What led you to working with Volunteering India?
The entire concept of getting people from across the world to work for my country was something that drew my attention in the beginning. Knowing the fact that India still needs to work on a lot of sectors—most importantly on education, eradication of poverty, and the betterment of healthcare facilities, etc.— I knew that my association in any form with Volunteering India would bring me a mental satisfaction that in some way, I have contributed something—either directly or indirectly.
Office Trip To Goa
Describe a typical day at work for you.
I'm responsible for designing, coding, and modifying the website. A lot of my work is trying to make it more visually appealing and assuring features are user-friendly and there is clear navigation.
There are several challenges coming up with each new day as I’m trying to work on new and updated technology.
How has your background in Biotech and Web Design helped you in your position as the User Interface Developer/ Designer?
I studied BioTechnology with Botany as my main subject, which surely has no role in my present job arena. It was completely out of choice that I studied it. My interests have always been on creating intelligent artwork, that is visually appealing, and at the same time, useful.
The Web Designing Course taught me some valuable lessons about software and coding, which has enabled me to develop a website and make it effective in ways that would benefit others. The Volunteering India website, if you see, is extremely user-friendly, giving you explanations of what kind of experience you'll get which you're here in the country with us, and how you can play your part. The booking process is also simplified.
What do you love most about your job?
Like I already mentioned, the freedom to create something unique and useful is what I love about my job. I get ample space and scope to design the website as per my will—of course under the guidance of my seniors. Whenever I have free time, I usually watch tutorial videos or work on something creative like a tribute page.
Are there any challenges you face regularly in your work? How do you overcome them?
In my experience with working on a large site, dealing with cross-browser issues is annoying but not all that big of a challenge. It is all relative to the scaling, I believe. I usually read development related articles to improve my knowledge and keep following the market trend. Also, competitor analysis is a must, just to keep a track of what others are up to!
How has your work changed over the past two years with updates in technology?
Back in the day, websites used to be much simpler—static text sites with a bit of formatting and maybe even some animation. That was all thanks to HTML and CSS.
But the journey from then to now has been incredible! In today's world, we have more interactive sites where you can fill out forms, find videos playing automatically, and load parts of other websites all on one page—all without clicking the 'Refresh' button!
It’s important to note that front-end development has changed significantly with the explosive growth of JavaScript. And hence, my work and learnings have also grown manifolds!
How do you stay current despite these technological changes?
As a UI Designer, I read and learn on a daily basis. The IT industry is competitive and ever-changing, so it’s nearly impossible to know everything. That’s why it’s important to create your own learning method for keeping up to date with not only digital design trends, but with overall trends in any industry.
Why do you think it is important for individuals to travel and experience new cultures?
It's only when we look beyond our known boundaries that we get to see how the big the world actually is. Sitting somewhere in Europe and reading about India's history, or probably about the current affairs of India, might tickle someone's interest to visit this country. But until and unless one travels here, the person will never get to know what treasures we hold! It's same for all the countries I believe.
It's only through traveling and exploring, will we get to know far more than what our textbooks have taught us, or what we see on the television screen.
Why is India an ideal destination for international volunteers?
I shall not be biased while saying this, but if one goes by data and statistics, India—despite recent developments—lacks a lot of things! There's a huge section of the underprivileged population in the country, who need a little help to live a better life.
Volunteering in India will ensure a two-way benefit. It'll be good for the poorer sections in India—getting education or healthcare from the volunteers—and for the volunteers who will get an insight of the Indian society, learn how the system works, and gain first-hand learning experience. And above all, they will have a sense of satisfaction, that will last for a long time!
What hopes do you have for the future of Volunteering India and your position?
Following recent trends, I believe that we shall get to host more volunteers in India in the near future. And since there's a demand for short-term volunteering, our team has efficiently curated programs to suit the needs of those who have time restraints.
As far as my role is concerned, I'm aiming to work on making the website faster and smoother, and I’m also planning to come up with an app design since the majority of the youth are keen on getting easy bookings through a smartphone. Hopefully, I can make good use of technology for the growth of Volunteering India in the future.
