Women in Tech at InMobi: Kavita Maurya

Tell us a bit about yourself

I joined InMobi straight after finishing my master’s degree, it has been six years now and the journey continues. From being a complete fresher to now being a working mother of a toddler, this place has seen me grow professionally as well as personally. Currently, as an SDE IV, I take the role of a backend developer for our Demand Side Platforms.

What inspired you to pursue a career in tech?

Growing up I knew I wanted to study science and technology, but computer science was not something I had given much thought to, I wanted to study biotech. The lack of scope in that domain was a concern for my parents, who suggested that I consider computers as an option. While I did not even study coding and computer science in my school years, the prospect sounded equally exciting and I decided to give it a shot when entering college. Initially, it was really challenging to shift gears and explore this completely new domain of technology, since most people begin their journey from school itself and I had to start learning from the very basics. The challenges made the journey all the more exciting and had me glued to the dynamic problem-solving nature of the field. There has been no going back since then and I have no regrets.

What is the most exciting part about being an engineer at InMobi?

Technology itself is the most exciting part about being an engineer, the constant advancements make the job challenging and you never sit back thinking that you know it all. What makes it even more exciting at InMobi is the fact, that we are not just maintaining our tech but advancing at a quick pace. The reason that I have never wanted to switch jobs while working here is that there has never been an end to learning. The regular hackathon that we have at InMobi, provides a great learning platform where we get to work in groups that are different from our team and mentors that are from different business functions, ensuring that we not only excel in our teams but also get an understanding of how the other teams in the organization function and what are some the problem statements that they are working on.

I have also been fortunate to have found some amazing mentors here, who have helped me advance my learning. Mentors who don’t tell you the solution that will in solving a problem but guide me in a way that I find my own solution to the problem.

What was it like resuming work after your maternity break?

One of our values is, “Enjoying Freedom with Responsibility” and it is not something that is just written on the walls of the office, we completely live by that here and it is something that I have experienced from the beginning, which is why I had no fear of having to compromise on my career as I went on my maternity break.

Having the flexibility to balance my personal and professional roles in the way that I want to helps me give my hundred per cent to both aspects of my life. After my 6-month break, I was able to get my role and take up projects that were challenging and at par with my capabilities. I did not feel in any way that I was returning to a team that had moved ahead with my being left behind.

A piece of advice for aspiring women in tech

You have to be prepared that it is a male-dominated space, but that should not stop you or scare you in any way. You have to give your best and your efforts will get acknowledged, while the gender gap is there, there are no real biases that you fear.