Sarbani Maiti’s Journey from Cobol to Cloud 

At Analytics Vidhya, we’re celebrating the Women of Data Science by highlighting their remarkable journeys and achievements on our blog throughout March. We believe their stories can inspire, uplift, and empower others. Today, we have the privilege of featuring Sarbani Maiti. Let’s look at her inspiring story!

Sarbani Maiti’s Journey in her own Words

My name is Sarbani Maiti; I am an AI/ML Specialist Solutions Architect in Databricks. Back in the year 2000, when the internet was just a new baby, I kickstarted my career as a Cobol/Unix developer. Being a BTech student of Electronics & Telecommunication, I knew almost nothing about computers. However, we had the luxury of having proper training periods where I learned about software engineering. From coding in Cobol to navigating through Java, Sybase, Teradata, Oracle, and finally landing in the fascinating world of Cloud, AI/ML, the journey has been nothing short of a roller coaster.

Family, Career, and Challenges

Balancing family, kid, and a demanding career has been one of my  most significant challenges. Late-night calls with USA customers  while trying to keep up with the daily hustle – it wasn’t easy. But, here’s the secret sauce – a robust support system. My family has  been my backbone, standing by me through thick and thin. The  challenges may be tough, but with the right support, you can turn  them into stepping stones towards success.  

Continuous Learning: The Key to Confidence and Success

Continuous learning has been my biggest strength. Embracing new  technologies and putting myself in challenging positions has been  the key to my confidence and success. I believe that learning is not  a destination but a journey, and it’s this journey that has allowed me  to secure a seat at the table in the ever-evolving tech industry. 

One crucial lesson I’ve learned is the power of leveraging old  knowledge. Moving from the world of Cobol to cloud computing and  now into data science, I didn’t unlearn my past; instead, I embraced  it. This fusion of old and new knowledge has enabled me to  understand enterprise challenges better and find innovative  solutions using cutting-edge technologies. 

Lessons from Wall Street

I have spent almost 10 yrs working with wall street banks. A  decade-long experience in the world of finance taught me  invaluable leadership and management skills. The focus was on running a tight ship, where failures and downtime were critical  factors to manage. However, embarking on new technologies and  adapting to changes were often slow and challenging. 

Now working with Silicon Valley … It’s a whole new ball game!  Here, it’s all about tech challenges, and every day feels like a crash  course in the latest innovations. The pace is relentless, and coping  with the daily influx of new technologies can be overwhelming. Yet,  it’s this very environment that fuels my passion for learning and  embracing the unknown. 

Silicon Valley: A New Ball Game

Transitioning from Wall Street to Silicon Valley has been a  transformative experience. The leadership skills learnt have proven  to be my guiding light in the tech chaos of Silicon Valley. It’s a  testament to the adaptability that every woman in tech possesses –  the ability to navigate different worlds and emerge stronger and  more resilient. 

Message for Women in Tech

Motherhood is an amazing experience of our life, we can not ignore the biological clock, unfortunately it clashes with our peak career timelines. Make the priority clear, outsource the work which does not add any value to our goals, we don’t have to be perfect in all the  areas. We can rebuilt our career even after 30…but we should not  loose track from whats happening in the industry, what is the trend  and very important build your professional network, mentor sponsor  who can help in your journey towards your goal. 

My suggestions to my fellow women in tech – embrace the  challenges, seek out support, and never stop learning. Your journey  may take unexpected turns, but remember, each experience adds a  layer to your expertise. The tech world is vast, and there’s a place  for your unique skills and perspectives. Build your thought  leadership skill and world is yours…

About Sarbani Maiti

As the leader of the Digital Transformation Program with 22 years of experience in large Investment Banks and the healthcare industry, Sarbani Maiti specializes in guiding businesses to translate their data into tangible value. Through robust data strategy, analytics, and AI/ML capabilities, she drives transformative change across organizations. Sarbani also shares her expertise through speaking engagements and articles, as well as contributes to open-source projects on GitHub.

Check out her LinkedIn profile here.

Summing-up

Sarbani Maiti’s journey from Cobol developer to AI/ML Specialist at Databricks exemplifies perseverance and adaptability. Balancing career and family, she embraced challenges, continuously learned, and leveraged past knowledge. Transitioning from finance to Silicon Valley showcased resilience. Her advice: prioritize, network, and never stop learning.

You can also share your story or nominate someone who has inspired you by filling out this form. 

Let’s continue to uplift and empower each other in the journey towards a more inclusive and innovative future.