Tell us about yourself, your background, and what you are doing currently.

My name is Vishaak Shekhar. I'm currently based in Bangalore.

I have done my Cambridge A and A’s levels focusing on media studies. I have done a B.Sc in visual media for my UG.

I am now working as a marketing associate at inai.io.

I did my internship at a company called Maker's Asylum.

The company does things from teaching kids about electronics to taking up projects on a big scale from UNICEF and UNESCO.

What motivated you to get into the domain you're currently in?

During my 11th and 12th, my media studies teacher was a big influence on what I wanted to do. His name is Arun Krishnamoorthy. He owns an NGO called EFI (Environmental foundation of India). I was very impressed with what he was doing so decided to follow a similar path to him.

What went into landing your first opportunity - Was it challenging?

The way I landed my internship was through a referral from a friend. 

I got on a few calls with them and they gave me the assignment to shoot an ad for a coffee powder brand as a test. I also had to show my Proof of Work which gave me a headstart over other candidates.

What role does Proof of Work play in your career? How have you used it so far?

Getting my first internship, I had to show Proof of Work because when it comes to design you need to show what you have done.

What was the role of Proof of Work in your freelancing career?

It benefited me greatly as they saw my profile and liked my design style so it gave me a boost over other candidates.

What are the biggest challenges you've faced and obstacles you've overcome? If you had to start over, what would you do differently?

The biggest challenge I have faced when it came to my career, was unsupportive co-workers in my first company.

It was a situation I feel could have been better if there was less interaction between us when we were out of work and we didn't familiarise ourselves with each other.

How was your experience using Fueler?

So far I have used Fueler only to upload some Proof of Work, and it was a pretty smooth experience. I also had help from Riten from Fueler who made it an even easier process.

What do you love the most about Fueler?

The thing I love most about Fueler is the fact that there isn't a limit to what kind of file you can upload. From a simple image to a tweet there are a lot of options.

What’s your advice to opportunity seekers who are just starting?

The best way to start is to practice what you want to work on a lot before you join the role as

1. It gives you a little leverage into discussions about your salary and bonuses as you have experience in that field which others might not 
2. You will not struggle in your job. In this world of ours, right now people would not blink twice to fire someone. So to make sure that doesn't happen, you need to familiarise yourself. 

Would you like to share any of your favourite quotes?

When it comes to favourite quotes I have a lot, but I shall narrow it down a bit to ones I prefer over others.

“If someone is nasty to you, first try love. If that does not work, compassion. If that does not work, distance.” - Sadhguru

I like this quote because it tells us how to handle people who we don't get along with. I have had a few of those over the years.

“This the part where I find a new part of me to explore” - Drake

This quote, to me, talks about discovering something about yourself no matter how experienced you are/get.

Special thanks to Rajita for covering this success story.

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