Hi, I'm Rohan.
Software development manager and trainee pilot, Belfast
Read it, like it, share it...
My journey so far…
I grew up in a small town in Northern India near the Himalayas. My father is a civil engineer and we were based in a remote place for his work, with limited electricity and tough winters. My family and I lived in a small flat, and I didn’t get access to technology until 2015.
Growing up this way taught me to be independent and resourceful. I’d sometimes go to friends’ houses where they had a computer, and soon developed an interest in IT. I studied computer science at university before joining Deloitte in Mumbai as a software developer. It was my first time away from my family, and life was much more fast-paced. Mumbai is the city that never sleeps, so it was a big culture shock. In 2021 I wanted to expand my skills, so when the opportunity came up to transfer to the Belfast office, I jumped at the chance. I’ve since trained on Salesforce, a cloud-based software. It’s been brilliant because the people sharing their knowledge were so experienced, I’ve learned so much from them.
"I enjoy feeling like I’m making a difference in society. I’m really happy this project has helped to raise more awareness about sporting events and opportunities for disabled people."
Work that matters
I’m now a Salesforce Delivery Manager, which is a software development role. We build Salesforce CRM (customer relationship management) solutions, to help our clients better communicate with their customers.
I’ve recently been working alongside ParalympicsGB, who are aiming to make sport and society more accessible and inclusive for disabled people. The organisation had an existing CRM system for sales and marketing, but they wanted to expand it to engage with a wider audience, including more than 60,000 fans and 800 athletes. As part of our work with them, we’ve created a series of personalised communications for Every Body Moves powered by Toyota, which is an online community for players, parents and coaches to discover inclusive local opportunities to become more active. These communications alert people to accessible activities near them. We also launched a message service from athletes to fans to encourage deeper engagement.
I enjoy feeling like I’m making a difference in society. My brother runs a school for children with autism at home, and he’s always been a big inspiration for me. I’m really happy this project has helped to raise more awareness about sporting events and opportunities for disabled people.
Highlights from my week
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I travel to London to meet some clients. We talk about a new software project they’re starting and some of the challenges they might have. |
We have a feedback meeting with the team and come up with an action plan that we can work on throughout the week. In the evening we head out for a team dinner. |
I go to the Belfast office, which is great because I can chat with my colleagues face-to-face. In the afternoon I go to a recruitment fair to chat to students about opportunities at Deloitte. |
I have a catch up with my teams in India and London, where we discuss progress and blockers. It means I can work out the help we need to get a new piece of software live. |
We have a leadership meeting to discuss how to grow our team and the wider Belfast office. After work we head out for some drinks as a team to wind down before the weekend. |
My weekend looks like
A couple of years ago I started taking flying lessons and now I’m working towards my trainee private pilot licence. I love the feeling of being in the clouds and cruising around the sky, plus you get some amazing views. I also really enjoy flying my drone and doing photography with it. When I’m on the ground I try to catch up with friends, usually going for dinner, drinks, playing pool or heading to a cricket match.
3 things I've learned
Have faith
There’s lots of moments of uncertainty in life, both personal and professional. A manager once taught me to treat challenges as a marathon not a sprint, and that advice is something I’ve taken forward.
Show empathy
You’ll meet a lot of new people and it's important not to make assumptions, and to always show small acts of kindness.
Invest in relationships
When I meet people I’ve learnt to invest in them early on. It’s beneficial because you may gain a friend or a trusted confidant, as well as a colleague.
Opens in new window
