The more you can open yourself to criticism, the more you can use it to enhance your performance in areas that you need improvement, says Neha Upadhyay
Coming from a small town, Dalli-Rajhara, in Chhattisgarh, life was always about thinking small and being happy with whatever was available there. For Neha Upadhyay, moving out of the place made her the first girl from there to venture into the corporate world. And it has taken courage and commitment, especially for a girl from a region where parents are happy if the girl completes her XII and will not allow her to go ahead for further studies. But with Neha, her parents were very supportive and let her go ahead. After her XII, Neha forged ahead, coming out of St Thomas College, Bhilai, as a Commerce graduate. Things changed, and now after her MBA from one of the prominent colleges in the city, she made it to Aptech Ltd as an executive. Neha speaks to Corporate Citizen about her journey from her childhood and school days to make the cut at Aptech where she starts her life in the world of corporate:
Good schooling or a good foundation made a big difference for Neha. It was at the NEMS Convent School where she began her schooling and completed her XII standard. “Studying in one institution till XII standard helped me a lot,” says Neha, who was encouraged by her parents to pursue her college at the St Thomas College, one of the prominent colleges in Bhilai thereafter. And it was here she had to move out of her home. “That was the first time I set off alone from my house. It was a great experience. It was tough in the beginning, but I gathered courage and went ahead,” recalls Neha. This gave a new twist to her life style as she had to do everything by herself. And it was then she understood how tough it was to stay away from home. She passed out in flying colours, and with her parents support she made it to Pune to do her Masters in Business Management, in Telecom and Management at the one of the well-known college in the city.
‘Life is all about dreaming and achieving, this is what makes life interesting. The bigger the dream, the more interesting it becomes’
This is one aspect every student after their professional course look forward for, and Neha was no different. It was a good beginning as she made the cut in the second round in her very first attempt. Pre-campus placement was the talk at the campus, irrespective of whether they were fresher or appearing for the interview. “Everyone was talking about campus placement, no matter if they were candidates or freshers,” said Neha who was among the first 30 candidates to be shortlisted from over 100. Getting past the first hurdle boosted her morale and there was no turning back from then onwards. “There was much more to come, but making the cut into the second round made the difference,” she said. The effects of demonetisation was on the top of the list of the four-member panel who were to grill the candidates. Being confident was the key factor for Neha as she did her homework well on the subject. She answered all the questions and the panel gave her the nod amidst celebration outside the interview room.
Although, her parents wanted her to go ahead with her academics, there were other outside elements, father’s friends and some relatives who were against Neha’s education. “I did face opposition from outside my house as some of the conserved families, especially my father’s friends were not very happy about my Pune’s venture”. But, her parents stood their ground which helped and Neha to fulfill her dream. Thinking positive and being confident of her self made a big difference for Neha. Initially the fear factor did hamper her. “I always feared what will happen if they do not shortlist me?”, but she over that with her friends support. And being patience played a very important role in a placement season. “And patience is my strength too, so I always used to tell myself, “Calm down, it was just not your day”
This is just a beginning of a new innings for Neha as she steps into the corporate world. This is just the beginning, I have a long way to go,” said Neha and went on to add, “In fact I strongly believe that the journey has just begun. There is still a lot to learn, to achieve and to succeed”. For Neha, failure gives her an option to find reasons behind the set back. “Whenever I fail, I try to figure out what went wrong and what could be my area of improvement,” said Neha, who has her parents and friends to motivate her. “My family has always believed in me, my friends who motivated me and undoubtedly the professors who not only taught us theory but also taught us how different industries out there really worked. My career would go a very long way in my life because it is this that will define me, and add value to my existence”.
Father, a businessman, my mother, a housewife and her elder sister is married and is a professor.
It has been a tough journey not just for Neha but also for her parents. “Unquestionably, the day I finally got the job my parents got the relief for all the pain that they went through, all the sacrifices they made and all the decisions they took for us was fruitful. What else can it be? It was bliss” says Neha.
Dreaming and fulfilling them is what makes life interesting for Neha. “Life is all about dreaming and achieving, this is what makes life interesting. The bigger the dream, the more interesting it becomes.
by Joe Williams
