When Aakansha Priya was working on her computer science degree, she wasn't even sure she wanted to be in tech. She craved human interaction, and thought that a career in tech couldn't give her that. She soon discovered that that was not the case, and was able to find was to thrive in tech. Learn about Aakansha's career journey, from front-end developer, to DevRel, to Solutions Architect, and how her determination to get into the observability world won over her current employer.
When Aakansha Priya was working on her computer science degree, she wasn't even sure she wanted to be in tech. She craved human interaction, and thought that a career in tech couldn't give her that. She soon discovered that that was not the case, and was able to find was to thrive in tech. Learn about Aakansha's career journey, from front-end developer, to DevRel, to Solutions Architect, and how her determination to get into the observability world won over her current employer.
About Aakansha Priya:
Aakansha Priya is a Solution Architect at Dash0 and a CNCF Ambassador. With a journey from frontend developer to DevRel to solution architect, she brings both engineering depth and a strong customer advocate perspective. She loves championing her customers and serving as a bridge between them and engineering, ensuring technology delivers real value. Aakansha has spoken at conferences on DevOps and the human side of tech, and is passionate about helping teams unlock the value of observability with OpenTelemetry. Beyond work, she enjoys painting, singing, reading, and spontaneous travel and you'll often find her at meetups and conferences.
Key takeaways:
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Chapters:
00:00 Opening credits
00:26 Guest intro
00:43 Icebreaker
00:49 Lefty or righty?
00:55 iPhone or Android?
01:39 Mac, Linux, or Windows?
01:46 Favourite programming language?
02:26 Dev or Ops?
02:59 JSON or YAML?
03:32 Spaces or tabs?
03:48 Video or text?
04:23 What is your superpower?
06:14 How did you start your tech career?
13:24 Aakansha talks about speaking at her first conference
14:52 Becoming a CNCF Ambassador
16:45 Organizing KubeHuddle
19:48 Men supporting women in tech
20:40 Women supporting women
24:23 Dressing up for conferences
28:40 Career transition from DevRel
34:33 The importance of networking at conferences
39:52 Being a Solutions Architect
42:34 Breaking into the observability space
48:21 Parting words of wisdom
ADRIANA:
Hey everyone, welcome to Geeking Out, the podcast, in which we dive into the career journeys of some of the amazing humans in tech and geek out on topics like software development, DevOps, observability, reliability, and everything in between. I'm your host, Adriana Villela, coming to you from Toronto, Canada. And geeking out with me today. I have Aakansha Priya. Welcome, Aakansha!
AAKANSHA:
Hey, Adriana, how are you?
ADRIANA:
I'm great. How are you?
AAKANSHA:
I'm super great as well. That's my pleasure to be here on this awesome podcast. So, really excited for the chat. Yeah.
ADRIANA:
Yay! All right, well, let's get into it. Let's start. Let's start with our icebreaker questions, shall we? Okay. First question are you left handed or right handed?
AAKANSHA:
I'm right handed.
ADRIANA:
Okay. Now do you prefer iPhone or Android?
AAKANSHA:
iPhone. So earlier I was on Android ecosystem, but now I'm all Apple. So yeah, it's my go to.
ADRIANA:
How long were you on Android before you switch to Apple?
AAKANSHA:
For like, 12 years.
ADRIANA:
AP: Like
AV: Damn.
AAKANSHA:
Like since since I like, started using phones. So of course, of course it was. It was Android. Nobody in my family were on Apple ecosystem.
ADRIANA:
Oh, wow. Yeah. That's cool. So. So then you just made the hard switch. Like you're like, nope. Done with Android.
AAKANSHA:
Yeah. And then that switch was smooth. Like, now I don't want to go back to Android at all.
ADRIANA:
Okay. Next question. Do you prefer Mac, Linux, or Windows?
AAKANSHA:
Mac. Yes.
ADRIANA:
All right. And do you have a favorite programing language?
AAKANSHA:
So currently I don't. But earlier I used to have Java JavaScript and Java. And right now during these days I'm more working with YAML and JSON. So, not a programing language. But yeah, this is what I'm currently dealing more with.
ADRIANA:
Yeah yeah. YAML and JSON, you cannot get them out of your life no matter what. Even even if like you're doing software full time or you're like in the DevOps, reliability space, or wherever, it's still there.
AAKANSHA:
Every time. So yeah.
ADRIANA:
Okay. Next one. Do you prefer dev or ops?
AAKANSHA:
I think now I prefer ops. Yes.
ADRIANA:
All right, all right then. Well, we'll get into this later, but I'm assuming you started off in dev.
AAKANSHA:
Yeah, I started out in dev. Like, I was a web developer, so I was into the front end development more. But now I have now transitioned and got more into the DevOps side and operation side. So yeah, things have changed now.
