On course of mastering the art of self-discipline

A firm believer of the saying ‘self-discipline is the key ingredient to success’, Nishchay Kelkar is working on his dream goal one day at a time to reach to his destination. “The more disciplined you become, the easier life gets,” said a proud Nishchay. Currently working as a sales manager Bajaj Finserv, Pune, Nishchay at length spoke about his journey so far, his passion and much more. Read on...

He’s a mimicry artist, a singer, a sales manager, a disciplinarian in the making and more importantly, he’s a dreamer. There are many hues to Nishchay’s persona that’s because he never hesitates to try new things in life. It’s one of the reasons that has made him calm and composed. Born in a modest Kelkar family, Nishchay is trying to follow his father’s footstep not career wise but he is hoping to grasp all the virtues that his father believes in and follows. And to some extent, he has managed to enforce those qualities in himself. Talking about the most important virtues that one must possess, he said, “Be it career or life, punctuality and discipline form the foundation of great success. These are the qualities that my parents always taught me. And I make it a point to stick to it.”

Traveller’s life

Nishchay’s father, who works with the All India Radio, moved all around the country owing to the nature of his job. And hence, Nishchay’s got to taste the various aspect of a traveller’s life. Although he hates moving all over the country in the beginning, later he realised that it was one of the best things that had ever happened to him. “As my father kept getting transferred, I got a chance to live in most of the cities of our country. That explicitly helped mee enhance my persona and changed me into a person that I am today,” he said. Talking about the challenges he faced while undergoing these changes, he informed, “At times, the moving around took a toll on me. I hated the fact that I had to say goodbyes to my genuine friends. Getting accustomed to the climate was a challenge as well. But once I got a hang of it, the change started to grow on me and helped me evolve.”

Look how the tables have turned

Growing up, he wouldn’t tag himself as a completely shy kid but he was someone who would at times hold himself back while expressing himself. He must have been in standard eighth when Nishchay’s new found hobby and passion for singing were beginning to aid his growth in several ways. During a school event, a hesitant Nishchay was petrified to take the stage for his singing performance. However, that was the time when he did not give up and stuck to the teachings of his parents. He informed, “My parents taught me to never give up. And when a petrified teen me took the stage, my parents’ teachings hit me and I realised that now is the time to shine instead of running away. This simple step restored my confidence.”

Visualise and learn

During the fag end of his school days, he decoded a theory which helped memorise the subjects pretty good. He terms the theory as visualise and learn. Explaining the concept, he said, “Instead of just mugging up the answers, I wanted to understand the concepts better, which in turn made the learning process easy for me. Visualisation aids in memory. When the theory is accompanied with an image it helps both the encoding and the retrieval processes. It also makes learning multisensory. When the mind’s eye grasps the theory, it makes process of understanding and learning a cake walk. During the early college days, this concept made it easy for me to understand the periodic table. And later while studying BBA, I applied the same theory. Such is the hold of this concept that it makes studying easy-peasy. This concept has made a huge impact on me and I make it a point to follow the same even now.”

Nishchay Kelkar with parents during his convocation

Applying the concept of marketing

After completing his BBA in finance, Nishchay moved to Pune’s well-known college to pursue his PGDM in telecom and marketing. Although the college had a strict schedule, it did not affect Nishchay, considering the fact he always lived a disciplined life. “I knew the importance and perks of leading a disciplined life. And it was great to know that my PG college’s motto was determination, dedication and discipline. The shift from the BBA college to SBS was easy, courtesy of the values that my parents inculcated in me. It made sticking to the strict schedule pretty easy,” he said. Nishchay saw exponential growth in himself during his PG. Not only he was a star performer but he also became the student’s president in his second year.

One of his professors, Rohit Lalwani, played a huge role in shaping his career. He was the one who helped him understand the concepts of marketing. And Nishchay made sure to apply that during this placement. He was pretty sure of the company he wanted to work for which is why he sat for only one company and got through it. “During the GD and PI, I kept my answers open-ended which sparked a sense of curiosity. Further, while answering or putting forth my opinion, I tagged it with a daily life example which portrayed that my concepts of marketing were well-polished,” he said.

So, what exactly got you through Bajaj Finserv, we asked? His face lit up while answering, he responded, “Keeping my answers open-ending during the PI, I informed them that singing and mimicry is my passion which made our conversation pretty interesting. When they asked me to show my skills, I performed a small skit which I had written during my graduation days. The skit about the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and I explained it by using the voices of the actors like Saif Ali Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Sunny Doel. It made a great impression on them and I guess this is one of the reasons why they chose me.” Nishchay is working as a sales manager with Bajaj Finserv, Pune branch, and he handles the business loan department.

It must have been just a few months since Nishchay entered the corporate world but he is settling in really well in the industry. On that note, he passes on a few tips to his juniors for the campus placement.

Be authentic: It takes courage to be yourself and its perks are immense. During the PIs and GDs be fearless, transparent and show them who you really are instead of just showing off !

Present Professor! Be it school or college, make sure to attend each and every lecture. Pay attention to what your professor says. Being consistent will take you a long way.

Keep your answers open-ending: To have a meaningful conversation during your GD and PI, keep your answers open-ending. It increases the invigilator’s curiosity.

Discipline: The only thing that will stand between your goals and accomplishing it, is discipline. Without self-discipline success is impossible.

Never give up: There might be times when if after you work hard you might not crack the interview. But at times like these, never give up. Be strong and continue working hard. Understand your mistakes and don’t repeat. One day you’ll get what you always wanted.