Career Comeback Series - Feat. Preethy Senthilkumar

After accumulating ten years of experience as a business analyst, I decided to pause my career when my family moved overseas. This hiatus?was further extended?when I?was blessed?with my second child, the arrival of our little princess.? Though I wanted to continue my career, as a mother of two children, it didn’t make things easy for me. Being busy with children and their education intrigued me with their educational infrastructure. Apparently, there was a vacancy at the school where my children were studying. I grabbed this opportunity to ensure I use my day hours effectively, as well as use my skills and could also be near my children. I enjoyed this phase as I was able to balance personal and professional life. I was able to make new friends, my social circle expanded and most importantly, I?was able to?sharpen my soft skills as well as technical skills, by conducting basic technical trainings, to name a few workshops on Intrinsic motivation, Organization skills, Mental well-being, Mindfulness, Vision and Values, and much more.?Despite this beautiful experience, I still wanted to go back to my?IT career. My family, best friends, and especially my husband, stood beside me to give me courage and support for my return. Coming back to my IT career invoked a mix of emotions within me, both exciting as well as daunting. Not being associated to the technological field for few years initially got fear in me about my survival in the long run. But I turned that fear within me to acquire required skills, to align with current job market trends. I dedicatedly worked hard and completed two scrum certifications, along with one data visualization tool technical certification.

Truth to be told, my ‘second coming’ wasn’t at the right time in the market. During that time, many companies froze hiring. I knew things were not going to be easy. Attending interviews and getting cold responses were just a phase. To be honest, we should be persistent, mentally prepared, and most importantly, have a strong support system.

God’s willing, finally I got a call from Zuci Systems. Within a week’s time, I became a Zucian.?Now,?having spent 1 year and 5 months at Zuci, it has been a rewarding experience.?People at any level here are open to ideas when shared. My career break accomplishments didn’t lose in my career comeback; in fact, I was able to start an organization-wide initiative ‘Mindfulness practice’ for employee wellness, where I?was given?complete freedom to execute by Zuci management. And equally, I was able to manage time effectively to perform and contribute to my role, where I got many appreciations from project clients as well as my reporting managers in a short span of time. To add, I was also nominated for a leadership program to pursue my career and grow as a women leader. I have also received recognition in two quarters for my outstanding performance.

Some of the values and traits that I hold close to my heart really helped me to come back as a strong person. To note a few are perseverance, intrinsic motivation, deliberate practice, hard work and sincerity, self-confidence, respect for self and others. Of course, my career comeback was not a cakewalk, but the break did help me to revive, recharge, energize myself, and inspire others.