Turning odds into opportunities
When life throws adversities at her, she welcomes them with open arms and then overcomes them with the brightest smile on her face. Currently working with John Crane Sealing Systems India Pvt. Ltd. as a Fluid Control Engineer, this Satara girl has come a long way. In a tête-à-tête with Corporate Citizen, Komal Bhujbal openly spoke about her aspirations, journey and much more. Read on!
“Whatever I am today is courtesy of LPF. They helped raise through nothing when all I had was just my dreams. Be it turning around my fate or being corporateready, the supporters there helped in everything”
Rukhna nahi hai (Don’t give up)’. These words keep ringing in her head each time she feels like giving up in life. “I had to face several obstacles before I reached where I am today. I am not complaining or whining about the problems. All I want to say is, if your goal is set in your mind, nothing, I swear nothing will stop you from achieving your dreams,” she smiled. Her positivity is contagious. And the reason, we asked. “I get it from my parents,” said the proud daughter.
Born and raised in Diskal, Satara, some 130-km from Pune, Komal Bhujbal’s dreams were never restricted to her small village. “My town has given me everything that I can ever ask for. But I always wanted to touch the sky. Which is why we shifted to Pune,” she said.
Money is secondary
When you want something bad enough, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it. “A person’s goal should be to achieve success. Once that is decided, even if you are out of resources, your positivity and determination will help you gather all the reinforcements you need,” she explained.
Born in a humble family, Komal’s father worked twice as hard to make the ends meet. Working as a peon at the Military Engineer Services, her father was well aware of Komal’s aspirations. He was sure that his daughter would make him proud one day. And when Komal passed her 10th with flying marks, her father’s happiness knew no bounds.
But then when you are minding your own business, people around you will always judge you and give you free advises. “Society will always try to bog you down,” said a worried Komal. “As a girl hailing from a traditional village, people around us always provoked my father to get us married as soon as possible. But my parents constantly supported our dreams and refused to get us married at a young age. He saw a spark in me and my sister. And I am glad that my father took this brave decision,” she said.
Although Komal’s father did not have all the money in the world, but he was determined enough to move heaven to earth to educate his daughters.
Komal with her familyEducation is a must
“If it wasn’t for education, I’d have been married with children by now,” said the 24-year-old, emphasising on the importance of education. Gathering all the knowledge and getting the right education regardless of her background has broadened Komal’s horizons. It has turned her into a confident and charming young lady. “Not that I don’t want to get married but everything has its time. Right now, my focus is to build my career and support my parents,” she explained.
The new her
Owing to her financial status, Komal took an educational loan to support her dreams. Not just that, her friends were quite helping too as they knew Komal possessed all the qualities to make it big. But it was the Lila Poonawala Foundation (LPF) that rose to the occasion to support Komal. The foundation supported her financially for her education and moreover helped Komal transform into a better version of herself. “Whatever I am today is courtesy of LPF. They helped raise through nothing when all I had was just my dreams. Be it turning around my fate or being corporate ready, the supporters there helped in everything,” she said.
Every day, I would solve the aptitude papers for almost three hours or so. Although I was good at Math, I did not wanted to leave a single stone unturned when it came to giving my best
Komal during her Europeescapade
Placement first
When she received the much-needed funds to aid her education, Komal took it to her heart to turn odds into opportunities. She studied day in and out to get good grades and mostly to get placed in a good company. Talking about her preparations for placements, she said, “Every day, without fail, I would solve the aptitude papers for almost three hours or so. Although I was good at Math, I did not wanted to leave a single stone unturned when it came to giving my best.” Further adding, “Confidence is the key when it comes to PIs and GDs. I worked quite hard in that area. Once I was sure I was ready to face anyone, GD and PI were a cakewalk.”
Things turned in her favour when she got placed with RPK India Pvt Ltd, Shirwal, as Design Engineer. Every day she had to travel a total of 150-km for work. “When your work is worship, the distance to your office will never matter,” she smiled. Currently, she’s working with John Crane Sealing Systems India Pvt Ltd as a Fluid Control Engineer. She looks after designing, developing, managing and maintaining equipment which is used to monitor and control API Sealant systems. “When things turned around it was hard to believe that I had worked so hard for it. Right now, it feels amazing to work in the field I love. And supporting my parents is something that I had always envisioned,” she said.
From Satara to Europe
A girl who once thought would never leave her town has recently visited Italy, Switzerland and France for work. The business trip to Europe landed out of nowhere. “Be it the feeling of the money crunch or fighting against the society or even not having my passport till the last moment, I have turned odds in opportunities. And visiting Europe for work was the icing on the cake. As I was promoted from a domestic project to a global team, I went to Europe for training. With that, I got a to chance travel by flight for the first time. It was the proudest moment for me and my family. And to see that pride in my parents’ face makes my life worth-while,” she smiled.
Now that Komal is settling in well in the corporate world, she passes on some tips for freshers:
- Keep your spark alive: Remember that first impression is always the last impression. So, during GDs and PIs, give your best. Don’t forget to put your best foot forward.
- Technical comes later: As per my experience, the company always focuses on the student’s attitude and how would they perform in a pressure like situation. Technical knowledge is important but what takes the driver’s seat is your persona.
- Develop yourself: Knowing others is intelligence but knowing yourself is true wisdom. You are mature enough to understand your dreams and goals, once that is sorted inculcate the essential virtues which will lead you to the path of success.
- Be brave: A famous person once said fall seven times, stand up the eight. And trust me it works. Be brave, be strong, be fearless.
- Never give up on your hobbies: No matter how tight your schedule is, don’t give up on your hobbies because they also develop and build personality. And more importantly, they give a purpose and meaning to your life.