As the founder of Skillmate, It was not that easy to start this company as a startup.  I've always dreamed of doing something I love, from a place I love, and at a time that suits me. However, my journey wasn't straightforward. From my early school days, I found studying difficult because much of what I learned seemed irrelevant or disconnected from real life. Maybe it was the education system or the way subjects were taught, but that was my experience.

I grew up in Chennai, fortunate to have parents who dedicated their time and effort to my education. I often questioned, "Why do we spend over 15 years studying? Is it just to get a job?" If so, why not start working right away? So, from the 7th grade, I started helping out in my father's shop, where he rented out chairs, tables, and tents for functions.

Even though I started working young, I didn't have much of a connection with money. I would earn small amounts for helping move furniture, but I quickly understood that I was exchanging my skills and efforts for money. This realisation stayed with me: if I have a skill, I can make money.

My perspectives about the current education system keep changing faster as I grow over time. As a sports person, I'll mostly prefer being on the field, where I learn how friendship works, and most of the values I learnt on the ground than in a classroom. After graduation, even though I got placed in a water purifier company with a salary of 8000 rupees, I didn't go to the job. Since, I strongly felt that, it was not my calling. Then,  I decided to look outside my field of study and landed my first job as a data entry operator for 7000 rupees, thanks to my typing skills.

Despite having a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, I took a job in computer science, which had nothing to do with my degree. My degree was merely a ticket to the job. In just two years, I shifted between various roles to find out what I was truly skilled at. From data entry, I moved to e-publishing, then to networking, thanks to my company's founder's experience. When the company couldn't pay me for six months, I worked in bank back-end processes but didn't enjoy it.

I then moved to an institution as a hardware and networking trainer, learning on the job every night to teach the next day. When the institution wanted to overcharge students, conflicting with my morals, I left. I then worked as a security analyst, HR, marketing person, and counsellor in another company, which also couldn't pay me for four months.

My job hunt continued, and after attending 172 interviews, three a day at times,  finally found a job where I could prove myself and started earning a salary. That's how my journey in security testing began.

It took a lot of hard work, multiple interviews, and various jobs to identify my true skills and find a good workplace. I'll share a bigger picture in my next blog.