Ask Me Anything - 60 Minutes with Ruchi

I sought mentorship after being appointed to a new leadership role, where I faced challenges in mentoring junior team members, managing my tasks, and providing feedback to stakeholders. I struggled with empowering juniors without hand holding, addressing their shortcomings, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. My mentor provided invaluable guidance on these issues. She taught me to empower team members by having them create their own task lists and reviewing them after completing projects. This approach allowed them to learn through self-directed problem-solving while maintaining accountability. She also emphasised showing the right direction rather than giving direct answers, which helped juniors explore solutions independently. Additionally, she helped me use transparency strategically with stakeholders—sharing high-level progress and critical issues while shielding them from minor team challenges. This built trust without overwhelming them. We worked on prioritising my responsibilities, keeping organised notes, and setting boundaries to prevent burnout. The mentorship had a profound impact on my leadership skills. I now confidently mentor juniors, communicate effectively with stakeholders, and manage my tasks more efficiently. This experience equipped me with lifelong skills to lead with clarity and empathy, and I'm grateful for the guidance and support I received.

I recently had a mentorship call with Ruchi, and it was an incredibly insightful experience. We covered career strategies, technical interview preparation and how to effectively navigate the U.S. job market, particularly within Big Tech. We discussed key points like tapping into Alumni network for networking with a personal touch, which I feel could be a very underrated strategy. Ruchi also highlighted the potential of using platforms for networking and emphasized the importance of references over direct applications in today's job market. I truly appreciate her willingness to share her knowledge and offer guidance, and look forward to continuing our conversations around ideas and strategies in the future. Overall, the session was practical and confidence boosting, and I highly recommend Ruchi as a mentor for anyone looking to navigate software engineering career challenges with a thoughtful and strategic approach.