My name is Arjun Darbha and I work as a Data Science Lead at EatSleepRide Mobile Inc. (ESR). ESR is an open platform for the exchange of everything motorcycle. I am a part of the data team, and as a data scientist I am responsible for managing the data telematics pipeline and machine learning models that run on this data.
A quick background:
My wife and I moved to Toronto in February, 2020 from the US. Our move came right before pandemic control measures were put in place across Canada. I was unemployed at the time, but I was confident that I would be able to leverage my experience and find an exciting opportunity. I managed to secure some interviews and was awaiting decisions. Unfortunately, as the lockdown began in March 2020 most of the positions were terminated or put on hold indefinitely. I don’t entirely blame COVID-19, as I did face rejection from some of the companies that I interviewed with. I felt that I was not interviewing to my potential and that it would be helpful if I could get assessed by someone with expertise in the Canadian job market, especially in the data space. That marked the start of my association with WeCloudData. In August 2020, I signed up for the WeCareer Mentorship program.
As I mentioned earlier, I started looking for opportunities in Canada in February, 2020 and I used to frequently participate in meetups and discussions organized by WeCloudData during this time. These interactions provided valuable insights into the Canadian job market and helped me set my expectations when looking for jobs in the data space. I did have prior experience working in the roles that I was looking for, but I noticed some gaps in my skillset as I combed through job descriptions. I tried to fill these gaps myself while applying for jobs. I managed to secure some interviews, but I wasn’t able to land a job.
I contacted WeCareer four months into my job hunt to discuss my situation, and expressed interest in their mentorship program. After the initial screening test, I received a call from Eric Liu. He informed me that I was eligible for the WeCareer Mentorship program. During the call, he described the structured approach my mentor would take to helping me practice both technical and behavioral skills to crack the interviews.
After a great deal of thought, I signed up for the program and was assigned my mentor. I was impressed by the structured approach employed by the team from day one. I was exposed to a bigger and much more focused data community, which led to relevant opportunities. I was scheduling interviews and was able to practice for them with my mentor. This allowed me to approach them with renewed confidence. Thanks to the WeCareer network of mentors, I received opportunities that weren’t available through job-posting sites. My current job at ESR was an opportunity which would have never flashed on my radar if I hadn’t been associated with WeCareer. I was guided meticulously by my mentor through the subsequent interview process where we had regular check-in calls to prepare for every interview I had with the company.
I feel WeCareer Mentorship program provides great value by amplifying the time and effort an individual invests into getting a job. I strongly encourage job seekers to tap into this invaluable network of resources and increase the probability of pursuing a career in the data and AI realm.
