From studying with a lantern to working for Microsoft, this farmer proved that there’s no shortcut to success
Once upon a time, Santosh Mishra was mocked for his poor English.
By ET Online | Updated:
Agencies
He was once ridiculed for struggling academically and dismissed as a fool for his poor scores. But today Santosh Mishra is having the last laugh. The 31-year-old is now part of the software engineering team at Microsoft. From studying under the dim light of the lantern to bagging one of the most coveted jobs in the world, Mishra has come a long way. The engineer shared his journey with the digital publication Humans of Bombay.
Mishra is no stranger to hard work. Born to a humble farmer, he grew up in a remote village in Bihar. As a teen, Mishra would spend the day helping out on the family farm. The evening was dedicated to relentless studying. “Our village was in a remote area, we hardly had electricity. I’d study under a lantern. I hated it,” he was quoted as saying to the Humans of Bombay. However, he refused to let such minor setbacks deter him and poured his heart and soul into academics.
However, perseverance didn’t always deliver the desired results. Mishra revealed that although known as a diligent student, he still struggled academically. “The words and numbers looked like gibberish to me. Everyone would say, ‘Isse kuch nahi hoga’ (he can’t be helped),” he said.
But his dogged persistence to improve his academics finally paid off. When he was 14, a teacher noticed Mishra’s issues and helped him out. “It was because of him and my hard work, that I passed 10th,” admitted Mishra.
Mishra revealed that was one of the lowest points of his life. For some time he was tormented by low self-esteem and frequent bouts of depression. But not for long. Refusing to dwell on his past failures, he enrolled in a distance learning course. And he struck gold this time. “I was pleasantly surprised by my report card. For the first time, it seemed that my diligence paid off, ’’ he recalled with a smile.
He got a job during campus placements but ended up with the lowest package of his batch. Disappointed but determined to make the best of his opportunity, he focused on excelling at the workplace. "It felt like a slap on my face; saari mehnat barbaad ho gayi. (All my efforts went to waste ) But, these last 23 years had taught me one thing, ‘If I work hard, I can achieve anything! So, once again, I began working on myself. I even saw YouTube videos to gain more knowledge," he said.
His efforts proved to be fruitful. A year and a half later, he moved on to another job with a massive hike. Over the course of the next six years, he focused on building up an impressive portfolio. Last year he finally got a job offer from Microsoft, with an impressive pay package. “Life got better–I renovated my family home, invested in real estate, and even got 2 of my younger sisters married,” he revealed with a proud smile.
Mishra is on a roll these days. Refusing to rest on his laurels, he is dedicating his time and efforts to several dream projects. “Aage bahut kuch karunga, kyunki woh kehte hai na, koshish karne walo ki haar nahi hoti (I plan to do a lot more with my life because those who try never fail),” he said before signing off.
No matter who we are and what challenges fate throws at us, we shouldn’t let that deter us but treat each failure as a learning curve. When life throws you lemons, invest in making some lemonade!
Mishra is no stranger to hard work. Born to a humble farmer, he grew up in a remote village in Bihar. As a teen, Mishra would spend the day helping out on the family farm. The evening was dedicated to relentless studying. “Our village was in a remote area, we hardly had electricity. I’d study under a lantern. I hated it,” he was quoted as saying to the Humans of Bombay. However, he refused to let such minor setbacks deter him and poured his heart and soul into academics.
However, perseverance didn’t always deliver the desired results. Mishra revealed that although known as a diligent student, he still struggled academically. “The words and numbers looked like gibberish to me. Everyone would say, ‘Isse kuch nahi hoga’ (he can’t be helped),” he said.
But his dogged persistence to improve his academics finally paid off. When he was 14, a teacher noticed Mishra’s issues and helped him out. “It was because of him and my hard work, that I passed 10th,” admitted Mishra.
Although the bustling city of Patna beckoned to him with its endless possibilities, Mishra failed to transition successfully from the idyllic life he had known to the fast-paced hustle culture of the city. The teen who had left his village with stars in his eyes came back demoralised and worse for wear. “In the city, all my dreams came crashing down; city life was difficult. Somehow, I cleared my 12th. After failing my engineering entrance exam, I moved back home & worked in the khet (farm) again,” reminisced the engineer.
Mishra revealed that was one of the lowest points of his life. For some time he was tormented by low self-esteem and frequent bouts of depression. But not for long. Refusing to dwell on his past failures, he enrolled in a distance learning course. And he struck gold this time. “I was pleasantly surprised by my report card. For the first time, it seemed that my diligence paid off, ’’ he recalled with a smile.
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He went on to complete a Master's degree in Computer Applications at NIT Tiruchirappalli, one of the premier institutes in India. However while studying, he again had to grapple with the same challenges of living in a city - foremost among them being his inability to speak fluently in English. Mishra reveals that he used to be a laughing stock for being unable to converse in the Queen's language. He decided to ignore the incessant bullying and focused on self-improvement. “ I read books, watched movies & taught myself English.” He got a job during campus placements but ended up with the lowest package of his batch. Disappointed but determined to make the best of his opportunity, he focused on excelling at the workplace. "It felt like a slap on my face; saari mehnat barbaad ho gayi. (All my efforts went to waste ) But, these last 23 years had taught me one thing, ‘If I work hard, I can achieve anything! So, once again, I began working on myself. I even saw YouTube videos to gain more knowledge," he said.
His efforts proved to be fruitful. A year and a half later, he moved on to another job with a massive hike. Over the course of the next six years, he focused on building up an impressive portfolio. Last year he finally got a job offer from Microsoft, with an impressive pay package. “Life got better–I renovated my family home, invested in real estate, and even got 2 of my younger sisters married,” he revealed with a proud smile.
Mishra is on a roll these days. Refusing to rest on his laurels, he is dedicating his time and efforts to several dream projects. “Aage bahut kuch karunga, kyunki woh kehte hai na, koshish karne walo ki haar nahi hoti (I plan to do a lot more with my life because those who try never fail),” he said before signing off.
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What is the key takeaway from Mishra’s story? Success comes to those who are not afraid to work hard for it. Perseverance never goes to waste. No matter who we are and what challenges fate throws at us, we shouldn’t let that deter us but treat each failure as a learning curve. When life throws you lemons, invest in making some lemonade!
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