Creating more equitable employment pathways

Mohini Mohini: finding a career pathway through Macquarie Group Foundation grant partner, NavGurukul

I grew up in Delhi and after completing high school, I wanted to be a teacher. I was preparing for the Diploma in Elementary Education (D El Ed) exam and hoped to enrol in a government college. Unfortunately, I did not get in and while I was determined to try again, I heard about NavGurukul and the opportunity to learn software programming.

The course was fully funded and focused on getting a job, which made it extremely popular. I thought NavGurukul would be a great place to learn and after going through the four stages of online assessment, I was offered a place in the program. I was incredibly excited, but when I told my parents, they were apprehensive because enrolling in the program meant I would need to live away from home. Eventually I persuaded them that this was a great opportunity, and they supported my decision to enrol at NavGurukul.

When I arrived at NavGurukul I moved into a dormitory with other students. The course covers 18 different milestones; it was challenging work and there was so much to learn. The course is self-directed, so I learnt to become independent and autonomous. Having a NavGurukul mentor to support me really helped me through each milestone. I learnt to speak English and focused on my personal development and leadership skills. Over the course of 10 months, I worked hard, finished all my topics, and graduated.

Macquarie was one of the companies that came to NavGurukul to interview graduates for internship placements. That year, two people from the program were chosen for an internship and I could not believe it when I was selected as one of them.

For me, it was another big step to move to Gurugram where the office is located, but when I arrived everyone was so welcoming. I had never worked in the corporate world and had no experience being in an office environment. I needed to learn so much – not just technical aspects of my role but also how to conduct myself. I’ve been working in the technology team for five months now. I am learning new things every day. I’m really enjoying working in a supportive team that helps me increase my knowledge and expertise. 

Right now, my short-term goal is to obtain a certification for C++ programming language. In the long-term, my goal is to develop the additional skills required for a promotion, so I can continue to grow in my role.

For people like me, who do not come from a major city or have family members who work in an office environment, I would say try not to put so much pressure on yourself. It may be challenging but don’t abandon hope and know that your hard work will pay off.

Grab every opportunity that comes your way and if you do not understand something, ask. Macquarie has shown me that it is important to be curious and ask questions, and be keen to learn.

I am proud of what I have managed to achieve so far. My family hoped that I would be successful and supported me on each step. They are proud of me.

I am thankful to NavGurukul for helping me to obtain my dream job and I’m also thankful to Macquarie for supporting me to learn and develop skills.

Mohini’s Python programming skills that she gained through NavGurukul were impressive and we were delighted to on-board her onto the internship program, and more recently, a permanent role at Macquarie.