The Journey : Early Days to How I Got Here
I joined Hughes Systique in Gurgaon straight from college (IIT Guwahati). It has been more than five years now and I have grown from a Trainee Engineer to a Principal Engineer and the journey has been good so far.

Decisions That Mattered
One of the decisions I had to make in my early years was whether to stick with the company I had a job in or keep changing my job for better pay packages. I chose to stay at one place and concentrate on learning as much as possible and enjoying the work I do. I strongly believe that unless you like the work, whatever you do, no amount of money can keep you motivated to do well.

The Turning Points
So far, I have had a short career of a little over 5 years and fortunately the graph has been going up.

Work and Role: Then and Now
This is my first job. I started from a trainee doing simple C coding, then became a Linux Kernel Developer and eventually an Android geek. While programming languages have changed, methods and functions have changed, I have always wanted to be a systems engineer and that is what I am today. Immaterial of the platform I work on, the aim is to design and build software and systems which would solve problems.

Two Years Down the Line
As hard as it is to admit, I am not sure of this. I might be in the same organization where I am today, just a little more knowledgeable or I might be the CEO of my own company, who knows?

What I Learnt Along the Way
Working hard is important. Having the right attitude is also important. You may not know anything, but if you are willing to learn and improve, you are the kind of person I would like to work with.

Areas for specialization
Windows 8 and web development skills (HTML5 and Javascript).
Changing Days: Lessons Learnt
When I started off, Nokia was earning profits, RIM was still the worlds number one smartphone maker and people were still thinking if they wanted to buy a smart phone, a pocket pc or a tablet pc? Things have changed. Apple and Android smart devices have proliferated through the masses and every college student with knowledge in computer science can make apps for them. Business is tougher. To succeed, you need the appropriate combination of design, implementation and presentation skills.

Trends to Watch Out For
If executed right, Windows 8 could be the next big thing. While that is a big if, I am personally and professionally looking forward to it. Till now, tablets are a data consumption device. I look forward to the day when I can take my tablet to work, attach a monitor and keyboard and do development on it, and then when I go back home, play Need For Speed on the same tablet with a controller attached. What this would mean to me and others in my career is learning one more operating system to work on and ensuring my applications and services work on Windows 8.

My Advice If You are Starting Out
Work hard and watch out for new opportunities. If you have ideas, then dont just think about them, implement them.