Greetings!

From Engineer to Designer: My Journey to Finding My Passion

The Beginning - Growing up with a Blueprint

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Growing up as an Indian child, I was given two options for a career path: to become a doctor or an engineer. I made the decision to pursue engineering, and 16 years of education were geared towards this goal of working at a multinational corporation (MNC) as an engineer.

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Throughout my journey, I learned that challenges are an inevitable part of life. I was inspired by my mother, who taught me the importance of hard work and dedication in everything I do. I studied diligently and eventually passed the entrance exam for one of the top 10 universities in the city.

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Discovering My Love for Technology - The Art of Coding and Design

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My favorite subject in school was computer science, which introduced me to the world of coding and the concepts required to excel in the field. This is why I chose to major in computer science during my engineering studies. I was thoroughly engaged in learning various coding languages, presenting projects, and participating in laboratory sessions.

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In addition to my academic pursuits, I was also involved in extracurricular activities such as volunteering for hackathons and designing posters and banners for events. I was fascinated by the freedom and creativity involved in building a project from scratch and often spent weekends with friends working on such projects in cafes, terraces, and college corridors. After each project review, my friends and I felt proud and satisfied with our work, which only reinforced my belief that I was on the right path to achieving my goal.

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Finding Success in the IT World - Climbing the Corporate Ladder

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As I approached the end of my engineering studies, I secured a job at a renowned multinational corporation as an Associate Software Developer. I underwent rigorous training in front-end development languages and soon found myself working on the most complex project under the client. In the following months, I delivered high-quality features and received numerous accolades, including an award and the opportunity to host an event for the client.

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However, despite my success at work, I felt unfulfilled. I realized that while I enjoyed the problem-solving aspects of my job, I missed the creativity and design aspect that I was exposed to in my college projects. But in my current role, I was limited to simply developing the designs provided to me with little room for exploration or innovation.

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The Search for Fulfilment - Uncovering the True Meaning of Success

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I was inspired by my senior colleagues' successes but realized that my career path was not aligned with my passions. I felt trapped in my current job and the thought of staying in the same position for years to come was not appealing. I knew I had to make a change to find true fulfilment in my work.

This made me realize that my true passion lay in the creative aspect of technology and not just the technical aspect. I was not just interested in writing code, but also in the idea behind it, the design, the user experience and the impact it would have on people.

I longed for the type of work that combined product development, research, and prototyping, using skills such as design thinking and qualitative analysis. I took the time to reflect on the tasks I enjoyed the most, including research, creative thinking, and UI design.

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Breaking the Mold - A Risk Worth Taking

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But remember? It was either doctor or engineer. I had to reassure myself that it was ok to pursue a field I was passionate about.

I had to have the “talk” with my parents. I approached my parents to discuss my change of career direction. My education and past experiences were centered around becoming an engineer at a well-known MNC, but my passion was leading me elsewhere.

To my surprise, my parents fully supported my decision. They reminded me that if I did not pursue my true passions, I would eventually feel unfulfilled and lose my sense of purpose in life. Their words resonated with me and I knew I had to take action and make the change in order to live a fulfilling life.

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Improving My Skills - The Power of Continuous Learning

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In order to pursue a career in design, I knew I had to first build a portfolio. I utilized my design experience from previous internships and courses to create a portfolio. I used the Career Foundry's 'Tips for your first portfolio' blog as a guide and built my portfolio using the free website builder, Wix, with a domain purchased from GoDaddy.

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To improve my design skills, I joined the RadicalX UX Design Bootcamp and attended their free sessions every Thursday where they cover topics such as competitor analysis, wireframes, and case study building. I also joined the EditorX and WebX communities to participate in monthly UI challenges and quizzes.

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Taking the Leap of Faith - Leaving the Comfort Zone

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I further honed my skills by taking a course on Figma on Udemy and by learning Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop through YouTube tutorials. I balanced my software developer job and design studies for three months until I decided to take the leap of faith and quit my job to fully focus on pursuing my passion.

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This newfound freedom has allowed me to focus on my health and wellness, as well as embark on a new journey in design. I am currently in the process of transitioning and finding my place in this field. I am eager to gain hands-on experience and continue my learning and unlearning journey.

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A New Journey - The Journey Continues

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My advice to anyone reading this is to always follow your passion and don't be afraid to make a change if you are not happy with your current path. Life is too short to be stuck in a job that doesn't bring you joy and fulfilment. Find what makes you happy and chase it with all your might.