ADRIANA:
Nice. Very cool, very cool. Okay. Next question. Do you prefer JSON or YAML, having to work with both of them in your day to day?
AAKANSHA:
I think now I'm more comfortable with YAML. I think. I think that's what it's more relevant for my work writing all the manifests and manifests and all. So I think YAML.
ADRIANA:
Yeah, yeah. Fair enough. I'm a fan of YAML. I know there's a lot of hate for YAML. It has irritating things about it, but I still love YAML. I find it more readable. Okay. Next one. Do you prefer spaces or tabs?
AAKANSHA:
I'm still used to spaces. I try to do that muscle memory of using tabs, but I could not. So yeah, spaces it is.
ADRIANA:
Oh, interesting. Interesting cool. And do you prefer to consume your content through video or text?
AAKANSHA:
I think .text, because I think I'm able to consume that faster. So yeah, it makes more sense to me. But yeah, everyone has a personal preference.
ADRIANA:
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Totally. Totally. I'm with you. I, I've had a few people who, who are into video. I've mentioned many times on the podcast. My daughter is a video person, does not like reading, learns all sorts of interesting cool things on YouTube. I'm definitely more of a more of a text gal myself as well. And finally, what is your superpower?
AAKANSHA:
I think that's a good question. I think I have pondered upon it couple of times what makes me stand out, right. I think I tend to like connect with people easily. So if it's a room where people are from different age groups or different walks of life, I have this natural instinct of going up to them and saying, hey, how are you?
And then I can hold conversations with them. So I've often heard from my friends as well. I've often heard from others as well, and I think that power has definitely helped me in my journey as well, because currently I talk to customers a lot. Right. And you have to build that connection. So that is really important. So that has definitely helped me.
ADRIANA:
Yeah, that is a great superpower and I definitely agree. I mean, we we got to hang out a whole bunch at KubeCon in London. And I, you know, you and I had met a couple of times like here in their through Marino, all, all roads lead to either Marino Wijay or Tim Banks. I don't know.
AAKANSHA:
But we definitely hanged out a lot. And now we are like super connected. So this definitely helps in building relationships, building bonds with people on a more personal level as well. So...
ADRIANA:
Yeah. Yeah, totally. Yeah. And it was great. It was so great hanging out with you in London and getting to chat. And I always think of you too. Whenever I take pictures, when I'm in different places because you're like, why don't you take pictures of yourself anywhere? And I'm like, I don't like being in pictures.
AAKANSHA:
And then I forced you to take one picture.
ADRIANA:
You did, you did. Yeah. You're like, I'm going to take one for you. You need to show your daughter that you've been here. Yeah, exactly.
AAKANSHA:
We need the proof that you were here.
ADRIANA:
And I think this is a great segue to talk about, you know, you getting your start in your career. You said that you started doing front end. So what led you into tech in the first place? And what specifically about front end dev was was fun and cool for you?
AAKANSHA:
Okay, so I think my my tech journey has not been quite for too long. I've been here like working remotely for close to three years now. So of course I started out with bachelors in engineering, and to be honest, I was not really inclined towards tech. Like, it was more like, I felt that it's just like my laptop and me and I didn't like that personal setting.
I was missing that people aspect of it, which I was not familiar, that there are tech communities out there as well. So I was like, oh, okay, I don't want to do tech. I will just complete my graduation and just do something else. So yeah, I was not really passionate. But as you mentioned about front end, I'm like, I do have a creative bend of mind and these are two paintings that I also made.
ADRIANA:
Oh my God, they're so pretty. I did not realize you'd painted them. And for our for our, our audience who listens to the podcast you're going to have to check out have to check out the YouTube version of this so you can see Aakansha’s paintings.
AAKANSHA:
Yeah. So I think when I started exploring web development during my college classes, I liked it that whatever you are coding, you can see a visual aspect of it. So that was my interest that okay, if I'm will if I ever happen to stay in tech, I will just continue with web development, right? But so like if I so how I now am still in tech
That's the question right? So what happened like in my final year of uni, I got to know about tech communities. And then I started, I got involved with one of them and started contributing. And my one aspect of how I contributed was like, like, like sharing whatever I was doing with JavaScript on socials. So I was like on an everyday basis. I was sharing whatever the concepts I was learning on Twitter. I was still very intimidated with LinkedIn because back then it was like very serious connections. And then I was thinking that maybe what they will judge me and I was having that fear. So I was just restricting myself to Twitter and was now telling everyone that, hey, follow me on Twitter because I didn't want them to see. It was just that, okay, I want to start doing learning in public and showing myself up more. And right. So this is how my learning in public journey started. And I was obviously doing web development on this side. But but this also brought my interest back into tech, that there are people out there to connect with, to make tech interesting, to talk about, to geek out about tech.
