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Passionate about creating something new, Mr. Abhimanyu Saxena is the Co-Founder at Scaler and InterviewBit, Karnataka. He has extensive experience as a programmer and half building scalability solutions for the research labs and the largest airlines of the world. He along with his colleague launched InterviewBit in 2015 to improve the scarcity of skilled tech talent owing to the considerable gap that exists between the university curriculum and the skills that are required to succeed as a software engineer. In 2019, they launched Scaler Academy - an online career accelerator program - the next step in the evolution of InterviewBit.
How is Scaler Academy helping students to get ready for the industry?
“Effective learning structure and wider accessibility”
Scaler (by InterviewBit) is an exclusive upskilling platform for tech enthusiasts that helps both students and working professionals unlock their talent. At Scaler, the pedagogy of the courses has been created and structured based on interactions with recruiters and industry leaders (CXOs) in the tech industry. Students on our platform are taught and mentored by professionals from the industry itself. Further, learners on our platform get access to over 1000 working professionals from top software companies worldwide, including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Netflix, and Twitter, among others, who act as instructors, mentors, and career coaches.
What were the key factors that motivated you to enter the Ed-Tech sector?
“Mapping the industrial and educational employability perspectives”
During the early days of my career, I worked with prominent tech companies in the US. Finding the right tech talent turned out to be a tedious and challenging job despite screening hundreds of resumes and conducting several interviews. I then realised that though there is no dearth of tech talent, the real problem lies in the scarcity of ‘qualified’ tech talent. The research shows a gap between the university curriculum and the skills one needs to succeed as a software engineer. There has certainly been a need for a training platform for tech aspirants to make them job-ready, thereby addressing the challenge faced by recruiters in hiring the right talent for the job. Thus, we launched Scaler as a full-fledged upskilling platform for students and working professionals realizing the need for producing high-quality tech talent to meet the industry’s growing demand.
How does the curriculum at Scaler Academy ensure learners best development?
“Strong preparatory practices with practical assessments”
Our regular interaction with industry leaders helps us understand what skills they are looking for in a candidate and what opportunities exist in the tech industry. We have recently launched a rigorous and industry-approved Data Science and Machine-learning program on our platform. We train our learners in those necessary skills and prepare them to crack interviews. To ensure personalized coaching and 1:1 mentoring, we undertake admissions in batches, and each student is assigned a Teaching Assistant (TA) who helps them throughout their learning. We have a very active community on Discord where students and teachers (mentors) discuss various tech and digital skills topics, clarify doubts instantaneously, and discuss assignments, projects, etc. By the end of the program, we ensure that every student is confident enough to face interviews and build a successful career in any tech company across the globe.
How did the COVID 19 pandemic affect your organization?
“More opportunities and learner orientation”
The pandemic has transformed the education system and has brought a paradigm shift in teaching and learning methodologies. As the demand for online learning and upskilling grew exponentially during the pandemic, we at Scaler witnessed a 100% increase in inquiries and enrollments for our programs. The number of sessions held per user has also seen a 200% increase, with students now spending more time engaging with platform content. Despite the pandemic, our business grew by 2X.
What are your thoughts on higher education and online learning?
“Future of education system is designated to a mixture of these”
The future of learning is blended and hybrid, and the education sector in the country is working towards this transition. The pandemic has proved that online learning in higher education can be as effective as classroom learning. The myths surrounding the feasibility and efficiency of online learning have now been demonstrably addressed. The government’s move to recognize online learning as a credible learning model is a massive step towards democratizing higher education. Online learning platforms will have a more significant role in making quality education accessible and affordable for learners.
Check Scaler and InterviewBit Courses & Fees
What would you like people to know about Scaler Academy that they may not know?
“Excellent connections and recognitions”
Scaler Academy is a virtual tech university in the truest sense. Our curriculum and pedagogy are a result of our strong belief in industry-academia partnerships. We have a strong corporate and industry relationship – InterviewBit works with more than 600 companies as their recruitment partner, and we have a strong alumni network as well. From admissions to course curriculum, mentoring to assessments and placements, we function as any established university, but in an online mode. On average, Scaler learners see a 4.5x RoI (return on investment) from the course. As a testament to our growth and the value we are creating for our learners and the tech Industry, InterviewBit was featured in the Financial Times Asia Pacific High Growth Companies 2021 ranking – one of the only two Indian Edtech startups to make it to the list.
What is your vision for Scaler Academy for the coming years?
“Advancing towards a better establishment and collaborations”
Our vision is to bridge the demand-supply gap in the tech industry and make Scaler the preferred destination to recruit top engineering talent. In line with this, we continue to build a robust e-learning platform, partnering with industry mentors and trainers, and marketing our offerings to reach a wider audience. Further, we are also looking at industry-academia partnerships to provide students with access to skill-based professional courses, especially in Tier 2&3 cities, and create industry-ready tech talent. We also plan to introduce new courses in the coming days to keep up with evolving industry demands. Our core focus continues to be on bridging the demand-supply talent gap in the tech industry through continuous upskilling and re-skilling.
What do you see as Scaler Academy’s greatest strengths?
“Our curriculum and teaching methodologies”
At Scaler, our courses are oriented towards practical learning with mentors rather than the typical lecture format. Learners on our platform are mentored by industry professionals. They are also assigned a teaching assistant (TA) who guides them around roadblocks in practice and project work. Further, monthly one-on-one sessions are also organized with mentors to plan a learning path for each student. As a testament to our meticulously structured and industry-vetted curriculum, Scaler has placed more students at Amazon than any IIT in the country. It has generated superior career outcomes for its learners. So far, more than 3,500 learners have joined Scaler’s educational programs and found meaningful career outcomes.
Any suggestions to the audience on how they can plan their career?
“Diversify and improvise your skill sets”
As technology is evolving at a rapid pace, so are skills. Skills that are in-demand today may become redundant in a few years or even months. Hence, students wanting to pursue higher education should have the zeal and enthusiasm to learn new skills and upgrade themselves on an ongoing basis. Speak to industry professionals regularly to understand the industry and sector better. Take feedback from your peers, mentors and network with fellow industry professionals. It is essential for every student and working professional to understand that if they want to shine in this competitive industry, they must stay ahead of the curve and maintain industry relevance in terms of their skill sets.
How have Scaler and InterviewBit evolved over time?
“Raising with considerable reach and quality with time”
We started InterviewBit as a free online interview prep platform where we provided interview prep to aspirants to make them job-ready. We soon had over 10 lakh registered software developers with over three lakh monthly active users on our platform. Our motive was to bridge the tech talent gap in the country. We raised 20 million USD in Series-A Funding led by marquee investors like Sequoia India, Tiger Global, Global Founders Capital, and Rocket Internet. Scaler has grown to be a prominent name in the upskilling and edtech space in a very short span of time. Today, we have 500+ full-time employees and over a thousand mentors and TAs on our platform, working towards bridging the tech-talent gap in India. While we still have miles to go, the journey so far has been enriching, and it continues to get better every day.
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