This Director Shows There Are Many Ways to Succeed in IT (No Coding Skills Required)
By | The Muse Editors | www.themuse.com
You don’t have to be a technical wiz to have a successful career in information technology (IT)—just ask Jai Chandarana, Director of Information Security at InterVenn Biosciences. “During undergrad, I looked at various career paths in governance, risk, and compliance, mostly because I was terrible at programming,” he says.
Since then, Chandarana has grown his IT and security career in different industries, from accounting to software-as-a-service—and now in biotechnology. In his current role, he protects InterVenn from any cyber threats. “Our mission is that ‘no one should be blindsided by disease,’ and my own personal mission is that the company should never be blindsided by cyber attacks,” he says.
Here, Chandarana talks about his unique experience when interviewing at InterVenn, why he never cuts corners in his role, and how working out in the morning has made him better at his job.
The interview process was straightforward, which was nice because having many unnecessary interviews can lead to fatigue and does not add any value to the conversations.
I understood the role and expectations so I already knew I was going to excel at it. What I did not understand, however, was the science. Luckily, my wife is a hematologist/oncologist, so she translated it for me. In fact, she joined me on one of my interview calls with one of the company’s distinguished scientists, and he gave us a great presentation. That a person in such a high position was willing to explain the science to us solidified my interest further.
During onboarding, what helped me the most is that I didn’t meet anyone who said ‘no’ when I asked questions as I was navigating my way. Everyone was willing to help.
