Unlocking Boundless Potential: Akanksha's Testimony to Masai's Genuine Support

Hailing from Bihar and raised in Assam, Akanksha's formative years shaped her into the remarkable person she is today.

After graduating as a computer science engineer, she embarked on her path to success by joining Masai, where she discovered a supportive community and honed her skills in web development. Despite challenges and setbacks, Akanksha's perseverance led her to secure a fulfilling job as a software developer at TechNative.

At TechNative, life has become busier for Akanksha. After a demanding day on the job, where she works directly with the CTO, she joined us with a broad smile on her face for a long and interesting conversation. Our discussion covered a wide range of topics, delving into both the past and the future.

Discovering Masai

Akanksha's journey with Masai began after a conversation with her close cousin.

As they chatted about their careers and aspirations, Akanksha’s cousin shared his experience of spending two months in the Masai curriculum. What caught her attention was Masai's pay-after-placement model.

Intrigued by this unique approach, Akanksha was determined to learn more about Masai. As someone who was actively seeking opportunities, she felt compelled to explore this option and ultimately decided to enroll.

And what a decision it turned out to be for Akanksha. She is immensely grateful for everything she gained from the curriculum, which has played a pivotal role in her success.

"They (Masai) have helped me a lot and I owe them a lot."

Her Parents’ Reaction

Akanksha's decision to join Masai was met with unwavering support from her parents.

While studying engineering, she had already covered many of the subjects taught at Masai. However, the pandemic forced her to return to her ancestral village in Bihar along with her parents after graduation.

During that time, Akanksha took up home tutoring to earn income. She had a dream of cracking the civil services examination.

However, she didn't want to burden her parents with the financial implications of UPSC preparation.

So, she decided to put her UPSC aspirations on hold. Instead, she expressed her interest in enrolling in the full-time Masai's full-stack web development course to her parents. And to her delight, they wholeheartedly supported her decision.

"I said I can't afford UPSC at that point in time. And born in a middle-class family, you know, it's just not about me. I had to think about my family and my, you know, siblings and everything. So I thought not the right time. But in the future, maybe."

Throughout her life, her parents have been supportive and never imposed their own desires on her, ultimately wanting her to lead a fulfilling life and become a good person.

Akanksha's Masai Journey

Akanksha constantly iterated how grateful she felt about how Masai shaped her career. This genuine support and commitment she received here made her Masai journey a rewarding experience.

Akanksha recalls attending an orientation session conducted by Yogesh Bhat, where he talked about the importance of being sure about career choices in joining Masai.

What stood out to Akanksha and her cousin, who works at another education technology startup and would sometimes catch a glance at her sessions, was the unwavering commitment and support provided by Masai. Yogesh assured the students that Masai would never give up on them, even if they faced challenges in securing placements within the 45-day curriculum.

For Akanksha, this level of dedication and genuine care set Masai apart from its competitors. As far as Akanksha's cousin was concerned, she found Masai's support system to be superior to many others.

The 9-9-6 Experience

Akanksha experienced the 9-9-6 schedule for the majority of her time at Masai. However, Masai switched to an 11-11-6 schedule during her last unit.

The only challenge she faced with the 11-11-6 schedule was feeling a bit lazy during the sessions that started after 9 PM, often due to a full stomach. It took her about a week to adjust to the new schedule.

Overall, it was a valuable learning experience for her, teaching her the importance of adaptability and flexibility. In fact, she herself voted in favor of the 11-11-6 schedule as a replacement for the 9-9-6 schedule.

"It was a good learning experience. I think we should be comfortable with all the timings because the company and the company won't have to be near our comfort zone. You'll have to be available at any time."

Masai Construct Week Experience

Akanksha's experience during Construct Week at Masai has proven to be incredibly valuable in her role as a software developer.

She fondly recalls those days when she and her teammates collaborated for over a week to complete building projects. Initially, the team would often feel directionless and had to seek assistance from instructors, mentors, and peers. They also had to navigate deadlines to ensure their work was completed on time.

Little did Akanksha know that these experiences would mirror the situations she would encounter in her post-Masai job as a software developer. The construct week projects prepared her to tackle real-world challenges effectively. Working as a team, being accountable, meeting deadlines, problem-solving, and interacting with peers became second nature.

On a personal level, she cherished the construct week experience as it allowed her to meet new people every five weeks, expanding her network and fostering meaningful connections.

"Masai has done a great thing to associate all of them (essential aspects of a tech job) in a construct week program kind of thing or project kind of thing. So that has been quite helpful. I didn't feel anything new about you know, working in a team. I think more than technical stuff , you took away how to work in a collaborative way in a team."

Placements Experience

Akanksha's placement experience at Masai had its challenges, but it taught her valuable lessons along the way. She openly acknowledges that it wasn't a smooth journey and could be quite draining at times.

However, she approached the process with honesty and trust in the authorities and mentors, which helped her develop patience. Akanksha recognized the drawbacks of getting too excited or nervous and learned to maintain a balanced mindset throughout.

She was shortlisted by 15 companies in the placement process. She went on to interview for 4 of them, facing rejections at the hands of 3 before finally landing the software developer role at TechNative.

The news brought immense joy to her parents. They were excited. It was as if she had officially been certified as a software engineer.

"Getting too excited is a drawback, and getting too nervous about something is also a drawback. So it taught me how to be patient and how to wait for things, things will come and there's, a certain time for everything."

Akanksha's Message to the Upcoming Masai Batches

According to Akanksha, Masai offers the best opportunity for newcomers to the tech world.

She believes that Masai provides exceptional support to students who may feel they need to be up to the mark or those who need to catch up. Masai never leaves anyone behind and fills the gaps that colleges often overlook on students' journey to success. The curriculum offers quality education, dedicated time, and individual attention, which are essential for every student's growth.

Akanksha emphasized that not many colleges or institutes in India do what Masai does.

"And even after joining, if you feel that Masai is not the right fit for you, you always have the option to leave after completing Unit 1. Masai is an opportunity worth exploring for those aspiring to learn web development and achieve success in the tech industry."