Pushing Boundaries
Saurabh Patil is someone who believes everything happens for reason. Be it having a year down during his graduation or taking two years to prepare to get through a post-graduation college or taking a couple of attempts to get through campus rounds; Saurabh walked through all these phases with his head held high. And the outcome was something amazing that transformed him into a better version of himself.
Currently, working with Analytics Quotient (Kantar) as their Consultant-Customer Analytics, Saurabh talks about his educational journey, the importance of practising yoga and meditation for students, how to prepare for the campus placement rounds, and more!
Saurabh was born and raised in Satara, Maharashtra. And for him, his family’s support means the world, as they are the ones who have held him through his thick and thin. This, indeed, has given him the impetus to fight his battles and conquer them. “My life, especially my educational journey, has been a roller coaster ride. But through all this, I always had a clear idea of what I wanted to achieve. To reach anywhere in life the minutest things must be taken into consideration. Trying out various avenues when things stop working for you is a smart move. And amidst this, if you fail, just remember things happen for a reason. Go through what you go through, and you will surely achieve your goals,” said an optimistic Saurabh.
The break and the learnings
Life does not always go as we plan it. There are several ups and downs. But it does provide us with the strength to overcome the hurdles, and Saurabh completely agrees with this. “When I had a year drop during my graduation, I was shattered. But as there is brightness after the storm, I kept my patience and handled the situation with maturity. Such things happen, we ought to just be calm and find ways to move on,” he said. While further adding, “One needs to find solace when things are not working in their favour, and during my tough times, yoga and meditation acted as a catalyst in bringing the best out of me. As time passed, I was able to take control of the situation and complete my graduation.”
Breath in, breath out
Not many understand the worth of yoga and meditation at a young age. “Luckily, I did,” smiled Saurabh. “Yoga and meditation got me through my rough days. It’s become a part of life. This art helps in controlling a person’s mind, body, and soul. It gives an individual the strength to overcome any obstacle. The perks are endless. In the end, it improves the person’s concentration power, heightens their memory power, and makes them more creative. These virtues are quite important in everyone’s life. Hence, I urge all to practice this art,” he added.
After completing his graduation in mechanical engineering, Saurabh took quite some time to get through an MBA college, precisely because he wanted to give his best in the entrance exams by pushing all the boundaries. Finally, his hard work reaped the sweet fruits of success, and he moved to Pune to complete his MBA in Marketing.
"Yoga and meditation got me through my rough days. It’s become a part of life. This art helps in controlling a person’s mind, body, and soul. It gives an individual the strength to overcome any obstacle"
- Saurabh Patil
This is it
His aim when he began his journey of attaining his MBA degree was to gather as much knowledge as possible and get placed in one of the best companies. And the preparations began in the right direction. Talking more about how he prepared for the campus placement, he said, “My internship with Whirpool was quite instrumental in shaping my mindset. This internship made me corporate-ready, and the experience added to my theoretical jargon,” he said. Not just that, along with riding high on his internship experience, Saurabh did not leave a single stone unturned to prepare for the placement.
For him, staying on toes is a thumb rule-this included keeping himself updated on the latest news, gathering all the material of his favoured industry, and, of course, believing in himself. “Unfortunately, it took me quite a few attempts to get through a company. But I was up for this challenge, and the failure did not let me down because I knew good things take time. I tightened my hold on the knowledge I was gathering, practised day and night and when it came to Group Discussion and Personal Interview rounds, finally, my day came,” smiled Saurabh. Through campus placement, he was placed with Analytics Quotient (Kantar) as their Consultant-Customer Analytics. It’s been almost two years since he joined them, and he is loving his time in the corporate world. Now, as his bright future awaits him, he wishes to be more independent, invest his time in learning new skills, and accumulate the technical know how to earn from multiple sources.
As Saurabh Patil 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…
Be consistent: Success cannot be achieved overnight. And for that, you should be consistently working hard. Studying overnight might work for some. But it always makes sense to be ready for the exams. Break down your goals, work on them segment-wise, and be optimistic.
Learn new things: It’s advisable to keep your mind active. Learning new things gives your brain much-needed exercise. It adds value to your resume, helps in problem-solving, and broadens your horizon. You never know these learnings will come in handy—it’s always for the best.
Balance is the key: All work and no play makes a person dull. Studies are important but to enhance your grasping skills, taking a break and doing things you enjoy will fasten the process. However, there should be a balance while you are working and enjoying—learn to draw a line.
Mental health is important: College life can often be tough on students. Deadlines, back-to-back lectures, assignments, and other things do tend to take a toll on their health, this, in turn, impacts their academic performance. Consider practising yoga and meditation. It will do wonders.
Know when to say no: This corporate piece of advice will take you a long way. Learn when to say no. You are not here to impress anyone, your work will speak for you. Draw a personal boundary, and don’t get all worked up. Politely refuse when there is too much on your plate or you are not comfortable doing that work.