Closer to Career Dreams: Enrolling in PGPM-HR

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Getting Closer to my Dreams

2 Jun 2021
- admin
Five years ago, when I realised that my inherent skills lay in management, I promised myself that I’d dedicate at least a year to enrich my learning. But I made sure to fulfil it only if I identified my niche and strengths. It was in the sophomore year of my engineering; I found my true passion for management. Though I got enough chances to lead and work in teams, my professional journey began only after graduation.

I was pretty firm in my decision to work for a startup. I wanted to observe every business domain keenly and eventually discover my strengths to invest in my education that I had planned a few years ago. Indeed, my parents were against my choice, as they wished for a healthy work-life balance for their pampered child. Still, I sat for my interview, cracked it, and grabbed a Sales Consultant job at Pickyourtrail, a travel tech startup based in Chennai. I still rejoice to have received my first offer letter on my mom’s birthday. It was undoubtedly happy news to be celebrated. But my father was tremendously upset with me for not joining a “9 to 5 work’ at a well-established firm.

As always, I was steadfast in my decision and embarked on my career journey with immense excitement and enthusiasm. I felt like a happy five-year-old kid who witnessed a train or a kite for the first time. But the journey wasn’t an easy one; it was indeed a roller-coaster ride, both professionally and personally. From being labelled as a ‘slow learner’ by my manager in the first month to emerging as one of the top sales consultants, it was the most significant phase of my life. This phase is sure to have cultivated ownership, perseverance and time management intensely in me.

I truly believe that starting a career in sales was a great decision as the skills I acquired were highly transferable. On top of that, the experience and learning I gained enabled me to understand what my niche was to be – Human Resource Management. It was indeed an ‘aha’ moment for me. Without any delay, I charted out a plan to get closer to my dreams. I enrolled in management entrance classes, wrote several competitive exams, quit my job to streamline my energy and began loving coffee the most.

While exhilarating, it was tiring and frustrating as I facilitated the entire process using only my savings. Being financially independent instils tremendous confidence without any doubts. But quitting my job was probably not a good idea for me. Yes, I am reiterating it. I urge every person reading the article now to not quit their jobs as they prepare for competitive exams. I made that mistake, and it put me in a dark mood as I felt I didn’t have an identity for myself. Amid the pandemic, the situation was even harder to tackle.

Despite all that, I was able to succeed, I cracked the admissions process of a few good MBA institutes. Today, as I write this, it’s been two weeks since I have begun my PGPM-HR journey at SOIL Institute of Management, Gurgaon. It feels fascinating to be a part of students from almost all states, with diverse backgrounds, industries and cultures. Besides, it’s a proud feeling to have such a balanced mix of men and women in our class. There are two crucial attributes the past two weeks have nurtured in me – Curiosity and Self-Leadership. I have become increasingly curious and consciously mindful. I have started to enjoy taking these huge moments of pause after class to introspect the 5W-1H theory in everything.

Furthermore, here’s the summary of what I have learnt in just 2 weeks of Orientation classes at SOIL:
- A business should serve its purpose to society
- (CEO)2 > CEO
- Kind leaders became more successful during the pandemic. E.g., Ratan Tata
- It is easy to practice diversity but challenging to practice inclusion.
- Networking is the most important aspect for an MBA.
- Learning agility combines self-awareness, mental & people agility, adaptation to new circumstances, resilience to bounce back and a child-like curiosity.
- Seeking help isn’t a mistake.
- Taking the time to practice yoga daily will give me excellent leadership skills.
- Unlearning is as important as learning.
- Treat a PowerPoint presentation like a performance.
- Source credibility is vital to be a leader.
- Read a case study at least three times to grasp its essence.
- Saturdays and Sundays are weekdays.
- Group projects can be both worthwhile and frustrating, yet the most excellent source of learning.
- Finally, the learning from 85 students all over India and supremely expert faculties are worth the money.
Overall, the two weeks that have gone by, as we start our PGPM journey, have been very thought-provoking as they kindled in me a need to become a more inclusive and emerge as an inspired leader. I am excitedly looking forward to the personal transformations and professional developments this intense year has in store for me. I am confident that next year will get me closer to my dreams. Leading the HR team as a CHRO to develop impactful leaders in an organisation one day is my aspiration. People call it a far-fetched vision, but for me, life is all about accomplishing even the tiniest of wishes with much optimism and hard work.

By Prianka M
PGPM – Human Resources
Class of 2022

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