Problems are not reasons to give up or excuses to run away, but opportunities to improve ourselves, and inspirations to move ahead, says Pallavi Dafre
From a small town (Bhilai in Chhattisgarh) girl to a probationary officer with a multinational bank, the Federal Bank Ltd in Mumbai, the journey for Pallavi Dafre has been challenging. Accepting these hurdles as milestones has been the secret of Pallavi’s success. As she says, “Problems are not reasons to give up, but challenges to improve ourselves; not excuses to back out, but an inspiration to move ahead.”
Passing out from a well-known college with a Masters under her belt, Pallavi is like any other budding youngster who wants to make a name for herself and her family. The eldest child, Pallavi comes from a middle class family from Chhattisgarh, and it was her determination that helped her make a mark in the society. “One has to learn from one’s mistakes; one does not sit back to ponder about them and that has been one of the main reason for me to be where I am today,” she says. An outstanding student in school, Pallavi always wanted to become a teacher, but her sights changed when she graduated in electronics from her home town and set off on her own for her Masters, which set the ball rolling in her court. Campus placement was a much-sought-out goal for her, as is, for many youngsters, and but she made the cut with a positive frame of mind.
During her schooldays, Pallavi was a jack of all trades and master of none, but as she entered graduation, she realised that to scale new heights, one has to focus on one goal, and her life took a U-turn. Since then, there has been no turning back, as she overcame many hurdles. There were times when she found it difficult to even buy books, but with her family support and especially her younger brother who sacrificed his toys for her books, Pallavi made it, and is sure that she would pay everything back. “I had always been an average student, but for my parents, I was actually the best kid in the world. My parents always supported me in whatever I did. In short, my goals were my parents’ goals,” recalls Pallavi. She did her schooling and BE (Electronics and Instrumentation) from her home town. Mathematics was her favourite subject, and so she was liked by the maths teacher. “I loved numbers and problem solving, under teacher Murtaza who taught us this subject. I never missed maths class, come what may. I attended the class despite injury to my right arm. This was during the preparation for my XII CBSE board exams,” said Pallavi about her first love.
During her schooldays, Pallavi was a jack of all trades and master of none, but as she entered graduation, she realised that to scale new heights one has to focus on one goal, and her life took a U-turn
Pallavi with friendsAccording to her, the time she did her Masters was the best part of her academic life. During these two years she did all that she wanted to— dancing, singing, modelling, public speaking, team plays, and most importantly, sports. This enabled her to enhance her confidence. And things became rosier when she joined the Corporate Relations Team (CRT, the placement committee). “It boosted my confidence and faith that I could do whatever I wished to do. This belief got even more enhanced when I joined CRT. Joining CRT has been one of the best decisions of my life. I got to learn so many things there.”
Being a part of CRT helped Pallavi on many counts. Though she was selected as a relationship manager with the HDFC Bank, being selected as a probationary officer at Federal Bank set heron the track into the corporate world. “I joined the Federal Bank Ltd in Mumbai. As a fresher, I was initially nervous when I started my journey in the corporate world, that too in the Banking, Financial Service and Insurance (BFSI) sector, as I came from a non-finance background. But trust me, being a fresher makes you more adaptable and open to the adversities in this dynamic industry of BFSI.”
Rewinding on her selection process, Pallavi states, “My selection process at Federal Bank was really a memorable one. The first round was the aptitude test which was my favourite. Only 22 students could clear it out of over 100 students. Then came the discussion round. We were given a situation and were asked to discuss the possible solutions to it. That was again a fun round.” The personal interview (PI) made her nervous. But her positive approach made things easy for her.
“I was very nervous; in fact, scared. However, Ialways knew that I could do it, and I did it.” Now it is time for Pallavi to go ahead with her journey. “My journey has already started. There are a lot of things to learn, a lot of experiences to be gained, a lot of good moments and happiness are waiting for me.”
Pallavi is of the opinion that one can develop skills by training, but it is developing from within that makes a person. “We can easily brag about our strengths and weaknesses in the interview, but when it comes to honestly facing them, it’s really very difficult.” Going from the classroom to the office is where when one gets to know what life is all about. “The most important thing is to understand our own personality. We need to accept what we are. Improving ourselves doesn’t mean that we are bad now; it means we have to keep growing.”
“The most important thing is to understand our own personality. We need to accept what we are. Improving ourselves doesn’t mean that we are bad now; it means we have to keep growing”
Pallavi with familyHer parents and family members gave her the boost and her teachers taught her the values of life. “My mom never slept when I was studying throughout the night,” recalls Pallavi.
Life is all about how you perceive it. If you feel it’s being harsh on you, it’ll follow and seem harsh, says Pallavi. But if you feel that it is in your control, then it’ll definitely be so. At the same time one has to work hard to gain control over life.
By Joe Williams
