Episode 2
How To Become a Tech Program Manager - w/ Pragya
One of the twenty most-watched Ready Set Do episodes on YouTube right now.
Getting hired at Amazon is one thing. Getting hired into a role that actually fits you is the harder part.
Who this is for
- You are breaking into a new lane and need proof before the story looks obvious.
- You would rather hear Pragya's version while the mess is still fresh than get another polished hindsight sermon.
Key takeaways
- Become a Tech Program Manager - w/ Pragya
- Useful if you are tired of advice from people who never had to survive the loop.
- After choosing MIS, Pragya researched programs in a spreadsheet. She compared rankings, required courses, electives,...
- Moving to the United States changed more than her academics. She had to learn a new educational system while handling...
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Episode 2 follows Pragya Sinha's route from a technology associate role at PwC India to a Management Information Systems master's at Texas A&M and a technical program-management role at Amazon. The conversation covers degree selection, internship timing, backup employment, career positioning, referrals, Amazon's interview loop, and resume evidence.
Pragya wanted graduate study that combined business and technology. She had an electrical and electronics engineering degree from VIT and consulting experience at PwC, but did not want a purely technical program. Conversations with people pursuing Engineering Management and MIS helped her decide that Management Information Systems fit her background and interests.
She advises students to distinguish genuine interest from following a popular path. Someone who enjoys coding and has the foundation to continue may prefer a deeply technical degree. Someone drawn to coordination, business decisions, and the wider system may choose a management-technology program. The credential will influence years of work, so introspection matters.
After choosing MIS, Pragya researched programs in a spreadsheet. She compared rankings, required courses, electives, faculty, partnerships with employers such as Deloitte and PwC, alumni outcomes, and likely return on investment. The point was not to find one universally best school, but to identify programs whose curriculum and career results matched her plan.
Moving to the United States changed more than her academics. She had to learn a new educational system while handling groceries, cooking, bills, social life, and cultural adjustment without the support available at home. The first semester felt especially intense because US courses relied more heavily on assignments, cases, and continuous work than the exam-centered system she knew.
Show notes
Getting hired at Amazon is one thing. Getting hired into a role that actually fits you is the harder part. Pragya talks through the master’s decision, the interview prep, and the practical nonsense that sits between you and a TPM offer. Useful if you are tired of advice from people who never had to survive the loop.
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