Cracking the code of career opportunity

We spoke to Aishani Gupta, a Software Engineer in the NatWest CDIO team. From supporting her family, to pursuing higher studies alongside a full-time job, she’s managing it all. Here’s how she joined NatWest as part of the Uplift programme, a programme aimed at helping people from underprivileged backgrounds start their careers.

Discovering technology

Coming from an underrepresented community, Aishani had wanted to become a doctor. “I completed high school in 2020, and then Covid happened. I went for my medical entrance exams and even got the opportunity to join a semi government medical college, but unfortunately, we couldn’t afford the fees.”

With her father’s support, Aishani then decided to look towards technology as a field and discovered her passion for it. “I joined NavGurukul, a non-profit organization and it became my gateway to this new world. I went on to do a residential programme with them, and it was then that I discovered that NavGurukul has NatWest as a partner. I then discovered the Uplift programme offered by NatWest for people, especially girls from underprivileged backgrounds. And suddenly, a career at a reputable and established company like NatWest wasn’t just a dream, it turned into a reality for me,” says Aishani.

My learning and performing journey

Aishani joined NatWest in January 2023 as an intern in the second batch of the Uplift cohort and joined the front-end community team. “I really like the front-end part. I thought that it would be a perfect start for me in the technology space to learn about the parts aligned to the customer. I’ve been incredibly lucky to be assigned projects close to my heart. I worked on an accessibility project for the visually impaired, where the web page had to be made accessible to differently abled people not just the visually impaired, and we worked on the audio accessibility for the website.”

This project had to go into production by the end of June, around the end of Aishani”s internship period. “I was really hoping to stay, at least to see the culmination and impact of the project I was part of. I asked this question to my manager, who said, ‘You know, Aishani, you are continuing with us, so you’ll be seeing the results very, very soon.’ I knew then that I was continuing my journey with NatWest, and I couldn’t be any happier.”

When asked what kind of skills she has added to her portfolio since joining the team, she confidently responds, “Apart from technical skills, I’ve picked up life skills too. I was an introvert and a very conscious person. Being the youngest developer in my team, I was very shy to put my opinion forward and felt that nobody would care. But my team and my managers instilled that confidence in me to express my ideas and opinions freely, so much so that I’ve quickly learnt that I’m in a safe and a non-judgement zone, and I truly believe now, that no idea is a bad idea.

Giving back to the community

“I also put in some voluntary work for an NGO, working with some technology partners to build content for students from underrepresented communities. Most people know what to study, but then they don’t know how to actually study. So, I am working on the “what” and the “how” part. I believe it’s important to give back to the society what society has given you.”

Fire in my belly

Aishani says about the culture here, “After I started my internship here, I also enrolled for my graduation degree. Currently I am in my second year pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer application through a distance education university. Where else can I get this kind of space and support? It does get a bit tough during the examination time, but then during that time I get some time off from work. My managers support me with everything, and I usually also save my holidays for the examination days.”

Greatly inspired by her managers, mentors and seniors, she says, “I really hope I can be as good a developer as my manager. I want to be a better developer, be able to bring those changes which are good for the customers, developing many more features which help us to grow better. Being comfortable with the people you work with is particularly important and NatWest has provided me with that environment. I’ve never for a moment felt that I’m different or left out.

“NatWest values its people as well as the determination, hard work and the ambition that we bring. If I don’t have that drive in me, I’m also not doing justice to the support given to me. I have to bring that fire in the belly with me. I want to urge my compatriots from underrepresented communities not to leave any opportunity behind.”