"Shaping the future as a woman in tech..." - Priyaa Parthasarathy

“From the moment I first walked through the IDP Digital Campus doors, I knew I had found something special. It doesn’t quite feel like 11 years has gone by – but time flies when you’re constantly learning, growing and enjoying yourself. 

This is how my IDP story began. When I tried to get back to the world of work after my maternity break of two years, an opportunity at IDP caught my eye.  

And on joining Team IDP, the kind of recoup support I received from my managers was beyond words and helped me settle into my role seamlessly.  

The warm and inclusive work culture was unlike anything I had ever experienced before and helped me grow in ways I never thought possible. The support, encouragement, training and opportunities offered by our leaders was heart-warming and also helped me accelerate my career.  

Starting as a developer analyst, I have been given many opportunities to advance and now hold the position of senior engineering manager. 

At IDP, in general, we are constantly encouraged to upskill ourselves and keep up with the latest technologies and methodologies.  

One of the things I love about working at IDP is the freedom we are given to find solutions to challenges.  

Some of my recent points of pride include… 

• I am proud to have worked on strategic initiatives for some of our products, including the whatuni website and app; IDPconnect.com; and the Fastlane Client. These tools and platforms are designed to help students find the right university through personalised searches, filters, and more.  

• I have led the re-platforming of one of our apps to a modern cloud platform in the microservices architecture in recent months. 

• I was one of the key members involved in our regional Target Operating Model initiative that worked towards creating new Ways of Working for the IDP Digital Campus’ new single squad structure. I learned much from this experience and worked closely with a wider range of stakeholders. 

• I now am the owner of IDP’s Measures and Reporting Track for ITSM (IT Service Management) – that increases the process maturity of IT functions by focusing on enablement and automation.  

Job satisfaction and access to endless opportunities makes hard work at IDP worth it.  And the best part? I get to work with an awesome team of young and passionate individuals who have a deep thirst for knowledge and learning. 

As a woman in tech, I have never felt any kind of a gender bias at IDP. Not for a moment. Diversity and inclusion are more than mere buzz words that are thrown around. 

• We have a range of initiatives and programs in place to support our people throughout their career journeys, including leadership and development programs. The policies and practices we have in place at IDP, in general, are supportive of all genders and are biasfree. These are some of the main reasons why many of us have stayed for such long durations in the organisation. And this is what sets IDP apart - the unwavering support all team members receive to grow and achieve our full potential.  

• Given that we are a global organisation that values diverse perspectives and caters to different viewpoints - we must produce products that resonate with everyone. And IDP is always thinking of ways to do just that. 

For women in tech, this is an exciting time with countless opportunities, and IDP has several programs to support and encourage us to continue and flourish in our careers. These programs include returnship programs, flexibility, work from home opportunities, and a flexible work environment. We also have leadership programs and other initiatives in place to develop all team members, regardless of where they are in their career journey. I am currently part of a leadership program, where I receive one-on-one sessions with a leadership coach, who has helped me gain advanced business leadership and management skills to take on bigger challenges and become a well-rounded leader. 

Looking to the future, I am excited about continuing to deliver secure products and supporting my team members in their professional journeys. I would like to extend a special thank you to all my leaders for creating an accommodative and adaptive work culture that makes IDP such an amazing place to work.  

We are here for more than just a job; we are a community of people who care and want to make a difference. Would you also like to make an impact on the world through your work? You can look for opportunities to join our team here!” – Priyaa Parthasarathy, Senior Engineering Manager, IDP Digital Campus, Chennai