Ajith was brought up in the city of Bangalore, Karnataka. He then moved to Kerala to pursue his Bachelor’s in Technology specializing in Computer Science.
Ajith started working as a Software Developer after completing his graduation but soon realized that being a developer was not something he was interested in and hence later diversified into the field of Product Management. He joined Springworks as Associate Product Manager back in May 2021.
Let’s take a peek into the life of an Associate Product Manager!
What do you do as an Associate Product Manager at Springworks?
I started as a Product Manager for the SV-US project, where I used scope-out features for the product, and later on, picked up SpringVerify Digital. Currently, I am also taking care of the integration of SpringVerify India with different Human Resource Management Systems, so that we can promote hassle-free Background Verification processes.
What attracted you to the Product Management domain?
I am a person who tends to critique any new product that I use. The question that I always used to ask myself is ‘What can be improved?’ and when I realized that there was a role that was somewhat similar to my thinking, I went for it! I love it even more as it proves to be an intersection between technology, UX, and the customer experience. It’s not a deep dive into any of these fields but just a perfect combination of all three.
What is your favorite part of being a Product Manager?
My favorite part would probably be the feedback that I receive from customers. When I see something that I worked on benefiting people, it works wonders for me.
How has your learning curve improved over the last year of being at Springworks?
My learning curve at Springworks has been really good! When I was working as an SDE, it was a mid-sized organization, hence I used to have a fixed set of tasks which I was responsible for. Due to this, there wasn’t much growth and therefore I decided to move ahead. Here at Springworks, every day I get to learn something new. I joined as a Product Manager without any previous experience in the product management field. So it has been learning on the go for me and I am enjoying every bit of it.
There are so many opportunities that I have got here at Springworks ranging from hosting a podcast to conducting my first interview. All of them have contributed to accelerating my career growth.
Walk us through a day in the life of Ajith!
- Start my workaround 11:00-11:30 Am
- Check my emails
- Set my task priorities for the week
- By afternoon I have a fair idea of how my day is going to look like
- Post lunch is just me picking up tasks that I have set for the day
- Currently, I am majorly dealing with integration discussions with managers
- Have discussions with our Tech team regarding the same
What kind of advice would you give to folks who are looking for a career change similar to you?
The first important thing would be to understand why you want to move into a particular field, as there could be multiple reasons behind it. It should all come down to what you feel happy doing every day. There is no such role as the best role or the best company, it’s always the company and role that makes you happy. That’s the only area that one needs to focus on. Every career choice is good as long as the person opting for it is happy doing it!
What motivates you in life?
The only thing that keeps me motivated is being able to do what I like. This has only been possible due to the flexible working hours and the 4-day work week, as this gives me the bandwidth to have a life outside of work and get to enjoy it as well.
Which is your favorite product amongst our two apps, Trivia & EngageWith?
I think it would be EngageWith! Because if a product is in place for providing recognition to your peers, it becomes very handy and easier to recognize folks, this goes on to motivate them further thus improving their performance. I think motivation is something that everyone needs, and EngageWith has made it easier for us to receive that.
What are the challenges that you face in your day-to-day work schedule?
The biggest challenge that I face during my work hours is time management. I was always picking up ad-hoc tasks on the way and couldn’t give my best to any of them. I discussed this with Anoop and started planning my tasks for the day in the beginning. It was something that I was struggling with initially, but I am trying to improve on it day by day.
Sneak-peek into your life outside Springworks!
After I am done for the day, I usually go out to hang out with my friends and family. On weekends, I am taking dance classes and the other thing that I am extremely passionate about is traveling. I keep on visiting new places all the time, and with the perks and benefits that we have here at Springworks, it has become even more easier and enjoyable to do what I love!
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