So I still stayed in that field, and after a few months, I got my first tech job as a community manager. So I never knew that. There are different verticals in tech as well. It's just not. Restricted to being a developer. So again, that exploration thing helped me and I got into community management. There I learned about the startup culture, the remote culture, and how to do social media more effectively. So these are some of the skills that I learned there. But after a few months, I, I felt that, okay, now my growth is limited.
I think I want to get more inclined towards the tech aspect. And then I thought I took a hard decision of quitting. So it was a choice between golden handcuffs or exploring something new. And I took that decision and I did quit my job. But luckily I got a scholarship to attend KubeCon Amsterdam in 2023, so I was all on the way to KubeCon Amsterdam and I of course knew about DevRel as a role. You know, so it was my very first conference, and I was really overwhelmed there because I think that was one of the biggest conferences. About 10,000 to 12,000 people attended.
ADRIANA:
Yeah, massive.
AAKANSHA:
Overwhelming. But I did have some goals, and one of the goals was to interact with people whom I connected with on Twitter and also find out the DevRel people who are there in that profession and talk to them and take some advice that, hey, how can I transition into it? And whatever they advice they have for me. And I talk to so many. And, so this was my idea of... and that was a turning point. Then after that, I came back and Michael Friedrich from GitLab reached out to me. So he was really kind. He said that, hey, I would love to support you on your learning journey. And that was my entry point into the CNCF ecosystem.
ADRIANA:
Oh, wow. And you had met him. Did you know him already previously from Twitter? Or did you meet him at KubeCon?
AAKANSHA:
I knew him from Twitter, but we met at KubeCon Amsterdam for the very first time. We bumped into the hallway and then he reached out. So he was really kind. And till this date, we do the coffee chats every month.
ADRIANA:
Wow.
AAKANSHA:
Yeah. And then he sees my learning progress. And he guided me a lot that, hey, this can be the starting point. Do Docker, then do Kubernetes and everything. So that that really helped me to get started with a different technology and different tech domain. And it really brought my interest. After a couple of months. I did officially start as a DevRel.
I got to transition into that and I that was my previous job at EmpathyOps, where I was working with Marino and it was it was a really good experience. Again, I met Marino at Amsterdam and.
ADRIANA:
Oh my God, seriously.
AAKANSHA:
That's I'm we met and that interaction led led to that opportunity. And I have really learned a lot in that DevRel journey. I started doing Twitter spaces. I started doing, like YouTube recording, hosting. Then I started doing technical writing. But a couple of milestones that were there in that journey was first I started going to conferences and started speaking. It is it is not my comfort zone. It's still isn't my comfort zone. I've never been like a public speaker like in my lifetime. And I remember that when in classes, whenever my teacher used to call me to say something, my legs used to tremble.
ADRIANA:
Oh, no.
AAKANSHA:
Yeah, so I was I always had that stage here and, like, even till this date, I have tried to overcome it by going more up more often on the stage. So it has definitely reduced. So when my very first CFP got accepted at DevOps Days London, so it was a five minute ignite talk, and I remembered it because when I went up to the stage, it was there were around 300 to 400 people and it was a different format.
AAKANSHA:
It was like auto slide, like 20 slides. And they were just...
ADRIANA:
That's scary.
AAKANSHA:
I was scared.
It was my first talk at a big conference and and for a couple of seconds I did blanked out. Right. And I was like. Oh no. Timer is going. Slides are moving. What to do? But everybody started clapping and the organizers were cheering me, hey, you can do this. And again got back to track. But that moment where everybody like that gesture that this showed me, right, by being empathetic, empathetic with me and showing that kindness towards me was something I can never forget.
And a lot of conferences does support first time speakers, so I really encourage people to go out of their comfort zones. I know imposter syndrome can kick in, but they should just. If you want to grow in your career, I think it's important to get to that edge and do something which like makes you hesitant to try out. So yeah, this was one milestone. The second milestone was being an CNCF ambassador. So of course I got to know that I was quite doing a lot of DevRel things, so I was already contributing a lot in that ecosystem, and I thought that it was the community that brought me to what I was there today, that back then.
So why not try for it? And maybe my advice or my contributions can help someone else to get into that ecosystem. So that was the motivation. And I remember Marino said that, hey, that form is long, but put your heart and soul into it, right?
ADRIANA:
I was going to ask is, is this something that you thought of applying on your own because you'd seen like CNCF ambassadors, or did someone encourage you, like what motivated you to to apply?
