For our latest exploration of HERpower, we speak to Sonal, an Exalate consultant.
She tells about how she found herself in her current role, her heritage, and being a mentor for her team.
Let’s go!
Bio
Sonal is an Exalate consultant based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. She holds an MSc in Information Technology from Gujarat University and began her tech career in 2017. During her maternity leave, Sonal discovered Exalate, which offered her the flexibility to resume her career. Now she balances work and family life with ease and enjoys traveling with her loved ones in her free time.
The Conversation
Question: Thank you so much for joining HERpower! Can you introduce yourself?
Sonal: My name is Sonal, and I’m from India. My journey at Exalate has been quite unique. I joined Exalate as a Consultant, initially working in the Pre-sales team to understand the product and give demos. Then, I moved to the support team to handle tickets, and later to the L3 support team, where I managed blocker tickets and premium customers.
Recently, I transitioned to the Services team, where I am responsible for managing premium customers, resolving client issues and queries while ensuring they receive excellent support, configuration, and assistance, making custom connectors, and helping out with POCs where technical expertise is required. I started working for Exalate after the birth of my daughter, as I needed a position that offered work-from-home options and flexible hours, which Exalate provides.
Question: Can you share some of the challenges you’ve encountered in your role?
Sonal: One of the main challenges is managing time effectively, especially when dealing with clients across various regions and time zones. Balancing work commitments with personal time, particularly during evenings or weekends, can be demanding. Exalate provides great support with teams in different time zones to help alleviate this.
Question: What do you perceive as the primary challenges faced by women working in the tech industry?
Sonal: Balancing family responsibilities, especially after becoming a mother, is a significant challenge. Juggling childcare and other family duties alongside professional commitments can be tough. Additionally, finding time to learn new skills is difficult but crucial in the rapidly evolving tech field.
Question: From your perspective, what changes or improvements could be made to create a more inclusive environment for women in tech?
Sonal: We need to encourage women while giving them good opportunities and making sure they are valued and appreciated. This will increase their confidence. Also, provide flexibility in working hours so that they can manage their personal and professional work.
Question: Have you ever provided mentorship within the support team?
Sonal: As an L3 team member, I often mentor L2 colleagues. For instance, I’ve guided them on organizing, planning, and optimizing critical projects to ensure both our team and clients are satisfied.
Question: What skills or strengths do you believe differentiate you in your role?
Sonal: Mentorship is pivotal for me, I need to be there to support the team. Apart from that, technical and product knowledge are both really important.
Question: What is your motivation to keep growing and learning?
Sonal: I check each and every channel for questions every single day and figure out how I’d answer them and how I can best assist those seeking help. That will actually help to learn more about the product.
Question: Can you also tell me a bit more about the culture at Exalate? How do you balance your work and personal life?
Sonal: The environment at Exalate is incredibly supportive. For instance, when I was hospitalized for a week, my team stepped up and managed all my tasks seamlessly. When I returned, everything was well under control, which was great. Every team member helps each other out.
Exalate also offers excellent flexibility, allowing me to organize my priorities in my own way.
Question: If you could go back to the beginning of your career, what advice would you give yourself?
Sonal: In the tech industry, keeping up with new technologies is vital. There are certain learnings that would have been great to have at the beginning of my career to give myself a more holistic understanding of the industry. Even after getting the job, you should not stop yourself from learning new things.
Question: If you could switch roles with anyone for a day, whose job would you choose and why?
Sonal: I’d like to step into the shoes of a support manager for a day. It’s within my domain, and I think it would be a valuable and interesting experience.
Question: Can you tell us about India, your home country, and its culture?
Sonal: India has a rich and diverse culture, and it’s inspiring to witness the progress and support for girls and women today. In the past, the culture was very restrictive, especially for girls who were not always allowed to study. However, things are changing, and girls now have many more opportunities. India is a vast country with diverse food, religions, and festivals. Celebrating these festivals with family fills me with happiness and pride in my Indian heritage.
Connect with Sonal
If you wish to connect with Sonal and learn more, seek advice, or share similar experiences, feel free to reach out to her via LinkedIn.
