From Software Engineer to Product Manager: Manosha's Inspiring Career Pivot with Dell Technologies 

Manosha B. | Senior Advisor, Product Manager, IT | India

The key to success is to focus on goals rather than obstacles, and my six-and-a-half-year journey at Dell Technologies has reinforced this for me.

I joined Dell Technologies back in 2016, I was fresh out of college and landed a role as a Software Engineering intern. As a campus hire, I was very excited to join such a big organization and considered myself extremely lucky to be given an opportunity to join my dream company. My intern project consisted of working on very cool and innovative Identity and Access Management tasks, which was also my final semester project for my college Engineering course. I had a blast! After completing my internship, I had the chance to join Dell full-time as a Software Engineer. I was extremely thrilled because Dell has an amazing work culture and colleagues who really inspired me to do my best in this role.

However, there was always this thought at the back of my mind that Software Engineering was not my passion. I thought I would be able to do better and unleash my full potential in a product management role instead.  Yet, I was only a little over a year in my new role and I wondered if I was making the right decision. Will my manager support my decision to explore a different role this soon? Would I need to leave Dell, the great organization that I loved to work for, if I wanted to explore product management? Although I was nervous, I knew that this would be a pivotal decision in my career, so I decided to see it through.

I decided to have a transparent conversation with my leader at that time and explained that product management was my true calling, and I would be a better fit in that space. He encouraged me to train myself and learn as much as I could about product management, and network with other members in that space to get a sense of if it’s something I would enjoy. He promised that when the opportunity presents itself, he would place me in that role if I still wanted it. I was over the moon! The promise of being able to possibly get the role in the future was enough for me to put my all into preparing for it.

Alongside my day job, I spent hours every day studying product management principles and learning about the various responsibilities of a Product Manager. I went above and beyond to network with others and get my name out there.  I was passionate towards my goal, and nothing was going to stop me, so putting in that extra effort was never exhausting. Within a few months, I was able to complete Dell’s 12-week Pivotal Product Manager certification course. Shortly after that, within 2 and a half years of my tenure at Dell, I was able to transition from my role as a Software Engineer to a Product Manager. I was ecstatic because my hard work paid off, and I haven’t looked back since! My current role can sometimes be extremely challenging but solving real-world customer problems is always equally rewarding. So far, I’m four years in and I am still so grateful that I was given this opportunity.

My career progression to this point has been all I could have hoped for.  None of this would be possible without my hard work, taking advantage of opportunities, and the support of my leaders and peers.  I love that Dell supports its team members career aspirations and inspire us to explore different areas of the company. That to me, is what makes an organization a great place to work. I was even able to also leverage Dell’s IT Master’s Program to pursue my MBA while working full-time as a Product Manager!

I have learned so much in the last 6 and a half years, both personally and professionally. I’ve been able to work in multiple areas and learn something new every day, which gives me immense satisfaction. Travelling an unknown path might seem scary at first, but in the end it will always be worth it. Thank you, Dell Technologies, for playing such a significant role in my career journey so far!

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