Shocking Truth Revealed: Why Background Means Nothing In Tech

Rajat Garg, a former Microsoft India employee who spent over three years with the global tech giant, recently shared insightful career reflections in a post on the professional networking site LinkedIn. Now an entrepreneur, Garg delved into the key lessons he learned during his tenure at Microsoft, which have profoundly influenced his professional perspective.

Garg’s reflections centre two main themes: the idea that success is determined by skill rather than background and the importance of carving out a niche in the expansive tech industry. These reflections, from an insider who has worked in the industry, will revolutionize how one approaches a career in tech. In today’s technology landscape, many would argue that one needs to have a certain background and credentials to make it big. However, this notion is far from the truth.

One of Garg's significant insights from his time at Microsoft was the remarkable diversity within the workforce. He noted that his colleagues hailed from various educational backgrounds, ranging from prestigious institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs) to less prominent private colleges. This diversity was something that encouraged him to think beyond his own university and degree. Garg realised that academic pedigree was not the primary determinant of success. Instead, he identified two crucial factors that truly mattered: technical expertise and a commitment to ongoing self-improvement.

He explained that the professionals who thrived at Microsoft were those who demonstrated exceptional proficiency in core skills, such as data structures, algorithms, and software development. Their educational backgrounds were secondary to their ability to showcase these competencies and their dedication to refining them. According to Garg, success in the competitive tech industry was ultimately determined by a passion for the craft and mastery of these critical skills.

This might sound simple, but it carries deeper meaning for a non-tech person trying to transition into tech. Tech is often seen as something extremely difficult to get into. However, according to Garg, success in tech is more about expertise in certain skills and the ability to continuously improve oneself, rather than having a certain educational background. Garg points out that this key competency is not just something that you can develop; one also needs to stay updated in the field to be part of the curve.

The second major lesson Garg shared focused on the vast and constantly evolving nature of the tech industry. During his time at Microsoft, he was exposed to a broad spectrum of fields, from traditional web and app development to cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), blockchain, and robotics. Garg emphasised that while the tech industry offers limitless opportunities, it's neither feasible nor necessary to master every area. Instead, he recommended identifying a specific field of interest and concentrating deeply on it.

“There’s space for everyone, but the trick is to find the area that excites you the most and double down on it,” Garg wrote. His post underscored that specialising in a particular niche and excelling within that domain is often more valuable than attempting to cover every aspect of the tech landscape.

This might seem intuitive, but this valuable insight is lost in the day to day running of getting things done. Garg’s advice, in this regard, can help re-evaluate one’s motives and future goal. Trying to do everything at once is impossible. Prioritizing one domain of work can also lead to finding meaning and purpose.

Garg, through his inspiring story, opened doors for people with various educational backgrounds, a wide array of interests and, different perspectives on the tech industry. Today, Microsoft is a part of the global economy and has offices across the world.

Its operations spread across multiple countries and cities. Hence, getting a job at Microsoft becomes even more competitive. Garg’s experience shows that once you are there, what keeps you going is your sheer ability and craft.

His take on it, though, is that what keeps you ahead of the curve is not your college or institution, but knowing that technical skills are the primary way forward. He thus concluded by saying that niche tech skills trump all other qualifications and backgrounds. This blog aims to provoke people, to apply this new world of tech to them and not just follow the world.

In the age where following the crowd is thought of more cool and acceptable rather than going against the norm creating an identity, following the unconventional. Garg thus encourages everyone to create unique and profound identities for themselves.