‘Watch videos on coding and read all technical articles’

Surabhi Ganesh Holla is a coding engineer working on coding and programming at Accenture. From an interest in literature, to studying science, joining electronics engineering, and finally finding her passion for coding at the end, Holla’s life however is no short of a rollercoaster journey. In an exclusive interview, the Apeejay School, Kharghar alumnus gives us a peek into her interesting career trajectory filled with myriad twists and turns. Read edited excerpts:

What does a coding developer’s life at the office look like?

It depends from company to company. Some companies have their own design team and they hand over that design to the developers and then they develop the code. Right now, in my team we have to manage everything from scratch including the designing, planning, developing and testing. In my previous companies, I managed only developing, but now I am managing both developing and code testing as well.

Did you always have a passion for coding?

No. I wanted to do something in the literature field. I did not get a chance. When I was staying with my parents, they wanted me to pursue science like every other parent. I, on the other hand, was more inclined towards humanities. But I chose science and went ahead with my parents’ wishes. Subsequently, I did a diploma in science for 3 years and then I directly got an admission in second year of electronics engineering.

How did you end up as a code developer then?

Getting into coding is very difficult. Either one has to be in an extraordinary college or be an extraordinary student. But I was neither. Initially, I did not like coding very much. However, my first job involved coding. I was told to give this job a try. I was a freelance writer then, I was writing articles for companies. I was told that if I did not happen to like the job, I could always come back to writing. But surprisingly, I gradually began to like coding when I started working. So, I continued.

You did not have any previous knowledge of coding. Did you not find it tough to adjust to this new role?

I knew nothing about coding. I had totally zero knowledge. The first six months I struggled a lot. I used to literally cry every day. But I knew that I wanted to continue in this, so I worked very hard. Gradually, I began to understand the coding language. I started with basic C++ and Java. With time, I achieved projects and progressed higher. 

What are the latest trends in coding?

New Node JS version of code has come out! It is a front end language

Best memories from Apeejay Kharghar years?

I had a very close relationship with my teachers. That is the best thing I gained from my school. Usha ma’am, Veena ma’am, Shashi ma’am and Neeru ma’am were all my mentors. I am very close to Usha ma’am and Veena ma’am even now. The teachers at the school were very supportive and even now when I meet them, the warmth is still the same.

I also made very good friends at school. My friend group consisted of five girls, we were very close then and are still in touch.  I gained people in Apeejay Kharghar.

Advice for coding aspirants at Apeejay Kharghar?

Anyone who wishes to explore this path, my advice is that working hard is important in coding, mere interest is not enough. Every day the coding technology is changing. Keeping up with the technology is not enough. You must watch various videos on coding, read technical articles to keep yourself updated. Every day the center of attraction in code writing is changing. One day something is in demand and the next day it is nowhere to be seen.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

I hope to be a coding architect in the coming years. In coding, one progresses from junior to senior developer, then becomes a lead developer and then either one joins the management or becomes a coding architect. So, that’s about my professional aim. 

I have a 3 year old baby. So, my time is involved in taking care of my child.  I feel attention to the child is the most important thing as of now. Eventually, when the child grows up and I get 2 hours of spare time for myself daily, I will start writing freelance articles again, and rediscover my love for literature.