A moment of reflection
For Garima, 2023 represents a year of learning and synching into the company culture. ‘’This year I really started to feel at home’’, she said.
Compared to 2022, where her focus was on development, this year saw a change in responsibilities. As her team took ownership of multiple products her focus moved towards greater collaboration, coordination and leadership, to ensure she got the best out of each team member.
Wolters Kluwer is very supportive in development and growth, and colleagues have access to various internal learning platforms. For example, Garima utilized the Pluralsight learning tool to prepare for and obtain the PMI ACP agile working certification.
Another thing that really stood out for Garima was her first-time visit to the UK offices. The purpose of the visit was to strengthen the relationship with her colleagues with who she works remotely with on a daily base. A week of intense collaboration and brainstorming created ways to explore opportunities to optimize the platform.
Garima also reflected on the lessons learned while overseeing three different product groups. ‘’I have realized I cannot be a master of everything. Instead, it's about dividing and conquering, utilizing the diverse skills and empowering the team to tackle challenges collectively," she explained.
Read more about Garima's experience here…
Garima didn’t fully appreciate how much she enjoyed her career in software development until she took a break to raise her family! Starting out in 2005 she soon developed a passion for technology; it allowed her to channel her natural energy and curiosity about the world into something rewarding. However it was during her career break that she came to fully appreciate how important her technology career was to her own happiness.
So she returned to work to continue her technology journey. She particularly likes exploring the latest trends and developments in the technology profession and so when she got exposure to Azure development, she was eager to explore the opportunities it offered. She says this is key to succeeding as a software professional – you need that continuous energy, a desire to learn about new things and explore their potential.
The importance of a great company culture
After several years she became aware of Wolters Kluwer, which opened its first offices in India in 2006. Friends and colleagues had told her about the culture and working environment, where work-life balance is taken seriously and where people have control and accountability over what they do.
And it was the company’s culture that persuaded Garima to join Wolters Kluwer. She joined during the Covid pandemic, and so initially worked from home. Now, like many others, she has adopted a hybrid working pattern, commuting to the office two days a week. Even then the company is flexible she says, enabling her to arrive and leave the office at times that free up essential space in her day to look after her daughter.
Diverse teams working together
So what is her role as a Lead Product Engineer like? She says teams work using sprints, which helps everyone focus on their tasks, and as a manager she leads by example. Everyone pulls in the same direction, and she spends much of her time supporting team members, facilitating collaboration with other teams and even doing development work herself, which of course she loves!
It’s a challenging role. There are multiple teams working across on-premise, cloud and hybrid applications and projects – everyone works together to deliver their goals, and they have to be flexible too; new projects have to be incorporated into the existing workload without disrupting the business. The key is to ensure everyone remains focused and able to communicate with each other easily.
Personal growth comes from openness to learning
For Garima, to succeed in the software profession the correct attitude to learning is the core attribute you need. If you have a natural curiosity about technology, if you are open to learning about new developments and new ways of thinking, then you can open up opportunities more easily. Of course you also need to be able to communicate well!
So always be open to learning, whether its reading around a subject, or developing your knowledge through hands-on development, or discussing and brainstorming with colleagues, or gaining certifications to cement your knowledge – a successful software professional is like a sponge – always wanting to know more. And at the end which sits as a base for all is the right attitude!