Have you ever felt like it was too late to start over or too hard to break into tech—especially in a new country?

In this episode, I sit down with Kavitha Lakshminarasaiah, a Lead Data Engineer, career mentor, and founder of the Lakshya Foundation, who moved from India to the U.S. at 30 to pursue her master’s degree—after a decade-long break from education.

She didn’t just build a successful tech career—she built a community of 90,000+ followers on Instagram where she shares free job search strategies, LinkedIn tips, and real talk on how to land data roles in the U.S.

🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ How Kavitha turned her CPT visa into a full-time job at State Farm

✅ The strategy that helped her reduce her master’s tuition to just $5,000

✅ Why she says GPA isn’t everything—and what you should actually focus on

✅ Her top tips for building an ATS-friendly resume and optimizing LinkedIn

✅ How she’s helping thousands of students and new grads land jobs in tech

Whether you’re an international student, aspiring data engineer, or woman in tech navigating career transitions—this episode will show you what’s possible when you plan strategically, use what you’ve got, and never stop giving back.

🎧 Don’t miss this inspiring and practical conversation—hit play now!

Want more leadership insights?

📥 Download my FREE career guide: ⁠https://limorbergman.com/careersteps/⁠

🧠 Transform your leadership skills with my weekly newsletter: ⁠https://limorbergman.com/newsletter/⁠

🚀 Ready to step into your next leadership role?

Join the waitlist for my Strategic Influence & Executive Presence Accelerator—a 12-week group + 1:1 coaching program designed for mid-to-senior women in tech who are ready to be seen, heard, and promoted like the leaders they already are: ⁠https://limorbergman.com/accelerator/⁠

Let’s stay connected:

🌐 Website: ⁠limorbergman.com/podcast⁠

🔗 LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/limorbergman⁠

📸 Instagram: ⁠@limorbergman⁠

▶️ YouTube: ⁠@LimorBergman⁠

🎧 New episodes drop every Wednesday—subscribe, share, and leave a review if you found this valuable!

About Kavitha:

Kavitha Lakshminarasaiah is a Lead Data Engineer at I-Link Solutions with over 13 years of IT experience and a Master’s degree in Information Systems from Illinois State University.

Her journey in tech is grounded in one powerful belief: knowledge is a gift meant to be shared. After moving to the U.S. to pursue her education, Kavitha launched her Instagram page, @career_with_kavitha, with the mission of helping others break into tech—especially aspiring Data Engineers and Data Scientists.

Through her content, she offers free, actionable resources on job search strategies, LinkedIn bio optimization, and crafting ATS-friendly resumes. Today, her vibrant online community has grown to over 130,000 followers, where she simplifies complex tech concepts and provides career guidance to professionals worldwide.

Kavitha is also the founder of Lakshya Foundation, an NGO in India focused on empowering women and educating children. Her mission is to use knowledge and opportunity as tools to create meaningful change and uplift entire communities—one person at a time.

📸 Instagram: ⁠@career_with_kavitha⁠

🔗 LinkedIn: ⁠Kavitha Lakshminarasaiah⁠