Just a few short years ago, having completed my bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy, I was on track to become a doctor in the lake city of Udaipur, India, where I am from. But by the time I completed my doctorate, I realized that something was missing in my career and my life. I had become a doctor just to satisfy my father’s desire.
I found myself more interested in the world of audit and cybersecurity, and during my internship at a local hospital, I heard about Gujrat Forensic Science University, which had an interesting course on forensic science and cybersecurity. I successfully cleared the entrance and completed my master’s in cyber forensics. In 2018, I started my career in audit and compliance. That is also when I learned about ISACA and came to know about the CISA certification (which I attained this June!) through my colleagues.
Making the career transition was no walk in the park. At times, I would say it was equivalent of climbing a mountain blindfolded. I had no base to build on. I had to unlearn my old habits and relearn in an entirely new way. However, there were a few aspects that were transferrable, such as how finding vulnerabilities in a system or identifying non-compliance was similar to diagnosing a patient. One of the key lessons I learned early in my medical studies was to separate the symptoms from the underlying disease. Today when I look at any flaw in the system or a process, I deep-dive into it to understand if it is just a symptom of an underlying cause. So yes, it was difficult, but a lot of patience and hard work paid off. It would have been even harder had I not had the support of my family. When I switched career paths, my family could have opposed me and told me that I was taking a huge gamble with my life and career. However, much to my surprise, they supported and empowered me every step of the way.
I chose an interesting time to become an audit and cybersecurity professional. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted entire economies, and everyone is adapting to newer ways to work. Emerging technologies such as big data, AI, IoT etc., are transforming business models. With this, there is an increasing number of ways in which vulnerabilities can emerge. Yes, it means that the job is becoming increasingly difficult, but that means it is also becoming even more interesting. I would not like to work where things are repetitive or mundane.
The pandemic also has allowed me more free time since with no more daily commute. I have had more time to give presentations and develop a deeper understanding of various professional concepts. I also had the unique experience of joining a new company during lockdown. I had my doubts if the remote onboarding and introduction would work as well as the traditional methods, but I was surprised as to the effectiveness and ease of the remote modules. I was able to gel with my new team and collaborate as effectively as in previous organizations. I believe this new way is a better and more efficient way of working. It has led to a better work-life balance and, frankly, increased my productivity.
Away from work, dancing, poetry and traveling are my key hobbies. I love dancing and actively look for chances to get together with my family and friends to dance. Due to the pandemic, there are few opportunities available to do so these days, and I dearly miss those times. I also enjoy reading and writing poems in Hindi, which thankfully I can still do. And I love traveling to the snow-capped mountains and still cherish my trip to the town of Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh dearly – my first encounter with snowfall and such lovely people.
When vaccines help bring about the end of the pandemic, I hope I can return to dancing and mountains. In the meantime, I am happy to move forward in my new career. From personal experience, I can say it’s never too late to accept new learnings to achieve your aims.