AAKANSHA:
I think I was already seeing on social that it is definitely a nice community. I had now become really comfortable with the CNCF ecosystem, and I wanted to get into that niche circle of close knit circle of ambassadors as well. That was one of the motivations, but also it gives, it enables and enables you with a lot of things, and it gives you access to a lot of network as well.
You can of course, I got via that community, I got to meet so many different ambassadors across the globe which which is of course a possible if you can just reach out as well. But then being an ambassador also gives that opportunity. So that was one thing, and I always obviously wanted to give back to the community by being the part of it.
So that was my motivation and in the form I just shared all my journey, that how KubeCon was a life changing or turning point for me in my career. So I do want to give back. So that was one of the milestones. And the third was the conference. Of course, people don't realize that a lot goes behind the scenes.
When someone organizes a conference. It takes a lot of hard work. It takes a lot of time investment. Right? And I really respect the hard work people put in. And at times it's out of their work hours as well. But I really appreciate all the organizers who put in and support these initiatives. So I organized my very first conference along with others. Right. Marino is organizer for KubeHuddle, I helped him in organizing that one in Toronto.
ADRIANA:
And long distance you did that right, because you were like. You were in India and...
AAKANSHA:
You were part of the team as well, right?
ADRIANA:
Yeah.
AAKANSHA:
So it was my first time experiencing and how or like what goes behind the scenes. And I understood a lot of logistics and decision making, last minute changes. Yeah. So it's stressful but it's also fun.
So yeah I really liked it. And that was another first time thing, which I did. And so yeah, these were some of the things. But I also would like to give a shout out to Marino because because of that trust that he showed me by giving the me that opportunity, I learned a lot. And at times, like he was kind enough to teach me things because he knew that I'm new to that ecosystem still, that he put in that trust and confidence in me and, and like, like enable me to make my decisions as well.
So I really respect that and really appreciate until this date. He does put that like he does give me advices whenever I need. So it really helps at times you have two choices, and when you talk to people who have experience, they can give you that perspective which you might not have and which might not, which might be closed for you, and you cannot think from that angle.
But when talking to people who have who have been in this journey for so long, it really put things into good perspective. And and it's just not Marino. There are so many people who I would like to mention, like Kat, Mark, even you, you have really helped me so much, so many times, even directly. Directly, right? Even with your spicy takes, even with your posts that you. Put your phone.
Yeah, it's important that people call it out because people restrict themselves. So these perspectives, it might it doesn't get unnoticed. I'm telling you, I read all of them.
ADRIANA:
Aw, thank you. I appreciate that. And, you know, I want to call out something that you mentioned that I think is so important because, you know, especially as women in tech, it's so important for women to support other women. But it goes beyond that. And I think it's something that there's something else that you touched upon that we don't talk enough about, which is the importance of men supporting women in tech, because that's, you know, like it or not.
I would say in especially in tech, men come from a position of privilege. And so to be able to use that privilege to help elevate someone, a non man in tech, I think is, it speaks volumes. I think it's it's so important. I think it helps to improve the diversity of tech. And I think it also teaches other men in tech, hey this is a good thing. So yeah, I really want to call that out.
AAKANSHA:
Yeah. No, no you were really brought up a really nice point. I think tech is in general is like very male dominated, and I don't really expect only the women to support the women. I think it's it's a part of a bigger picture. And everybody who is part of it should do their contribution by supporting and elevating the other women as well.
But at times I feel I have experienced that not all women are really supportive of other women, and I never understand why, because I think maybe I think whenever I make women friends, I go out of my way to support them. And one of my friends is, of course, Emily.
ADRIANA:
Yeah.
AAKANSHA:
When I was doing job hunting and all she did sit with me on a call and explain to me what solution engineering or what customer success as a role is. So and even in my achievements, she shows her excitement and that really motivates me. And there should be women like these in our in our ecosystem and they should support. So these friendships goes a long way and we should not try to bring someone down.
ADRIANA:
Yeah, I totally agree with you. I think it's so important. And yes, I love your shout out to Emily. Emily is great and her enthusiasm is unparalleled. And she also I, you know, speaking of CNCF Ambassadorship, like I, she and I were chatting and I had suggested for her to apply and she got in and I'm like super excited that she got accepted as well. And yeah, like supporting women, supporting women is so, so important because like you said, like it kind of it breaks my brain when you have women not supporting women. I've gotten burned by like really bad female bosses in the past. And, you know, one could argue that that kind of thing is enough to, like, scar you and make you want to turn against other women because it's like, oh, she was a bitch to me.
I'm going to be a bitch to everyone else. But, you know, I'm I'm of the same school of thought as you. Where like, I see, you know, a woman whether she's like, you know, been around tech for a while or is new to tech, and I have something to offer, and I want to, like, be able to do what I can to, like, empower her and help her be awesome.
