Make problems your opportunities

Consistency, forbearance and self-confidence are three key traits that can lead one on the trail of success in the corporate world. And Ankita Kaur swears by those virtues. Currently placed with the Pioneer Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers Pvt. Ltd., Ankita opens up to Corporate Citizen with a few of the tips and tricks to survive the competition, overcome hurdles and much more

Ankita with her friends

Born and raised in Jamshedpur, Ankita always had big dreams. A great career, a lavish home and a well-settled life. Her vision was set and she is doing everything to achieve it. Ankita finished her basic education from her hometown and then moved to Pune to study marketing.

Studying in an international school, Ankita was exposed to various facets of life at an early age. Her school was quite particular, rather strict and Ankita credits her teachers for inculcating the values to survive in this world. “Our school had quite stringent rules. Exams every Monday, no taking holidays and punctuality was their motto. It might sound harsh, but I guess this is what I needed to get ahead in life. Earlier it was difficult for me to sustain it but as time passes and once you realize its value everything becomes easy. Rather, all this has always benefited me – in colleges and now in the corporate world,” she explained.

Mantras for success

• Overcome fear Break out of your comfort zone. Stagnation means you are going backwards in life.
• Go with the flow You cannot win every day. Just take one day at a time.
• Education matters Never take your college or school for granted. Attend all the lectures. They will surely help you in the future.
• Have faith Believe in yourself as you are braver than what you think are.

There’s always a solution

Her shift to the government college for her higher education wasn’t that smooth. But Ankita kept an open mind and took the transition one day at a time. “Apart from getting the education, what I learnt from my peers was, take life seriously and value your money. A few of my friends were juggling between studies and working part-time at such a young age. It got me thinking, if they are taking life so seriously, I should make waves too. So then I made up my mind to work hard, score good grades and work in a great company,” said Ankita.

While completing her B.Com Honours, Ankita started preparing for the Common Admission Test (CAT). She had a firm grip on English and Logical Reasoning (LR) while she lacked in Data Interpretation (DI) and Aptitude. “During my graduation, I joined another coaching class to strengthen my grasp on Aptitude and DI. I focused equally on all the subjects by studying a minimum of four hours a day. I would spend hours after the classes with my professors and solve the DI papers,” explained Ankita. Further adding, “I would detest studying for DI. It was a literal nightmare. But my professors supported me a lot. They would explain to me the concepts until I understood them.”

However, Ankita failed to clear the CAT in the first attempt. As every problem has a solution, this time she approached the exam in a different way. “Rather than spending equal time on all the subjects, I focused more on DI and Aptitude. Those were the areas where I lacked. Once I got over the fear of DI, I began to understand the concepts easily. I started solving more and more papers to comprehend the pattern. In fact, I was always busy studying and understating the concepts. A lot of my impressions were cleared by studying the subjects online as well. Once I changed the approach, things worked my way and I passed the entrance exam with 71 per cent,” said a happy Ankita.

Now that she is well versed with the pattern of the exam, she advises students, “Good study material for the exams will take you a long way. Study every day and focus more on the subjects which aren’t your forte. Internet is a huge realm and it has answers and solution to all your questions, learn and revise the concepts by understanding them online. Take several mock tests. And most of all, have faith in yourself. You can do it!”

‘Talk less, and keep your eyes and ears open was what I learnt from my manager. In this field, there is no replacement for hard work, consistency and patience. We need to understand the client’s requirement and then work on it which requires tremendous endurance’

Ankita with her family

Never give up

What streamlined her knowledge is that she learnt so far was the way the professors at a renowned management college she studied in, helped her inculcate the information. No doubt the college had strict rules, but Ankita was up for the game. “Punctuality and consistency were never an issue, as my school had made sure that I excelled in them. Sure, the college was quite strict but I knew I was going to benefit by it,” she said.

Ankita scored 72 per cent in her first year. Being a daddy’s princess, it was obvious for her to join him in his logistics business. However, she had other plans. “There is nothing better than following your father’s footsteps. However, while I was pursuing my education, I realized there were many hues to this world. I wanted to learn about various other industries and the way they functioned. Which is why I chose marketing. After gathering enough know-how about the corporate world, I will surely love to start my own venture in the near future,” said Ankita.

Then came placement. More than anything, Ankita was looking for a desk job. Companies after companies came, and she still did not get a satisfactory job. Sometimes she couldn’t clear the personal interview round and other times the job profile did not suit her. “I might have given around ten interviews before bagging a suitable job. The key here is to understand your shortcomings, work on them, and never give up. After every interview, I would ask HR as to what went wrong. That’s where I understood that I lacked in confidence as I never made any eye contact,” she informed, while further adding, “After doing some research online on how to crack the interview, I had made a list of things I had to work on. I prepared a small script about myself. And every day without fail I would rehearse it in front of the mirror. It sort of becomes a mock interview. That’s how I worked on my eye contact. And for the other things, my college had already prepared me for them.”

Dream job

Finally came the day when Ankita got the job profile she was looking for. Working with this leading company as Business Development Manager at their Mumbai branch has simply broadened her horizons. So what worked in your favors this time, we asked. Pat came the reply, “It was a match made in heaven. My profile suited them and vice versa. All the hard work I put bore sweet fruit. I aced the interviews as I had been preparing for them. And that’s how I landed my dream job.”

Her work involves data mining, acquiring new accounts, understanding the client’s requirement and preparing a custom-made policy. The staff, peers and her seniors are quite understanding and supportive. “Talk less, and keep your eyes and ears open was what I learnt from my manager. In this field, there is no replacement for hard work, consistency and patience. We need to understand the client’s requirement and then work on it which requires tremendous endurance,” she said.

A few months old in the company and Ankita is already settling in well. She is always on her toes to learn new mantras or traits that will lead her to success.