Hey everyone, I’m Isha Soni, and I wanted to share a bit about my journey. Currently, I’m working as a Product Designer at a startup in Bangalore, but the path to get here wasn’t straightforward—it was full of twists, turns, and a lot of growth.

After my 10th class, I took Commerce & Maths in school, but my heart was somewhere else—I had dreamt of becoming an Army officer since my 9th standard.

The NCC Chapter of My Life📌

After finishing school, I joined a college with a disciplined NCC program. Those 3 years in NCC? They were hands down the best years of my life. I learned leadership, and teamwork, and found a version of myself I never knew existed. 💪

I even chose a BBA in Finance, not because I loved it, but because my friends were doing it. And let’s be honest, I thought I could focus more on NCC that way 😅. Even though my college wasn’t top-tier, it gave me some tier-1 memories and life lessons. Leadership, teamwork, empathy, discipline — you name it. I even anchored a huge event! The old, shy me wouldn’t believe it. 😄

Back to Chasing My Army Ambition🎯

After college, my focus returned to my Army dream. 🪖 I prepared for the CDS, AFCAT, and SSB interviews (NCC entry perks! 😉). The journey was filled with rejections but also moments of success ✅. Those rejections taught me resilience, the courage to keep going 🏃‍♀️, and how to handle failure with grace 🌱. It wasn’t easy, but I knew that perseverance was key 🔑.

The Career Shift That Changed Everything 📈

But after two years of preparation, life threw a curveball — medical reasons forced me to step away from my dream. It was crushing. For a while, I felt lost 💔. What now? The Army had always been the plan.

D**iving Into My Design Era 🎨

Slowly, though, I started to reconnect with a part of myself that loved creativity 🎨. I had designed books — two for college and even a yearly planner for myself 📚. That’s when UX/UI design started to make sense to me. It blended creativity with logic in a way that felt right ✨.

Landing My First Design Internship: A New Chapter 🌟

Then came the next step — applying for internships. I can still feel my heart racing from those interviews. Some companies loved my work 💖, others didn’t 😬. But each interview taught me something valuable. Finally, I got my first break — a Product Design internship in Bangalore. It was 1500 km away from home 🏠. It wasn’t easy, but I believed in what I was doing.

From Trials to Triumph: My Full-Time Role Journey 🎉

Now, I’ve transitioned to a full-time role, and I’m beyond grateful 🧿. The journey wasn’t smooth, and I stumbled more times than I can count 🤦‍♀️. But here’s the scoop: failure doesn’t define you; trust the process and move on. Keep pushing forward, trust the journey, and believe in yourself—even when it feels like a long shot 🚀.

Thanks for coming along on this journey. I appreciate you taking the time to read my story! 🌟