Like, because I think we we need like, we need more kindness in this world. There's too much there's too much ick in this world. And we need more of that good stuff.
AAKANSHA:
So yeah, I. I think I find a different joy when one of my female friends is doing something great. I get so excited for them. Right? So I don't know why people do the opposite, but okay.
ADRIANA:
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And I think Cloud Native was also like, there's something about the Cloud Native community that is just extra supportive. Like, you know, I come from like super corporate-y world where like, you were almost discouraged to be yourself. It's like, you can't say this. You can't see that. You can't act this way, you can't act that way. And so, like, you're being suppressed and then you come into Cloud Native.
And like, we celebrate each other's differences. We celebrate the diversity. And like, that... for me, like working in Cloud Native was was where I first got a chance to meet. Like actual other badass women in tech. I'm like my people. This is where you've been hiding this whole time. So I get excited seeing other women that I can learn from and be inspired by.
AAKANSHA:
Yes. And another point just to connect with this, that I love when women dress up and all they do makeup stuff at conferences, like it is like so nice to see doing that all showing their fashion sense. And I get inspired to do the same as well.
ADRIANA:
Yes.
AAKANSHA:
I see Hazel’s posts every now and then, and she does amazing show that.
ADRIANA:
Yes. Oh my god. Yeah. Hazel like just takes it up like this extra notch of of awesome where she is like, I am going to dress the shit out of this conference and she'll like, show up, I love it. Like for for those who have not seen Hazel speak at a conference, she will show up in a ball gown, dressed to the nines and just owning the stage. And it is absolutely lovely and I, I love that too. I'm same as you. Like, I used to dress down for conferences and to be fair, like, you know, we are not saying like you have to dress up for a conference if you're if you're a girl. No, no, no, we're just saying don't be afraid. If you like to dress up for a conference, dress up for a conference. If you want to feel pretty good and and feel feel pretty in the way that you that makes you feel pretty, right. Whether it's dressing up, dressing down, wearing a ball gown, you know, wearing funky makeup like, yeah.
AAKANSHA:
Yeah. That. That's that's actually true. Because at times I've been to some meetups and conferences and then my guy friends would say that, hey, that's not like a appropriate dress for a conference. That’s like. No, I will still dress up. It's my choice and it boosts my confidence as well. So I like doing it.
ADRIANA:
I know. I love wearing my pretty shoes to my conference. I have Tim Banks to thank for that. Because after the last KubeHuddle, we went shopping and and they took me shoe shopping and I picked out some two pairs of glamorous conference shoes that I always pack in my bag now whenever I speak, so.
AAKANSHA:
Those are your lucky, lucky shoes.
ADRIANA:
They're just enough for me to walk on stage and walk off. Like, any extended walking. Like my my feet are not made for that. I am definitely through and through a flat shoes girl. But I do like to put on my my fancy heels on stage and it makes me feel lovely. And I do want to touch upon a point that you made about like getting getting some flack from some guys about like dressing up for a conference, not feeling and not being quote unquote appropriate.
Because I've actually noticed for myself, when when I started dressing up for conferences, I almost got a feeling that like, in some ways, like, some people don't take you as seriously when you dress up because it's like, oh my god, it's like, Barbie. Barbie is speaking at the conference. And it's like, and you know what? I'm just like, I don't care. And it seems you right. It's like, I'm going to do whatever I want.
AAKANSHA:
I think, I don't know, why do they have this preconceived notion that if they are dressing up, they are probably might be from the marketing or. They don’t do high technical stuff. Like, I never understood it, but I think that's how society mindset has been built in over the years. But that needs to take. That shift needs to take place, and people should do whatever they like, regardless of what the society thinks.
ADRIANA:
Exactly. Dress, dress, how, however it makes you feel comfortable. And if it's if it's a ball gown, then so be it. If it's like a loose fitting t-shirt and baggy jeans, then so be it. You do you.
AAKANSHA:
So. So this was my DevRel journey for like one and a half years. I really enjoyed it. But...
ADRIANA:
You've done a lot. You’ve done a lot in a short period of time. And let's celebrate that because like that is incredible.
AAKANSHA:
Thank you. I to be honest, I never expected myself to take like the things will change so differently for me because I never saw myself in tech like when I started out. So all my stepping stones, all my decisions carved unique path for me, right? And I think. Everyone's. Life path, like their career path, is different and unique. So, so yeah, this was it. And after that, things took a different turn. Like,
AAKANSHA:
I was doing job hunt. And you are aware of that and... Yeah. So it is a it was a tough experience, but I think I learned a lot from it. And if it happens again with me that if I have to do a job hunt, I know how to do it, because.
