“The power of a good memory is priceless”

Blessed with a power of good memory, Soumik Das has surely made the most of it. His never give up attitude has also helped him conquer several hurdles in life. He was the ex-president of his post-graduation college and an active member of the campus placement team, it gave him the upper hand in understanding several processes. Currently, working with the More Retail Limited as Assistant Operations Manager, Soumik throws light on various topics that have helped him during his campus placement

Soumik Das while compering an event during his
post-graduation days

Having a good memory is one of the most important requirements to become successful in life. Be it work, education or personal life, memorising crucial elements will certainly up your game. And this Jharkhandlad Soumik is making the most of this power. “I was born with this power,” he smiled, “Having a good memory power has always worked in my favour. However, just having that power is not enough. You need to understand the concept efficiently and then connect the dots. Once this process is clear, things I have learnt so far have always stayed fresh in my mind.”

As one needs to make hay while the sun shines, growing up, Soumik utterly capitalised on his power of good memory to get good grades. “I did not spend much time studying because if I read anything once it would stick with me forever. I studied for a few hours during my exams. And it was one of the reasons why I always scored good grades,” he explained. This power has surely gotten him far in his life and by making use of it he has climbed milestones.

Making the most it

Owing to his power of memorising things easily, growing up, Soumik was left with ample of time in his hands. And he utilised it in learning something new. “After school, I spent most of my time in acquiring knowledge about the things that I was keen on. I feel indulging in extra circular activities strengths one’s personality, which further helps them in the work in personal life,” he said. With extra time in his kitty, Soumik completed his Diploma in Arts and Crafts.

He also went ahead to study and understand the art of classical singing, and with that he even learnt to play the instruments like the tabla, synthesizer and harmonium. “Academics is just one part of your life. A holistic approach towards your education will help you in many ways. Which is why I spent most of my time in learning something new. Overall development includes one’s intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, creative, and spiritual potentials,” explained Soumik. After completing his graduation in Bachelor of Commerce with a Major in Marketing from the University of Calcutta, he moved to Pune where he pursued his Post Graduate Diploma in Management and Marketing.

"I always loved to anchor events in my college days. It gave me a sense of satisfaction and it surely boosted my confidence"

Soumik Das showcasing his love for theatre

Loving the spotlight

Very late in educational journey, Soumik realised his love for taking the centre stage. Be it any college function or event, once the spotlight hit him on the stage, there was no stopping him. And now when he has spent a few months in the corporate world, he realises the importance of taking part in such events. “I always loved to anchor events in my college days. It gave me a sense of satisfaction and it surely boosted my confidence. And the most important thing is, it made a people’s person,” quipped Soumik.

One of the events that he anchored, garnered a lot of appreciation for him, so much so that the college’s founder gave him a pat on his back. “As a child, I had this naïve dream of hosting an Oscar. I knew it was a far-fetched dream, but there’s no harm in dreaming big. But when I had a chance of organising a farewell for my seniors, I thought of hosting it with an Oscar theme. The event was a huge hit,” he added, “It was events like these that prepared me to face campus placement. More so, it also gave me the courage that things will be fine when I enter the corporate world. And I can’t stress enough that how taking part in co-curricular activities is crucial.”

This is it!

Before getting through More Retail Limited, Soumik had appeared for about four companies. He understands that failure is part of life, so he learnt from them to become stronger. “I was handling a lot of things as I was the president of the college and an active member of the campus placement team. Not getting through four companies made me realise that I was biting off more than I can chew on. And I hit the bottom when I did not get through one of the big companies that I was aiming for,” remised Soumik. He had appeared for a company, just a week before getting through More Retail Limited. In the final round, things did not work in his favour, and he could not handle the dejection of not through. “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. When I hit the bottom, it was my friends and professors who helped me get through it. Within no time, I prepared myself for the next interview and it worked in my favour,” he smiled.

Talking about his experience of the personal interview round with More Retail Limited, he said, “Although the interview went on for long, it was pretty relaxed. I spoke more about my personal experience of handling the role of the college’s president. And being an operations company, I guess my real-life experience of managing situations is what impressed them.”

Over the period of 18-months, Soumik had the opportunity to handle several roles in the origination. He hopes to take each day at a time and keep on learning. With that, he dreams big and hopes to convert them into reality.

As Soumik Das settles in well in the corporate world, he passes on a few tips for his juniors on how to prepare for campus placement and much more

"After school, I spent most of my time in acquiring knowledge about the things that I was keen on. I feel indulging in extracircular activities strengths one’s personality"

Overall development: Academics is just one part of your life. While you prepare of your campus placement season, begin by working on yourself. When you begin your journey with a holistic approach, you will go a long way. Overall development includes one’s intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, creative, and spiritual potentials.

Communication skills: There is no point in being shy when it comes to networking or garnering knowledge. It is perhaps the most effective skill that will help you pass information and understand other’s perspective. Clear communication avoids misunderstanding, helps one in networking, establish healthy business relationships and much more.

Be disciplined: Corporate world is extremely exciting, but it requires persistence to survive here. If you have been leading a disciplined life since the beginning, overcoming the campus placement battle will be fairly easy. And that, in turn, will help you when you enter the corporate world.

Body language: Your body language during the personal interview can simply make or break your career. Dress aptly, keep a simple hairstyle, sit straight, have normal eye contact, be confident but not obnoxious, listen to the interviewer and communicate effectively. Stick by these rules even when you enter the corporate world.

Indulge in a hobby: The small things that you pursue from the beginning will lay a good path for your campus placement. One of them is, picking up a hobby. It has several pros, which will not help with your campus placement but it also gives you a sense of satisfaction and purpose to your life.