I always wanted to travel to get more global exposure. The U.S. is one of the leading nations in innovation and technology, so it became an obvious choice to pursue my masters there. USC’s computer science department is ranked in the top 20, and I love the sunny Southern California weather.

Staying in the U.S. wasn’t planned. When I graduated, I received several interesting opportunities I couldn’t turn down. I decided to stay here longer to gain as much knowledge and experience as I could.

I was always interested in problem solving. Growing up, I used to play a lot of word games and puzzles. My dad and my brother are engineers and inspired me to follow in their footsteps. As I started working on my final year project in school, my interest in software programming increased at a frenzied pace. I realized how much I enjoyed coding to solve problems.

After graduating, I decided to pursue further education in the US to gain a global perspective in this field. My family supported my decision wholeheartedly and helped me come here [to attend USC]. 

In October 2008, USC organized a hackathon to create an iOS app. Being new to the university, I saw an opportunity to make friends and learn new technology, so I joined a team of four guys. The theme of the hackathon was “Money,” and I made a treasure hunt as my first iOS app. We didn’t win, but it kick-started my interest in iOS app development and opened my path to become a mobile developer.

There is a never-ending demand for good software engineers. The technical interview process focuses on three areas: problem solving skills, knowledge about technology, and ability to learn new technology.

Technology is a living, breathing, dynamic entity. It is important to advance along with it. I started as C/C++ developer making desktop software. As mobile technology gained popularity, I learned new technologies on my own and started working as a consultant. With every new project I gained knowledge and experience, which led me to join the startup Miso Media. 

I was the first employee at the music technology startup and had to wear multiple hats. I was designing and developing great software and also managing the product and team. I gained a lot of experience and read a ton of material on mobile development and product management. By the time I was ready for a new opportunity, I had enough confidence and knowledge in mobile technology. eHarmony approached me [when] they were looking for a senior iOS developer. I liked the company's motto of bringing two people together and helping folks find love, and I decided to join.

Programming and the mobile app industry has changed at an alarming rate. When I started, software engineers...were trained to look at a problem and figure out the scope, resources, and the time it would take to create a solution. Then we'd start implementing it. By the time the software was launched, it was quite possible that consumer needs had changed. With the mobile industry, this approach would fail immediately. The app development process has become agile, and it’s delivered to the consumer as soon as possible. Scope is flexible and user experience has become an important aspect in today’s world. 

91% of the U.S. adult population currently owns a cell phone. Of that 91%, 61% have smartphones...[so] the mobile application industry is growing tremendously to match demand and keep up with ever-evolving technologies. Mobile application development is considered as one of the most promising careers in the job market.

My favorite part about programming are the cool things you can create. You can make a boring static image live by animating or adding a romantic background score. Programming gives me the ability to create, and that’s what fascinates me. It’s always nice meeting people who are using the apps I have developed. 

The most challenging part is dealing with a legacy codebase written by previous developers and debugging it. Humans make mistakes and programmers are no different. I try to write bug-free code but it’s almost impossible.

When I was in Miso Media, I was responsible for creating a database for the app. In my attempts to meet the deadline, I didn’t read documentation properly. I was supposed to comment one line in approximately 300 lines of code—and I forgot to do it. All our existing users lost their data because I forgot to comment just one line. It was horrifying, but my team was very supportive. That day I realized the importance of testing and reading the documentation. We caught the bug in an early stage and were able to implement the fix promptly. But I still can’t forget that night.

The technology industry is very competitive. Staying on the cutting edge of technology is a must. The decision to join a startup at an early stage of my career helped me gain immense technological knowledge, and I also got a firsthand experience on the business side of the operations. These things helped me move ahead in my career. 

Stay focused and keep learning. This field is more open to self-taught people than any other high-level professional area so don’t hesitate to challenge yourself. There is a lot of online information and mentors who can guide you in this field. The best way to learn is by implementing what you know. Make a GitHub account today and start contributing to open source projects. This will help you learn and also connect you with peers in same field.

My day starts with a hot cup of tea followed by biking to work. By the time I reach the office, I am fully charged and ready to take on the day’s tasks. The first thing we do is Scrum Stand Up. It’s a meeting where all the team members give updates about what we did yesterday and what we're going to do today. During the meeting, I pick my daily tasks and try to wrap them up by the end of the day. My responsibilities include but are not limited to: specification, architecting and implementation, contributing to product design for enhanced user experience, determining development roadmaps for leveraging current mobile technologies, and mentoring and training junior engineers in iOS design and development.

My mentor at USC once advised me that in the early stages of my career, if I ever had to make a choice between a job that pays me more or a job which caters to my interests, I should pick the latter. That advice helped me a lot when I took a 50% pay cut and joined a startup. I believed in the work I was doing and the mission of the company. This decision helped me to grow as developer and at the same time also learn about entrepreneurship as I was able to gain firsthand experience in building a company. 

If I could go back in time and do something differently, I would change my decision of joining a consulting company before I joined Miso Media. I wasted 3 months working for a company which was missing objective and vision.

I play to my strengths. My outgoing nature helps me bond with male coworkers and blend with my team. It was never difficult for me to get a job because I always present myself as a confident and competent individual. My knowledge is my strength so I was always able to get the job I wanted. 

Only once in my career, did I encounter a coworker who was not comfortable working with a female developer. I tried to connect with him, but it didn’t work out. I had to put in extra work so that he could realize female developers are as good as males. Gender doesn’t make anybody less smart.

I would definitely encourage more young women to pursue a career in computer science. Girls need to be confident and not scared of the fact that the tech industry is male dominant. They need to stay focused and believe in themselves. In my career, I’ve always had colleagues who supported me and encouraged me to progress. They should be passionate about learning and gaining knowledge to be a good fit for the field.

Sunny Southern California is a major stress reliever for me. I am grateful for living next to the beach—whenever I have some free time over the weekend, I like running on the boardwalk from Venice to Santa Monica. 

Apart from that I like listening to music, working out, and traveling. Recently, I've picked up an interest in photography. I inherited my husband’s old camera and enjoy playing around with it.

I wake up looking forward to what new challenges are in store for me and making the eHarmony products even better so that we can help our customers find their soulmates in this big but well connected world.

Building my own startup is something on the horizon for sure. I have gained experience working with a small startup, a mid-size company, and a big tech company. I have managed the product development cycle along with architecting and designing a product. Going forward, I want to work on one of my ideas to launch a product that can make a difference.