It has given me that experience, how to approach people, how to show up myself more if I'm actively looking for a job, how to reach out to your connections or the companies you are looking forward to. But this this job hunt also brought me to think that is there something else I can do, right?
Is there something broader horizon that I can think of? Of course, DevRel was something I still still like, right? But then I also like of course, Marino advised me that, hey, you could look into something solutions engineering or roles like customer success and that never brought that came to my mind before. I was like, yeah, that is also a fine balance between tech and people. And that's something I enjoy.
ADRIANA:
Yeah, and it’s DevRel adjacent, right?
AAKANSHA:
Yes. It's DevRel adjacent. Right. So I started exploring that and again a tough decision that should I go to KubeCon London or not. Because it will be a big expense on my pocket.
ADRIANA:
That's right, that's right. And remind me, were you speaking at this past KubeCon London or were you just did you just go as an attendee?
AAKANSHA:
I did go as an attendee. I think I wanted to take that chance, that maybe that chance could bring something out of it. And I did go for it, and I'm glad that I did, because my current role, I got it via KubeCon London.
ADRIANA:
Right on, right on. And I was thinking to myself about our time together at KubeCon, where we were hanging out a bunch, and I'd introduce you to people and I'd be. And she’s looking for a job.
AAKANSHA:
Yes...
ADRIANA:
Hire her.
AAKANSHA:
Because I really appreciate that. And I think it was not only you were doing in front of me, but you were also advocating for me in the rooms I was not in. Right? There were so many people who were doing that for me. And I remember everything, and I can never I will always be grateful for that because these are like very small gestures. But it goes a long way, right?
ADRIANA:
Oh, I’m so glad! Yay!
AAKANSHA:
So I really appreciate all those people who helped me in that tough time. Who who checked on... checked in with me, how I'm doing. Because of course there were moments where I was breaking down. But then you have to again, back up, that... buckle up, that hey, no, you have to keep going. It's just like one. Yes. You you want, right?
ADRIANA:
Yeah. Yeah, totally. And you know, I and. I do want to pause for a second there and sit on that for a second because I think we don't have enough discussions about like, how stressful it is to look for a job and that like, you know, when people post on LinkedIn like, oh, I'm looking for a new role. And it's like all cheery and stuff, but like behind the scenes, you're like bawling your eyes out, you're crying, you're stressed, and nobody talks about it.
And we need to acknowledge that too. So I definitely appreciate you mentioning that as well, because, yeah, there are humans behind... the people... behind the cheery posts and the, you know, behind the job hunters. Right?
AAKANSHA:
Yeah. And not and I think, of course, luck plays a important factor as well. And also like being at the right place at the right timing for that opportunity also plays a factor. But you will have to play with that chances. You will have to keep trying different things. What might work for someone else might not work for you, but I, I can empathize with people who are actively trying to find a job, because I have gone through that experience and I can only say that just don't lose hope and keep on trying.
There's I think tech is for everyone, and from people from different skill sets can find a place in tech and it is really welcoming. It's not just only the CNCF ecosystem. There are so many different communities that you can be part of. You can actively go. I see that web community which Danny has built, right. I see a lot of developers going for that one.
ADRIANA:
Which one are you referring to?
AAKANSHA:
Code to commit, I think.
ADRIANA:
Code to commit. Okay, cool. I'll make sure I put that in the show notes for anyone who's who's interested in learning more. Yeah, yeah. And I think that's important to call out as well. Like yeah, Cloud Native community is wonderful. But yes, there is more than just Cloud Native, and and definitely lots of areas to explore. And I you know, I want to say also like good on you for making like such a bold decision to attend KubeCon knowing at the time like you were unemployed, but like betting on the fact that the cost of attending the conference was worth it for the networking opportunity.
Because, I mean, a conference like KubeCon is so massive. Yeah. So there's like, so many people to meet and as you said, like, as an Ambassador, you get to tap into that Ambassador network as well. But I would say also like, super importantly and this, this actually goes in nicely with something that one of my past guests said is making making the most out of your conference, like making sure that you have like that follow through the follow up with with the people that you've met up the conference, or with regards to things that you've learned at the conference so that you make it worthwhile.
Because if you're just attending and then you're not really getting anything out of it, and you don't plan to do anything with what you've learned with the people you've met, then it ends up being kind of a waste, right? But you didn't just attend, you made good use of it.
AAKANSHA:
Yes, that's definitely important. And I think people see networking as transactional thing, but I don't. I think for me, networking is building that like, a connection with them, which is just personal to them. Like, everybody has advices, different bond. Right. So I try to go beyond that surface level conversations. Right. And just, just you can't just go up to them and say, hey, I'm looking for a job, right?
ADRIANA:
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly.
AAKANSHA:
Over time.
