How To Change Careers, Upskill and Grow: Advice From An IAF Veteran Turned Techie

I was the first woman in my family to take an engineering degree and the first woman to join the armed forces in a family with a proud history of military service. After a decade in the Indian Air Force (IAF) on a short service commission, I stepped into a corporate career —another first in my life—where I had to learn new domains, technologies, and skills.

The ability to navigate multiple shifts is a skill I learned in the forces where you have to always be operation ready, agile and nimble.

The military is in my blood. I grew up listening to stories of my paternal grandfather who was in the Army and who also played hockey with the legendary Major Dhyan Chand*. My maternal grandfather was a Deputy Superintendent of Police. Both of them served in British India. While I took the conventional route after school and enrolled for a degree in Computer Science Engineering, I was inspired by my family history to apply for the IAF towards the end of my course.

Living in the state of mission readiness

I was accepted and enrolled for a PG Diploma in Aeronautical Engineering, another new skill I had to learn for the IAF. I was appointed as a Technical Officer with the job of maintaining missile systems responsible for taking down enemy aircraft infiltrating Indian territory. Those were challenging but heady days — taking convoys through rough terrain, camping in remote locations, and dealing with crises on the security front was part of life. Life was forever lived in a state of mission readiness. I particularly remember being part of projects which were showcased on Air Force Day and also presenting to the Prime Minister.

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Around 2019, my 10 years as short service commission officer was coming to an end and I had the option to extend my service another four years. It was time for a decision and I looked around for guidance and inspiration. My father had retired as a bank manager. He had set up a whole new foreign exchange department in one of his branches and was being called upon even after retirement to advise on some critical issues. I had always been fascinated by the nature of his work and the criticality associated with it. That’s why I decided to explore an entirely new frontier and check out the corporate sector.

Our decisions are often influenced by a variety of forces — family, friends, a book we read, an inspirational story. But the best decisions are those that we own, no matter the inspiration. And the effort we put in to make those decisions work, determines their success.

I had decided to move. I had a general idea in what direction I wanted to move. Then, I looked for practical ways to make that move. Veterans have options to upskill once they leave the forces. IIM Indore offered a certificate course in Business Management for defence officers. Given that we learn a great deal of management skills in the IAF, and operations is an easy fit for me, I opted for the course and was placed with a leading investment bank as an associate director in operations. The financial services domain was new, but operations is not, so the shift made sense.

After a couple of years, I came across a Veteran Employment Transition program which offered on-the-job experience and learning opportunities for military veterans transitioning to civilian work. The opportunity was tempting because it was in technology, which was my original qualification. But I had not coded for about 12 years, and technology had changed unrecognisably over the decade. Wells Fargo, though, was offering training and reskilling for veterans, so I took the plunge.

How To Change Careers, Upskill and Grow:

My time in the Air Force working on mission-critical projects of national security gives me the ability to think on my feet and be solution oriented. Working on missile technology systems—which are extremely process-driven secure systems with no access to external technical support—and keeping it up and always running and ensuring serviceable operational readiness, holds me in good stead in my current role. Here, I have to work on new technologies and deliver quickly. In my current role as software engineer, I design and develop technology solutions for Capital Markets Technology, enabling business transformation and providing critical technology support for domains such as Equities and Fixed Income.

It’s a long way from the IAF, but when I chose to serve my country as a short service commission officer, I knew I had to develop a career plan for my post-IAF life. So I made learning a habit. I also took full advantage of reskilling opportunities available whether it was in the services or in corporate. Learning and adaptability is the future, so employers are increasingly offering reskilling and upskilling. I also use the expertise gained in the past (in my case, the services) and express it in terms of the job I am doing. Exposure to diverse skill-sets and domains is an asset in this day and age, so life-long learners are at an advantage.

Aditi Sisodia is a Senior Software Engineer at Wells Fargo India & Philippines. She previously served as a Technical Officer in the Indian Air Force. The views expressed are the author's own.

*Indian hockey legend