Making the Transition from Graduate Student to Professional
Joining SHL through its early careers program gave Jagpreet Singh the perfect introduction to the working world. Read his story of how SHL supports his transition from student to professional life.
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When I was studying for my degree in computer applications at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in software engineering. Specifically, I had it in mind I wanted to do something related to data after graduation, as it is really at the heart of things and so important. Through the recruitment office at the college, I heard about SHL and its early careers program. I had other offers from different employers, but SHL was going to give me the chance to work in data and give me great training, which made the decision to join the company easily. Now, I am an associate software engineer in the data team and am responsible for lending data to the entire organization.
How SHL helps my transition from graduate student to professional
Like the students I graduated alongside, I had no experience in the workplace and the early careers program gave me that opportunity to learn. The company showed faith in me, offering professional development, group work, and the ability to connect with people at all levels of SHL’s business. Everyone is very approachable – Amit Arora, the head of data, sits right in front of me, for example, and I can ask him anything. The culture here is very open, which makes for very good team building and, in terms of efficiency, a lack of delays. Because we do not hesitate to talk to each other, we are genuinely working together.
A key thing about working at SHL is that it is not all about work. There are regular team activities, which help colleagues bond. The whole team comes together for non-work gatherings, whether it is to play games or celebrate someone’s birthday. When I was hired, India was still in its second wave of Covid, so we were all working from home. That was a strange beginning, but senior members of the team were quick to reach out and make it clear they were there to help and offer support. It made a big difference and then when we started to come into the office in September last year (2021), I felt like I already knew my peers really well.
The company showed faith in me, offering professional development, group work, and the ability to connect with people at all levels of SHL’s business.
Learning life lessons
The company is not just giving us lessons in how to use technology and work efficiently, but I feel I have received life lessons, too. People here are interested in who you are and what you believe in. The company really invests in its employees both professionally and personally. Feeling that you can talk to your co-workers and managers about whatever is bothering you makes for a very strong team and a great working environment. I realize now that when I first joined SHL I was quite hesitant about being in the world of work and had no idea what it was going to be like. The support network here has made that transition from studying to applying my knowledge in a work setting easy. It is the perfect combination– an interesting, stimulating job that uses innovative technology, as well as the enjoyment of working with great people.
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