DataStax Employee Spotlight: Pranika Bedi

DataStax is committed to cultivate a diverse and inclusive environment that encourages, supports, and celebrates the voices of our employees. Our DataStax spotlight series gives our team members the opportunity to share their unique experience.

Pranika Bedi is Technical Support Engineer located in Northern California who focuses on supporting our enterprises and developers. She started her journey at DataStax as an intern and is now supporting our enterprises full time.

 

How did you get into the industry?

Attending San Jose State University in the heart of Silicon Valley exposed me to the tech industry. Interestingly enough, however, I was actually a Molecular Biology major. After a few semesters, I realized my interests and passion led me on a technical path, where I decided to make the switch to Computer Science. As a CS student, I was not only exposed to the world of technology, where I found myself immersed and surrounded by challenging concepts within my courses, but I also gained industry experience through my internships at Symantec and DataStax. My internship at DataStax gave me the confidence and skills to excel as a full-time Technical Support Engineer, which I will forever cherish.

How would you describe your job to a class of kindergartners?

I help big companies solve their problems. They're happy, I'm happy...we're all happy!

What are some challenges you have encountered during your career and how did you overcome them?

It is quite challenging to be a female in a male-dominated industry, and it is especially challenging to experience imposter syndrome in an industry that is filled with such brilliant minds. When I find myself with feelings of doubt, I remind myself that I can overcome anything if I just take it step-by-step. It is often difficult to combat the initial feelings of intimidation, but taking simple steps like looking up a document or setting up a test environment have pushed me in the right direction to eventually solve a problem; this gives me the confidence and motivation to take on the next challenge!

Why are you passionate about what you do?

Getting stuck, having questions, and making mistakes are everyday occurrences for me. When this happens, I find myself turning to my peers for help, and they have gone above and beyond to provide guidance. I would like to provide the same to the customers of DataStax. I aim to empathize and be the helping hand that others have been to me by making their experience with our products as smooth as possible.

What is one thing people do not know about you?

I am truly passionate about ice cream. My dream one day would be to open my own ice cream shop!

What is the most exciting thing you are working on right now?

I just took ownership of my very first ticket! A customer had some important questions regarding enabling spark on his 24-node DSE cluster. This is a fairly new concept for me, and I feel both excited and nervous. However, it is the perfect opportunity for me to jump right in and master Cassandra and other DataStax products, such as DataStax Enterprise.

How do you think we can better promote Cassandra within the database industry?

Linkedin and YouTube have been great platforms on spreading awareness about Cassandra. DataStax offers insightful and useful workshops that are live streamed on YouTube and bring people from around the world together. Another way to promote Cassandra would be to increase the exposure. This means hiring more interns; interns have the ability to build their careers on Cassandra, not only at DataStax, but at a variety of companies for years to come.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

In a new world full of Zoom meetings and computer screens, I genuinely recommend taking time out of your day to do something for YOU. Whether it be taking mid-day walks, waking up early to take a fitness class, or sitting outside to enjoy the weather and a cup of coffee...at the end of day, your own physical and mental health is most important!