. I would not have done that if it was not worth it. I have faith in Masai and its methods. Could never earn so much without upskilling myself with Masai.
What is your message to the students of Masai?
Just follow the instructions given by mentors. Trust the process and stay focused. Work hard and you will definitely achieve your goals. There were so many things I hated when I was a student there, but today I understand they were right and I was wrong. So, trust your instructors, because they are much more experienced than you.