Unique Yet Homogenous
Illumination Writer & Editor Bio
Sunny optimist. Ambitious. Talkative. Valedictorian. Techie.
So many ways to introduce myself, yet there are times when I feel there is absolutely nothing special about me. Still, here is a cautious attempt at telling my story.
Unique things about Me:
- Identical twin sister! :) Now that we are adults, we no longer look like clones of each other. However, we are still similar enough to cause confusion to folks who don’t know us very well. This has created lots of funny and interesting situations! :D I’ll say being a twin helps in losing your ego — hard to be narcissistic when there is another person looking, talking, behaving exactly like you!
- I lived in 10 different cities before I turned 25 as our father had a job that involved relocating every 2–3 years. This has made me extremely adaptable and created a love of travel. Thankfully my husband also shares this love and together we have hiked National and state parks in 23 different US states! Now we plan vacations with a goal to cover the remaining states!
- People connector. Both my grandmothers were legendary match-makers (an era when marriages were still arranged!). Apparently, the genes trickled down to me too, since I love connecting people up. I put this to good use while running a local meetup for techies and entrepreneurs, helping friends connect to new jobs, and building out my personal network. Recently received an award for this as a “community builder” and a lovely tribute in state newspapers! :D
- Author of 2 books, titled “Data Science Jobs” and “Job Search Strategies for New Grad”.
Boring Things About Me:
- Grew up in India, and jumped into IT after engineering undergrad, like 99% of my classmates. Although, to be honest, I genuinely love math, coding, and automation! I would be considered “nerdy” if I were not so extroverted! Completed an MBA which is a classic Indian move (Engg + MBA), in pursuit of better career prospects!
- Like most kids with a parent who is a professor, I am a classic bookworm. Like kids with accountant parents, I love checklists and numbers!
- So boringly risk-averse, the psychologist at my grad school was shocked and surprised to see “entrepreneurship” emerge as a leading personality trait. Still, these traits allowed me to be a successful freelancer and gel well with my current roles in risk management technology!
- Family is extremely important to me, like most Asians!
Why I write:
I started my first blog www.journeyofanalytics.com since I could not find any projects for newbies in the data science field. Apparently, it hit a nerve as it now receives over 25,000 views per month with zero marketing or promotions.
Similarly, both my books emerged from questions I kept answering repeatedly to friends, mentees, students, and Quora followers. I can not meet with everyone 1-on-1, so a book seemed a great way to allow folks to get the answers they needed from me.
Writing also provides some excellent creative outlet and a way to step away from my data-heavy day job in technology. This May marked the 1-year anniversary of my first book and consistent sales. Only now do I confidently call myself a writer.
I post weekly on Medium, mostly for the joy of writing and sharing my ideas. Any money I make is simply a nice bonus!
Being a Writer & Editor at Illumination:
My sister introduced me to the Medium platform and I soon got hooked to the amazing articles, happily shelling out the $5 monthly dues.
My sis was also the one who introduced me to the brilliant community called “Illumination”. I do subscribe to other publications, but the stories here are the ones I visit the most. And now I post almost exclusively to Illumination! I love the transparency, diversity of views, and the eclectic mix of stories/poems on this publication!
My parents always taught me to give back, so the move to “editor” was an easy decision, especially since this publication is growing exponentially, for all the right reasons! Shoutout to Dr Mehmet Yildiz for allowing me on board.
Hat tip to Timothy Key, Chris Hedges, Tree Langdon ♾️, Arthur G. Hernandez, and Bill Abbate for being amazing mentors on my editor journey. There are many others too, but these folks have influenced me the most. They also write brilliant articles, so do check their articles if you have not had a chance yet. Being an editor has authorized me to expand my reading genre and made me a better writer too, as indicated by the increase in my Medium earnings! :)
If you would like to apply to be a writer with Illumination, then please see the link below for instructions, tips on what we look for and FAQs:
For a short sampling of articles (I loved these) by writers on our platform, please see links below:
An article on how to view the world with new eyes, by Bill Abbate.
First-person Discussion on race and negative stereotypes, by Sharon Hurley Hall :
How to become a better writer, from one of our Top Writers Paul Myers MBA. He ranks highly for multiple topics on Medium itself.
That is all about me! Looking forward to everyone’s contribution and discussions! Adieu for now!
