Associate Spotlight: Divya Shah on Reviving Her Tech Career

Lead Software Engineer, Divya Shah is a rising star at CJ. Based in Bangalore, India, this entrepreneurial mother of two returned to the tech world after two years away and has been "delivering greatness and learning new things with passion and commitment" ever since. Divya was kind enough to tell us a bit more about the evolution of her career, the mantra she lives by, and the one thing she wishes she learned earlier.

Divya Shah, Lead Software Engineer, Bangalore, India

Describe your career trajectory. Where did you work before CJ and how did you come across the opportunity to work here?

Prior to CJ, I worked for a company called NetCracker Technology. I then went on a maternity break for my second child and was away from IT for two years. From there, I tried entrepreneurship. I started a preschool and led the school for almost two years but when the pandemic struck, I had to shut the school down. Since I had 12 years of experience in IT before starting the school, I began looking for opportunities and I applied for regular positions at Epsilon (CJ's sister company) through LinkedIn. Since I was coming back from a prolonged maternity break, HR introduced me to their SheRises program and I started as an intern in September 2020. The internship gave me a lot of learning opportunities which helped me brush up my skills quickly. CJ also had one of the best onboarding experiences which gave me a lot of confidence to continue my career in tech.

Tell us more about the SheRises program. What is it? What was your experience like? What did you learn?

SheRises is an internship program for women. People were very helpful in ramping up my skills in just six months. I was also part of the same on-boarding as regular employees, which helped me to brush up my skills faster. The program was a career booster for me and I would recommend it program to anyone who is coming from a break. (Thanks to Nilesh Kabra, CJ, and Epsilon for giving me this opportunity!)

What does your average workday look like in your role?

I work as a Lead Software Engineer. I kickstart my day with a daily standup. I help my team members by providing solutions to technical tasks and working on technical tasks. Every day is exciting since there is so much to learn on a daily basis.

What’s your favorite part about your job/working at CJ?

The people, work, and culture. People are very friendly and helpful. Work is very exciting since there’s lots to learn every day.

What’s the best advice you ever received?

Never give up. This is the mantra of my life.

Tell us about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career:

Becoming a full-time employee at CJ after completing my internship. I was very nervous when I decided to come back to the tech world. My confidence was low. It wasn’t easy to come back after a break. I’m happy that I made the right decision.

Hardest lesson learned?

Nothing is permanent in life. Everything must come to an end someday.

What excites you most in your life right now?

My son and daughter. They’re growing up so fast! I love watching their explorations in everything they do.

Who’s your role model, and why?

Sudha Murthy. She is very humble and there’s lots to learn from her. Sudha Murthy is the chairperson of Indian IT giant, Infosys foundation. She's also a well-known author and philanthropist. I admire her for the core life values she carries and the down-to-earth attitude.

What do you wish you’d learned earlier in life?

How to drive a car.

Thank you, Divya!