‘In-depth knowledge about coding, computer languages increases your chance of getting hired by good companies’

Saqib Javed is a Senior Manager in the Product Management department at Tata Communications. He has pursued his engineering in Information Technology from NIT Allahabad.  In an interview, the Apeejay Noida alumnus tells how a day at the office looks and also reminds students that with the right set of skills, nothing is a hindrance in the corporate sector. 

What are the roles and responsibilities of a senior product manager?

Well, it involves launching various products at Tata Communications. My role is to initiate a new product launch, create business requirements for the company and instructing the development team about the same. Then taking the product to the customers and improving in accordance with the feedback from the customers.

What are the upcoming products on which you are working presently?

There are a few things which we are presently working on. It is a bit technical to understand. There is a concept in the telecom industry, called BYOC which means ‘Bring your own carrier.’ It means that all the application conferencing tools such as a Zoom or Teams, require an underlying voice support so that the people can actually connect. Any company who is using these tools, can come to Tata Communications and we can provide the voice network required for the connections.

Throwback time! What are your best memories from school days?

I used to quiz a lot at school. In my time, there used to be a Japan quiz conducted by the Embassy of Japan annually in New Delhi. The quiz was on Japan, its culture, sports, politics, history, food, everything.   In class 9, I had my first attempt at the quiz. I could not even clear the preliminary round. Then in class 10, I and my team managed to reach the semi-finals of the quiz. Then finally in class 11, we won the quiz. It’s a journey of perseverance. It tells me that if you really want something and you are at it, then you will get it.

What steps should a student take to become a successful product manager like you?

I am from an information technology background and I was in a good college. A good college launches you early. In NIT, we had a lot of good companies coming to the campus, so that helped. But today, things have changed a lot. If one has an inclination in computer science, one likes to design and develop things, then even colleges don’t matter. If you have the knack for coding, learning new languages, you can make it to a very good company. Most of them have opened up their interview process.

Lastly, how did you find your calling in life? 

I feel I am still finding my way. I might go for a higher education soon. I have a work experience of four years now. I have a lot of  desire to give back to society, to reach a level where I can help the people who have helped me grow. So let’s see as I am still evolving!