Ajay BhargavaMy Core Values |
My Journey.....Advising, Mentoring, Coaching, Counseling, Teaching, Tutoring.
Although I navigate in and out of them these days, it did not start this way for me - a very shy, introvert kid at the time. THE GREEN SHOOTS
1973-79 - Middle & High School Student, Mumbai, India
Started tutoring neighborhood kids in Math & Physics. For a shy kid, it felt good helping out friends and making new ones. 1979-84 - Undergraduate Student - I.I.T. Mumbai, India For the first 2 years, we had to tutor middle school kids from low-income families on and around campus. Probably my toughest teaching assignment to date considering the non-conducive & in some cases, abusive environment the kids were being subjected to at home. Learnt a lot about patience, listening, humility, empathy, and just being there for them and why it meant so much more for them. My formative years as an undergraduate student taught me a lot of "life lessons". These include, but not limited to the importance of focusing on fundamentals, tolerance, strength in diversity, ethics, sharing, value system, empathy, listening, giving, smiling, "more to life than just studying", "lot of the barriers are in your mind", and probably the most important of all, gaining life-long friends. 1984-89 - Graduate Student - UTA, Arlington, USA Taught & Tutored Undergrad STEM courses. Realized the academic and financial hardships students have to go through during semester while working to pay for tuition. In September 1987, teaching my first university course transformed my communications skills almost overnight, and made me realize that I had a lot to offer than I thought. BTW, From then on, I never wore my "introvert clothes" :). 1989-96 - Novell & Pervasive Software, Austin, USA In my very first job out of graduate school, I was very blessed to have some very experienced (implicit) mentors guide me through my career. Doug & Nancy Woodward, Andras, Shane, Roy, and Doris set some very high bars, and always motivated me to do better. As an example, with hardly any work experience, Doug gave me a fantastic opportunity to work with industry stalwarts in the field of RDBMS & SQL. He saw the potential in this young, first generation immigrant and simply told me to represent Novell in the SQL standard committees and contribute to it! Am so much in debt to the inspiring Woodward's for having the faith in my capabilities when I myself did not think I had it in me to take up that role! 1998-01 - Net Perceptions, Austin, USA Karen always grounded me & kept me honest. "What matters is delivery to clients, and not the title you might have" - summing up an example of many work-life lessons I learnt from her. Huge inspiration. 2001-05 - Adjunct Faculty, CS Dept. - UT Austin, USA Taught & Mentored various non-CS students that attended my Database Design class. The students impressed me with their DB creations and how it helped others in their ecosystem. INFORMALLY GIVE BACK THE SEEDS FROM THE FRUITS I HAVE ENJOYED
2008-09 - Adjunct Faculty, CS Dept. - CoEP, Pune, India
Taught Data & Analytics related undergraduate and graduate courses. Conducted various mentoring sessions for students as part of IEEE, as well as advised students on their entrepreneurial competitions. 2008-09 (India), 2010-14 (USA) - TCS Started Mentoring & Advising a lot of fellow employees in Data & Analytics related Careers in India, Europe, and USA. Created & Taught various courses across TCS India. I was lucky to have a fantastic informal mentor & inspiring boss in Dr. Mohanty who always pushed all of his team members to think and act beyond their capabilities, to keep asking questions, and remain true to our value system. In Austin, volunteered to mentor high school kids in entrepreneurial competitions. As a Dad and Career Advisor, guided both our kids in their journey from high school to an Engineering degree in college, to pivoting to Data Science graduate degree & careers in Data Science. 2013 - Adjunct Faculty, IROM (McCombs School of Business) & CS Dept. - UT Austin, USA Taught Supply Chain Optimization for Business School Undergraduate students. Started and taught a new Advanced Analytics Undergraduate course for non-CS students. STARTING TO FORMALIZE CAREER ADVISING AS A BUSINESS
2015-Present - Analytics Advisory Group (AAG), Austin, USA
Mentored, Coached, & Advised lot of - High School Students to guide them through the admissions process in US. - College Students about career choices, major selection, interview skills, LinkedIn & Resume writing skills, Consulting skills etc. - Professionals in navigating their careers, putting more meaning and fitment towards their life goals. - Provided internship opportunities for lot of college and some high school students and used that vehicle for guidance and mentorship. Why I got into CareeRising? 2020-Present - CareeRising, Austin, USA Formally started as a second business growing out of the nest egg of AAG. I accelerated the need to start based on the increase in request for advice as Covid19 crisis has affected many in our communities. ALL of the folks approaching me for advice have huge potential, have done things that are mighty impressive, but sometimes, find it hard due to circumstances beyond their control. They are not alone. I have been in similar situations before. My objective is to find that inner voice and motivate them, suggest some proven directions, and increase their odds of having a meaningful and impactful career. Additionally, I have been blessed to have fantastic Mentors and Advisors who have shaped my Career over the years. Similarly, it is a great way for me to continue to help others realize their potential in their journey. Last but not the least, my family continuously keeps me rooted in reality and is a pillar of support for any endeavor I decide to embark upon. Eternally Grateful to them.
EDUCATION
1992 - M.S. Computer Science, UTA, Arlington, TX, USA 1987 - M.S. Aerospace Engineering, UTA, Arlington, TX, USA 1984 - B.Tech. Aeronautical Engineering, I.I.T., Mumbai, India For a more detailed, holistic view of my journey, please visit HTTP://www.linkedin.com/in/ajaybhargava00/ Am extremely grateful and privileged to our Mentees for sharing their career experiences and life journeys with us. Click below to see a sample of what they say about our career coaching, advising, and mentoring engagements.
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