ADRIANA:
So, and you've made a really good point here, because, I do find like, I remember being at a meetup in Toronto and I, it was, I think I was moderating. I had moderated an AI panel at a, at a meetup in Toronto for Toronto Tech Week. I remember this guy comes up to me afterwards and starts like just listing off his credentials and then asking me to, like, basically find him a job.
And it's like, this is not the approach, buddy. I'm like, I don't know you. I can't refer you for a job if I don't know you, right? You can't just walk up to people, list off your resume and expect that I'm going to be impressed. Like, like you said, you have to make that human connection because otherwise, like, what are you doing?
AAKANSHA:
Yeah, it's a wrong expectations from networking. People think it is. I think. People don't really understand what networking actually means, and they forget the human aspect of it. Of course it takes time. Of course it takes a couple of conversations, a couple of like, meetings, as well. But this is important: that you are not doing only this for a favor in return.
ADRIANA:
Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And I think and that's a really important point as well, because I think a lot of people going into like conferences and meetups and they're like, I'm going to network, and I expect to walk out of there with a job. And it's it's a long game, as you said, it's like over the course of several meetings, and it's like, establishing a relationship, and establishing trust. And it's not going to happen overnight because it's not how people operate. You need to develop that, that rapport, right?
AAKANSHA:
Yeah. And I think for me, the job hunt experience was kind of easy in the sense I had stopped applying on the application forms. It was like, too frustrating to just. Because you just get that automated response emails rejection. So like, I did put a post, but it was not like, that hey, I'm looking for a job. But it was more like that, hey, this has been my journey. And this. This has my key things that I have done. And I'm trying to explore in these different verticals. And I would love if, you know. And that's how I got reached out by a lot of companies. And I got a lot of back to back interviews, so.
ADRIANA:
Oh, that's so cool. And you posted that on LinkedIn?
AAKANSHA:
I did.
ADRIANA:
Ah, and there you, and then you made LinkedIn work for you, which, isn't it amazing? Like, you know, you were saying in the beginning how like you were too shy to use LinkedIn, and Twitter was kind of your, your gateway. And now, like you've, you've learned to leverage LinkedIn to to your advantage, to foster those connections, which is I.
AAKANSHA:
Think I think it was one year back. I was like, I don't give a fuck what people think. I will also post on LinkedIn. And now I use LinkedIn more than Twitter.
ADRIANA:
I find like I get most of my traction on, on LinkedIn more than anything. And it's been like that since, since the beginning for me, which I'm I'm very grateful for that. I think it's amazing when when people like, you know, interact with my posts, find what I have to say. Interesting. So yeah. Yay LinkedIn.
AAKANSHA:
Yeah. So and and one more thing that I think my transition from DevRel to now. So I work as a solution architect now at my current company, Dash0. So where I handle the pre-sales and the customer success angle of the customers, like the whole customer journey. And it's nice because you are helping them enable the technology, how to use the platform better with their use cases and also supporting them whenever they are struggling.
So I like that different aspect and I'm learning a lot in this kind of role as well. But what I often see up in this role, that they are not a lot of women. I do go to prospects calls and there would be like around 12 to 15 men, and I'm like the only woman out there giving them a demo or talking technical stuff with them. It's really intimidating. But I think I do want to make that awareness among other women in this ecosystem that you should definitely see and check out this role. It's it's interesting. And if you like a balance between interacting with customers, with people, and doing tech stuff as well, this is an interesting direction you can take place. Take into as well.
And also I've not left the community things. Of course, have become a little less active because I wanted to.... Observability as a domain is uh, new, is new for me. But there's every day there is so much to learn. And that domain in general is like, so vast. But again, it's a very active OTel SIGs community.
I've also joined the channel of OTel community on the Slack. So I do see people ask so many questions, and the maintainers and the people who are active contributors help them. So that is also learning things I do on a daily basis, but I still apply for conferences and my company supports that. And I'm really I really appreciate that they do still support my community as things that I love to do and help, and or helping me in my growth.
ADRIANA:
Oh, that's great. That's great. Yeah, yeah, because I. Think roles like solutions engineer, customer success engineer because they're not like they're not as public facing, shall we say, as as DevRel, I think a lot of organizations do tend to not necessarily, as you said, support, support those folks in terms of attending conferences. So I think it's really great that that your company is is supporting that. And I wanted to ask as well, like because you mentioned like, observability is is new for you.
And previously like you were more focused on, I want to say the Kubernetes side of things. Is that correct? And so how... how, you know, like that's, that's kind of a big pivot. And to be able to get a job in an area that's completely new, like what did you have to do to like wow and amaze the, the folks at Dash0 to say, hey, like, yes, she's the one. Like, especially as an observability novice.
