Ex-Microsoft employee shares career lessons: Skills matter, not background
What's the story
Rajat Garg, a former Microsoft India employee and now an entrepreneur, has shared valuable career insights on LinkedIn. He emphasized that success in the tech industry is determined by skills, and not by one's academic background. During his three-year tenure at Microsoft, Garg observed that the company's workforce comprised individuals from diverse educational backgrounds, including prestigious institutions like IITs and NITs as well as lesser-known private colleges.
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Technical expertise and continuous improvement are key
Garg underscored that academic background is not the primary determinant of success in the tech industry. Instead, he identified two crucial factors: technical expertise and a commitment to continual improvement. He noted that those who excelled at Microsoft were individuals with strong proficiency in core skills like data structures, algorithms, and software development. Their educational credentials were secondary to their ability to demonstrate these competencies, and their drive to enhance them.
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Exposure to diverse fields
The second important lesson shared by Garg, revolved around the ever-changing nature of the tech industry. During his stint at Microsoft, he was exposed to a wide type of fields ranging from web/app development to cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), and robotics.
Career advice
Niche specialization more valuable than broad knowledge
Garg also highlighted the importance of finding a niche in the tech industry. He advised professionals to identify a specific area of interest and focus on it deeply, rather than attempting to master everything. "There's space for everyone, but the trick is to find the area that excites you the most and double down on it," Garg wrote. He emphasized that understanding one's niche and excelling in it, is often more valuable than trying to grasp every facet of technology.