‘Learning is not just to gain knowledge, it must have practical application too’

He began his career by working for HCL after he was campus-placed. Since then it has been nine years for this software developer, who has worked for three multinational companies with varied job responsibilities. While Abhas Wadhwa currently works for Oracle in Bengaluru, since the pandemic hit in 2020, this IT professional has been working from home in Faridabad where he is staying with his family.

In a candid interview, he talks about the reason why there is a need to upgrade if one is working in IT and that the true meaning of learning is not just to gain knowledge but to apply the same in practical life to the best of your ability.

Excerpts from an interview:

Where did you do your schooling from? Why choose engineering?

I did my schooling, till class 10 at St Joseph’s Convent School, Faridabad. But shifted school to DPS, Faridabad since St Joseph’s was only till Class 10. I took up Science, non-medical. Back in 2004, kids didn’t think much at that young age, about what career they wanted to pursue. It was about completing Class 12 with good marks. The same was true for me. After school, I sat for a few competitive exams to get into an engineering school. While the score was good, it was not enough to get me into a premier college. So, I sat for some Haryana exams to take admission to a college and took admission at NC College of Engineering, Israna, Panipat.

Why did you choose to pursue your higher education at Apeejay?

Once I took admission at NC Rana, things took a turn. On the day of my joining the hostel, my father while speaking to another new joiner’s brother came to know about Apeejay. He told my father and last round of counseling are taking place and why don’t try my luck there. I took a chance and ended up pursuing Electronics and Communication at School of Engineering and Technology, Apeejay Stya University.

How would you rate your experience of studying here?

On the hind side, I would say my time in college was amazing. When you are young you don’t appreciate the time you spend as a student. Now that I am a professional and look back, I realise that I had made very good friends and the time that we spent together was filled with plenty of fun – we studied and we enjoyed college life as well. Some of my fondest memories are from my college days at Apeejay.

Any particular reason why you chose to pursue a career in the IT sector?

I am the eldest son in the family. I didn’t have any role model whom I could follow or take advice from. Any person who pursued non-medical ended up doing an engineering course of some sort or the other. In 2008, the IT sector was booming, and it still is. It was all about working in an industry that provided you with growth prospects and a good salary package. The IT sector does both; there are so many avenues here that one can explore. After I completed my programme at Apeejay, I realised that there were several lucrative options for me. And after working with MNCs, I ended up at Oracle and worked as a software developer.

A lot of people choose to work in this industry. What is the attraction?

As I mentioned, the salary package is good and the industry is booming. Second, the sector offers many options. There are many career opportunities in this sector. If you look at the core of electronics, there are very few job opportunities but we look at IT as a whole, there are so many openings. A person can be spoilt for choice due to its diverse nature. So much so that people with mechanical and even electrical engineering are joining this sector. All they have to learn is a language and they are good to go.

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“My time in college was amazing. When you are young you don’t appreciate the time you spend as a student. Some of my fondest memories are from my college days at Apeejay”

–Abhas Wadhwa, Software Developer at Oracle

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People who work in this field talk about upgrading their skills. Why is that?

This is because technology is changing very fast. Innovations are happening at a pace that some find difficult to cope with. There are two areas where a person in IT can work – as a team leader or as a developer. When you are a developer, you have to know the latest changes that have taken place to handle any new project that comes your way. If you don’t you will become redundant very soon. The team leader on the other hand may not be sitting and designing the programme but he must know what his team members are doing. His team should not know that their boss does not know the subject. He too needs to upgrade himself to newer skills.

What is the nature of your work at Oracle?

In my previous organisation, I was the team leader. But I had no life. I was constantly on calls, even late at night. I have a small baby and I realised that I was missing out on watching him grow. I wanted to spend more time with my family. As a team leader, this was not possible. I switched jobs and am working as a software developer. While being a team lead offers great growth opportunities, there were too many responsibilities, I was looking for a work-life balance at present.

You have been working from home. What are the challenges?

There have been challenges. To begin with, it was good since it allowed me to spend time with my family. But the situation has changed now. The youngsters need hands-on learning and this can’t be provided if they are working from home. I would think that the future is all about operating in a hybrid mode.

What is the true meaning of learning?

When you learn it should not just be to gain knowledge. This knowledge must be used in a manner that translates into practical application. If I can’t apply what I have learnt, education has no meaning.

Where do you see yourself 10 years down the line?

I would like to be in a leadership role once again. By that time, my child would have grown up, going to school, and may not need too much of my time. I can afford to go back to a job where I keep odd hours.