Bengaluru: For Mohita Gupta, a Bengaluru-based Google employee, a personal experience with online fraud eventually became an important reason behind her decision to join the technology giant.
Gupta, 35, moved to Google from Accenture this year after nearly seven years with the company. Her career transition began during maternity leave, when she spotted a Google job opening while awake at 4 am with her three-month-old daughter.
A 4 am job search changed everything
Gupta said she initially questioned whether she should apply while caring for a newborn. Concerns about balancing motherhood with a new job and leaving a company where she had spent nearly seven years made the decision difficult.
She eventually applied and began preparing for interviews while managing life with her baby. She revised Python, SQL, analytics and interview material during her daughter’s naps and while pumping.
She credited her family, particularly her mother and husband, for taking over childcare responsibilities during interview days.
A scam experience made the role personal
Gupta said the Google role appealed to her because it involved keeping Google Maps safe from scams, fraud and misleading information.
The work resonated strongly because she had herself fallen victim to an online scam in 2021. After searching online for a grocery store offering home delivery, she contacted a number listed online and was persuaded to transfer around Rs 2,500.
She subsequently visited a cybercrime office to report the incident. There, she met an elderly man who she said had lost around Rs 30–40 lakh to fraud.
The experience stayed with her and years later made the Google opportunity feel deeply personal.
From career doubts to a new beginning
Gupta said Google’s hiring process focused on her skills and experience rather than her being a new mother.
Today, she works from Google’s Bengaluru office, with her daughter attending a childcare facility nearby.
Reflecting on the career change, Gupta said the experience taught her that waiting for the perfect moment can prevent people from taking opportunities.