By Carolyn Doyle
A three-part web series put Shashi Reddy on a new career path—one that started at Luddy Indianapolis and has led to a data science job with Dell Technologies.
Reddy had worked as senior machine learning engineer in India. But a series of data science episodes from Analytics India Magazine changed his perspective.
“In 2019, I randomly started watching the web series ‘The Dating Scientist,’ where I first heard about data science,” he says. “Later, I immersed myself in the world of data science and fell in love with it.”
Now Reddy is excited to be working with generative AI at Dell’s headquarters in Round Rock, Texas.
Launching from Luddy Indianapolis
Reddy says he began researching where he could pursue a degree, and opted to earn his master’s in Applied Data Science through IU’s Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering in Indianapolis.
“I chose the Luddy School because of the scholarship and on-campus job opportunities,” Reddy says, “and the course curriculum, especially courses like deep learning and statistics.
“Before joining Luddy, one thing I really wanted to learn was Natural Language Processing (NLP). In the deep learning class, my friends and I worked on an NLP project.”
A strong start to a new career
Working as a data scientist at Dell Technologies, Reddy is utilizing the skills he learned at Luddy Indianapolis.
“My role here at Dell is an advisor data scientist,” he says. “I’m working on generative AI and the large language model space of AI.
“Using this cutting-edge generative AI, now I will be developing solutions to create a robust customer experience.”
Focused on success
When he chose to embark on his career path at Luddy Indianapolis, Reddy knew what he wanted: an internship, and employment in the data science field.
“As an international student, I started applying for internships a week after coming to the Luddy School,” he says, noting that a session on resume building, and an alumni advising session both helped him to prepare.
“I had done a decent amount of projects by myself to explore the data science space. Luddy School gave me a path to hone my skills, which helped me in my internship at Dell.
“As we know, data is the new oil and an untapped resource, and it’s a deep ocean to explore,” Reddy says. “I have so much to explore and learn in this space — Large Language Models (LLMs), Computer Vision, Conversational AI, and Finance Analytics.”
Making the most of an opportunity
His internship experience at Dell Technologies not only confirmed his career choice but led to a full-time job with the company.
“Dell is a great place to start a career. They roll out the red carpet for interns and provide good resources and advice to become a valuable team member,” Reddy says.
“Honestly, I was surprised by the level of connection with teammates and extended team members. I am a person who loves to network, understand people, and leave no stone unturned to learn in every scenario to be the best version of myself. I believe that having a positive mind-set and futuristic thoughts will help in accomplishing team and organizational goals.
“One thing I learned is that no work is too small or too big, and success is aligning organizational goals with your goals.”
The right place for a new beginning
His decision to earn his M.S. in Applied Data Science at Luddy Indianapolis was the right one, Reddy says.
“The degree and time are great tools and turning points in my career,” he notes. “I’m grateful to all professors and my peers for all the guidance they have showered on me.
“My decision for master’s study was a good one, which gave a good direction to my career and, more importantly, made me a better person in general,” Reddy says.
“I look forward to contributing the maximum.”
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