AAKANSHA:
Yeah. So I think when I saw I went to the conference, I went to the booth and I was like, hey, this has been my journey and I would... I'm exploring roles like solutions engineering, customer success. I knew that job opening was not open because I didn't see it in the in the careers page. But then then they said that, hey, we we want to expand and we would love to interview you.
So of course they had a discovery call with me. Like, that was the first step. And then they asked like, what has been your journey? As like, I've not been in the observability space. I just know high level overview. But I have been more active in the community Kubernetes ecosystem and I've given certifications exams like CKA, KCNA. So I can do hands on stuff, I can understand things.
So then they're like, okay, we will do a technical interview with you and see how things go. And that interview was about, all about OpenTelemetry and observability. And I had like one weeks time. And trust me, I was like, I had my aim at Dash0. I was like, I have to get into this. Even though I had a lot of other interviews lined up as well.
But I think it was important to bring my focus as intention to one goal. And that was that was this. So I was putting a lot of my time and effort. And trust me, whoever who have contributed to the OTel docs, it was like really nice. I, I studied from that. I didn't see any video or any blogs.
I... that documentation was really helpful. I scanned from top to the bottom every single day and learned different topics, and I made an Excalidraw of all the things that I learned. And I tried different POCs. So my friends from the different observability companies, I reached out to them that, hey, I would like to do some POCs if you could guide me some with some tutorial that I should try.
So I was doing hands on stuff so that I can explain them the concepts much better when they ask in the interview. So that was my preparation. I really did a lot of hard efforts for it, because I really wanted to get in. And during the interview, the interviewers of course really impressed. And then I showed and then they asked that, how did you prepare for this interview?
Yeah, because it's just such a short span and you learned so much. And then I showed them my Excalidraw... that hey, see? This... this is how I was so excited to learn this new domain. But I also I remember I told them at the end of the interview that even if I don't make it, it's okay. Because I finally found an interesting space that I want to get into. Because earlier I was kind of generalized.
I didn't have a niche. I was seeing security, I was seeing networking, observability, and all the things. But I never found a niche. And I really wanted to find a niche, which really interested me to get more deeper into. And preparing for that interview brought my interest. And I was like, okay, even if I don't make it, I will get into something observability I would like to try out. So that, that exploring angle that brought my interest in observability. And the last round was a case study interview. So they gave me a case study that okay, this is a customer situation. They have these things that they are using. Now how you going to pitch the platform and how you're going to enable them.
So yeah. So I prepared for it. It was again intimidating. It was more intimidating than the technical interview. But I really did put a lot of effort in preparing for that demo. And they really liked the conversation, that how conversational it was, and how I was linking their questions with the demo, because it's not like in the customer demos.
It's not like it's just one flow. They can interrupt, they can have different use cases. Then you have to on the spot, like what to show, what not to show so that their interest is still there and they're not bored.
ADRIANA:
Wow, that's so cool. I mean, it sounds like it was so well deserved. I mean, you put everything into this interview and you kicked ass. This is so great. This is such a lovely story to hear. And I think it's so inspiring for for folks who are, you know, on the job hunt who are starting out their careers. I mean, even within like, tech, you have pivoted areas of expertise and job roles. And I think it's incredible that you've accomplished all this. For someone who hasn't been in tech that long. I think, like, these are amazing accomplishments, and I honestly can't wait to see what else you do. This is this has been really, really cool. We are coming up on time. But before we go, do you have any either parting words of wisdom, or hot takes that you would like to share?
AAKANSHA:
So as a parting words of wisdom, I think I would say that tech is for everyone and everyone can find their space with different skill sets. You just need to explore. There is a lot of things to do in tech and just not very. It's a very broad ecosystem. And and the second thing I would say that like, please be empathetic and kind to, kind towards other people. Life is short and your short... like, small gesture of kindness goes a long, long way. So I would say that being empathetic and kind towards other is something bare minimum a human can do for the other.
ADRIANA:
Yeah, absolutely. Awesome. Well, this is great. This has been great. I think it's so cool to to like, see you like, to learn about your journey and to see what, what all the things that have inspired you and all the people who have brought you to where you are now. So I definitely appreciate you sharing your story with everyone.
So thank you so much, Aakansha, for geeking out with me today. And y'all, don't forget to subscribe and be sure to check the show notes for additional resources and to connect with us and our guests on social media. Until next time...
AAKANSHA:
Peace out and geek out.
ADRIANA:
Geeking Out is hosted and produced by me, Adriana Villela. I also composed and performed the theme music on my trusty clarinet. Geeking Out is also produced by my daughter, Hannah Maxwell, who, incidentally, designed all of the cool graphics. Be sure to follow us on all the socials by going to bio.site/geekingout.