Give your best in every situation
A fitness enthusiast, Ujjawal Saalwar feels leading a healthy life can aid in a person’s personal and professional growth. There is no substitute for hard work and Ujjawal gives his best in every situation. He considers his strength in being a gregarious person and this attitude has taken him far in life. Currently, working with DHL Blue Dart, as their Assistant Manager (Business Development), Ujjawal talks about his educational journey and shares a few tips on how to prepare for the campus placement rounds and more!
“Sell me this pen,” asked one of the interviewers. This sure is one of the most cliched interview questions of all but Ujjawal left no stone turned to give an out-of-box answer. “This was my third interview in the campus placement season. I wouldn’t say this was a do or die situation for me. But as I had assessed my performance so far, I deduced the points to work on to bag a job,” said a confident Ujjawal. Before appearing for DHL Blue Dart, Ujjawal appeared for the interview for two other companies. Talking about the whole campus placement experience, he said, “The experience has been great. I got to know a lot of things about myself. The interviews were an eye-opener. Overall, I realised that I should work more on my technical knowledge and speak with ease during the interview.”
One cannot get placed in their dream company by just wishing for it. Ujjawal feels there is no substitute for hard work and that one must do everything to reach their goal. Owing to his knowledge, clearing the aptitude round wasn’t difficult for him. Talking about his preparations for the campus placements rounds, he said, “Being aware of the current happening adds value to your skill. For this, one must prepare themselves right from day one. Reading newspapers, understanding the current trends and following your passion, plays a significant role.” While further adding, “To make things easy, my friends and I conducted group discussion sessions daily. Understanding everyone’s point of view broadens your perspective. We helped each other out during the campus placement. This indeed strengthened my hold during GD and PI rounds.”
Coming back to the D-day, with things moving in his way, Ujjawal was quite confident of this interview. “When they asked me to sell them a pen, I kept my cool and gave them an answer they never expected. They were really happy with my performance, so much so that they were ready to buy the entire pack of the pens, instead of just one,” smiled Ujjawal. It has been over 10 months since he is working with DHL Blue Dart as their Assistant Manager.
Back to the beginning
Without a solid foundation, one will have trouble creating anything of value. Be his confidence or his communication skills or his will to push himself to achieve the best-all the values were inculcated in him owing to his awareness and courtesy of the experience he garnered taking part in extracurricular activities. “Throughout my school and college life, I was a talented student and scored well in all the exams. However, taking part in all the events, fests and school activities got the best out of me. Right from my school days, I spent most of my time playing sports, singing, and dancing. And when I entered college, managing the college festivals and events added to my knowledge and experience.”
Talking about the perks of taking part in extracurricular activities, he said, “This entire experience has transformed me into a confident person. I realised the worth of networking and this always works in my favour. And taking part in sports activities and keeping myself fit has given me the mental strength to face any obstacle.” While completing his graduation in Mechanical Engineering from his hometown Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, a revelation struck him. “Understanding that I wasn’t meant for this field was the turning point in my life. I have always been a people’s person. I love meeting new people, understanding their views and communicating with them. Changing my stream to Marketing and Finance made sense,” he added.
“Your friends circle will act as a catalyst during your college life. Every day have a dedicated time to discuss the current happenings with your group”
- Ujjawal Saalwar
Steering forward
After completing his graduation, he moved to Pune to pursue his MBA in Marketing and Finance. He continued the tradition of investing his time in handling college events. This prepared him for the corporate journey. “I must have given hundreds of presentations during the post-graduation days. And I cannot stress the impact of it-it made me stage ready, it added to knowledge and confidence and gave me the courage to take up any challenge. In short, my college prepared me for the future,” he added.
Working with DHL Blue Dart has been an exceptional experience for him. He learns new things every day and handling the role of business development for such a huge company is a matter of pride for him. When asked about his dream, he was quick to reply, “A fit mind and fit body can do wonders. I hope to be happy and healthy. Career-wise, I wish to grow leaps and bounds,” he signed off!
As Ujjawal Saalwar settles in well in the corporate world, he shares a few tips for his juniors on how to prepare for campus placement and more…
Fit body, fit mind: We often underrate the power of a fit body and fit mind. To comply with the ever-growing pressure of studies and work, students often ignore their physical fitness. Along with their studies, if they dedicate at least half an hour daily to any sort of physical exercise, the results will be amazing.
Work on your interpersonal skills: People with strong interpersonal skills have an added advantage. They can easily cultivate work relationships and build on them. These are the people who have great communications skills and often excel in their personal and professional life. Nurture your interpersonal skills to grow beyond the horizon.
Stay positive: There is a time for everything in life. Campus placement is a laborious process and it may even take a toll on you. It is not the end of the world if you cannot bag a job in the first few attempts. Learn to lose graciously and come back stronger than ever.
Be passionate: Please understand your post-graduation days are the most crucial years of your life. It sets a foundation for your corporate journey. Hence, invest your time in a course or for that matter, anything in your life, only if you are passionate about it. People with great passion can achieve the impossible.
Discuss and grow: Your friends circle will act as a catalyst during your college life. Every day have a dedicated time to discuss the current happenings with your group. Debate on the important points and help each other grow. This will add value to your knowledge and this experience will come in handy during the GD and PI rounds and surely during your corporate life as well.