This month’s postcard comes from southern India, where Pythian foodie Rohith Kumar supports multiple aspects of marketing campaigns, corporate events and tasks. Read on to learn more about life and work in a growing city.
Where are you from and where do you live?
I was born and raised in Hyderabad and have been here all my life. Maybe I’m a bit biased, but I think it’s one of the best places to visit in India, with a mix of sub-cultures from all parts of the country, multiple languages and a wide variety of foods. Hyderabad is growing quickly and is one of the country’s most developed cities. It also serves as headquarters to several global consumer brands (as well as a Pythian office) and restaurant chains, so we also offer visitors a modern experience while still being immersed into our culture.
What was your path to Pythian?
I studied technology and life sciences and completed a bachelor’s in Hyderabad. For 10 years, I worked as an event coordinator for an international company. In that role, I also acted as program coordinator and team leader, but when the pandemic struck, I had to resign because of the severe impact on the company. So, I took some time between jobs to reprogram and take a few courses, including one in Reiki for personal healing, before applying for the Marketing Coordinator role last May.
What’s a typical day like for you now?
I work between roughly 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. India Standard Time. I take some time before logging in to peruse a daily hard copy of Times of India and check my personal inbox, and then I start work. After work, I often go to the gym to unwind.
As well as marketing coordination, I do website and Google analytics, Salesforce and HubSpot management, and general marketing team support. I also handle event marketing coordination along with content syndication and lead generation for events that Pythian sponsors.
Some of my current projects include a CSS project and site-wide blog optimization. One of the aspects I love most about Pythian’s environment is that it gives me space for professional growth as well as earning certifications. So far in my time here, I’ve successfully completed two Google certifications–one in Analytics and the other a Google Project Management certification with the support of my team. In the long run, I’m confident that both courses will be greatly valuable to the company’s objectives.
From top right: chocolate brownie fudge, cheese nuggets pizza, Arabian Chicken Mandi, and Gujarati Thali
What has been the biggest challenge in this role so far?
This is my first job in technology, so I’ve had to ramp up quickly and learn new terminology. For the first few months, I studied any new term I came across to get a deeper understanding and sometimes consulted some of my colleagues. Technology never rests. There’s always something going on, so to succeed the onus is on you to make the effort to keep up.
Staying focused with a simple workspace and a few toys.
Tell us about your workspace.
There’s a dedicated office in my parents’ house where I can work in privacy and without distractions. I don’t have any quirky routines, but I do collect McDonald’s toys which are placed all over my desktop and if I have no meetings, sometimes play music in the background—but I’m very particular and mostly listen to popular Indian or pop music.
How do you spend your time off?
On weekends, I go to a temple or church with my parents for meditation and quiet time, then have lunch. Friends or some of my cousins typically come over for some more food and Netflix or just a relaxing visit in the evening. On Sundays, I also bike for about an hour at a nearby park.
Chillin’ in Rome, Italy.
I love to travel, which is something I did a lot more of in my previous role, so I hope to do more of it in the future. So far, I’ve been to China, France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Spain and the U.S.—and my favourite spot is Germany. I spent a month there and ended up feeling right at home. Loved the local food and because they have so many other options, I also got to sample many Indian dishes made up of lamb and veggies. I can say that it tasted authentic, which was a bonus and can even say that some of it tasted better than what I’ve had here. (But don’t tell my mom!)
Food is a big draw for me and I’ve developed a taste for several dishes from various countries: Chinese noodles, Malaysian nasi goreng, Japanese sushi, Arabian hummus and mandi, Greek salads, Spanish omelettes, Italian spaghetti carbonara, American breakfast and, of course, traditional Indian dishes. On any given day, I might be making one of these dishes or I’ll order one of them from one of my favorite restaurants.
Another favorite: whole Tandoori fish the Greek way–with Indian chutney
What’s one type of food you could eat every day?
Lebanese food, like Kabsa–a rice and lamb combination–or Turkish Kunafa.
Describe Pythian in one word.
Multicultural.
