The Ultimate Career Comeback: How Deepanshu Conquered the Tech Industry
Deepanshu Chugh from Hisar, Haryana isn’t your usual success story. As he gave up a career in the IT sector once pursuing other ambitions, before returning to where his heart belonged. A B.Tech graduate by education, he didn’t see a glowing future in the IT field, so dedicated himself to other career paths.
However, he came back to his home turf alongside Masai, upskilled and ready to carve a space for himself in the thriving tech world. Now working as SDE-1 in Stratergywerks, he shares his story and learnings from Masai over a quick chat.
How did you discover Masai?
As you know, I graduated from B.Tech(CS) back in 2016, however, upon finishing my graduation I started preparing for government exams, mainly SSC. But after taking a few cracks at the exam I decided to take some time off and work as a business analyst in a tech company.
After spending a few months there I realised the immense possibilities in the IT field which I left years ago. That night while scrolling Instagram, I came across an ad for Masai and took the MSAT right away. It was 2 a.m., but I didn’t care and successfully cleared it.
How did your parents react?
After I cleared the test I couldn’t make up my mind about joining Masai immediately. I took a lot of time but ultimately decided to go ahead and join the school. I am one of those grateful kids who got immense support from their parents, as they always believe in me no matter what.
So with their support and my desire to make a place for myself in the tech world, I signed up for Masai.
What is your favorite thing about Masai?
The curriculum and discipline of Masai are definitely what I liked the most about the institute. Having a disciplined lifestyle can help you massively both professionally and personally, and that got instilled in me through Masai school.
Meeting deadlines, and following a routine, are all things that enhance the quality of your work. You may access information from the internet but you can’t download the professional growth that comes from constantly improving yourself because you have a disciplined mind.
How was your experience with a practice-based curriculum?
This routine was so hectic, yet so amazing. Some days were very overwhelming where I would sit for hours and continuously code. But those days have made me what I am today.
In fact, sitting for long hours is no longer a problem for me as I have practiced so much.
It honestly feels like I can achieve anything if I am fully dedicated to it. My suggestion to students who are new to the practice-based curriculum would be to take a deep breath and hold on a little longer. You struggle initially, but before long not only would you get used to it but start benefiting massively from the curriculum and the schedule.
How was your construct week experience?
The construct week was the beginning of a long journey, and it taught me many things. When I started my job I was initially thinking about how I would manage everything. I was both excited and nervous, but when I was actually in that situation, it didn’t feel as scary as I thought it would.
It was very similar to how we had worked on construct week projects. Everything we had to work on was discussed in the group and we would start working on it. The practical experience in construct week really helped me understand how to use everything together to build a single product.
During the last construct week project I decided to try something by myself and started building my own project. In just 5 days, I built a product completely on my own, it was a huge boost to my confidence and that was the project that impressed my employer and got me hired during placements.
Tell us about your placement experience
During my placement process, I interviewed for two companies only. I was nervous about my backend skills during the first, but I got over it quickly and went into the second interview firing on all cylinders. I successfully passed each round and got hired, what’s more, I was the first student to get hired from my batch.
Advice for future students
I will give the same advice I give to my friends. Coding is not easy but your hard work will help you reach there. Work hard from Unit 1 itself, it’s not about your background but what you're willing to do with the opportunity given to you now. So have faith in Masai and the curriculum, and have faith in your own ability.