Sonya Gande is a technology analyst at Bank of America. Six months before her graduation, she interviewed for her current position, was offered the job, and accepted it within a few days. She graduated in May 2020 and started at Bank of America that August.

You began your career at a challenging time due to the COVID-19 crisis. How did your transition go and what do you enjoy most about your day-to-day work?

The transition was definitely difficult at first because I obviously expected that I would be meeting people in person and would be able to learn and forge relationships that way. However, as time went on, I started adjusting to the situation and making the most of it. What I enjoy most about my day-to-day work is that I ALWAYS learn something new every day, whether it be small or big.

How would you advise your younger self to figure out what aspect of the IT & Informatics profession to pursue?

I would tell myself to take as many courses in various disciplines within ITI as possible, figure out what I truly enjoy learning, and take it easy. There's no rush to have it all figured out.

What was your favorite ITI class?

My favorite class in the ITI program was Information Policies, Politics and Power taught by John Obenchain, MBA, Ed.D. It was very interesting to be exposed to the policy side of technology, something that I had no experience with. Most classes I took were more technical-based, so it was neat to see that there's another side of technology, especially because data privacy is a huge and growing field at the current moment.

What’s your opinion on the internship experience and how did you pursue them?

I've had a number of internship experiences and I'm really thankful for all of them. I had technology-related internships in very different industries and they have all been enriching experiences that have opened my eyes to the number of possibilities that my degree gives me. I found it helpful to network as much as I could and show my genuine interest by asking a lot of questions.

What is the best piece of career advice you’ve received?

The best advice I've been given about my career is to keep asking questions, no matter how “dumb” they might seem. Whether I’ve asked questions about other people’s career journeys and or about the details of specific roles I've had, asking questions has always served me well.

What are your current and looking ahead, what future career plans do you have?

I plan to stay at Bank of America for some time, eventually pursue higher education, and then start my own business or work for a media company. I have a couple of interests that I'm currently trying to hone in on.

Image: Courtesy of Sonya Gande ITI ‘20