Sonakshi Pandey’s struggles: Career risks pay off

Moving out of coding and becoming a solutions architect was the best risk she took in her life, says Sonakshi Pandey, who has been working with Google Cloud in the US for the past nearly three years, helping customers build data applications.

Sonakshi grew up in Mumbai, and did her Bachelor’s in computer engineering from K J Somaiya College of Engineering in the city. She wanted to do a Master’s degree in the US, and her parents supported her decision. They took an education loan that enabled Sonakshi to do a Master’s in computer science at University of Texas at Dallas.

“When I landed in the US, I experienced a culture shock. I was homesick. I had been a carefree person who had never had to pay a single bill. But over time, I learned to become a responsible adult, learned to pay rent, bills on time, manage an on-campus job, cook and study,” she says. The education loan was also weighing on her all the time. She was eager to ease the financial burden it put on her parents. “I created a loan repayment schedule and was determined to repay it as soon as possible,” she says.

But it wasn’t easy. Several applications for internships during her second year did not come through. Eventually, she got one at Infor, the business cloud software company. And on completion of her Master’s, she received an offer from Amazon as a software development engineer. Within a year and a half of joining Amazon, she cleared the loan.

At Amazon, her job was to write the code for the big data platform that forecasted for demand, and ensured correct item estimates were provided to warehouses for stocking up items.

“I was surrounded by some of the smartest people I had ever met, and often felt like an imposter, felt I did not belong there. I navigated severe deadlines and intense on-call rotations with help from my mentors, and my own resilience. I eventually got promoted and realised the importance of speaking up, networking, and having the right mentors,” she says.

About three years into Amazon, Sonakshi aspired to move from a coding position to that of a solutions architect, one who could use analytical skills to observe problems, find their origin, develop workable technological solutions, and pitch it to the right people. She already had technical skills, but she needed to work on developing sales, communication, and people skills. “So, I read books, I took courses, and I got a mentor who helped me improve my sales acumen,” she says. In mid-2019, she was promoted as senior solutions architect.

In Q4 2020, Sonakshi received Amazon’s ?Impact of the Quarter’ award. She also founded an affinity group called ‘Women @Solutions Architecture’ to help women succeed in their careers.

After five years with Amazon, she moved to Google Cloud. Today, she helps customers build applications on the cloud to extract insights from data. Cloud computing, she says, has immense potential and is shaping the future of technology. AI and ML, she says, are rapidly growing fields that will transform every profession.

Stay informed with the latest Business News on Times of India. Explore updates on International Business, gain insights with Financial Literacy tips, and make use of Financial Calculators. Don’t forget to check the list of Bank Holidays in 2025, including Bank Holidays in January.