Campus to Corporate & Beyond
Owing to Covid, most of our work and studies are restricted online. Some might find the webinars boring but Maharana Ray, Vice President - Probiking (KTM), Bajaj Auto Ltd., pulled such a string that all the management students were glued to the online session, held recently. With over 25 plus years of rich experience across a range of domains like Marketing, Sales (National and International), Training, HR, his core strength remains the ability to make a difference. The campus road leading to the corporate block is paved with hard work, rejections, and success too. Simplifying this transition for the students, Maharana enlightened them about the simple tricks and tips to ace this journey, how to have the right attitude towards life, and a lot more
Maharana RayTransition is an ongoing process in a person’s life. However, a student’s life takes a 360-degree turn once they enter the post-graduation phase. That is because it is the path that leads them to the corporate world. Maharana Ray is aware of this transition phase. He believes that the student’s attitude towards life plays a major role in setting a foundation for their corporate journey. Starting this virtual session on a positive note, Maharana said, “The journey from campus to corporate is paved with several ups and downs. In life, sometimes you win, sometimes you learn -you don’t fail. Termed as a transition time, these are the final two years of your education. And only you can motivate yourself to change for the better.”
Spilling the beans on how to ease up during this time of change, Maharana expressed, “Attitude and discipline, these two virtues will take you a long way. If you have the right attitude coupled with immense gratitude, you’ll reach the sky. In essence, attitude is all about what you are made of and how do you handle a tough situation.”
Make a difference
Encouraging students to accept failure helps them cope up with the never-ending pressure. It is also one of the most important lessons on the road to success. Explaining this in detail, he said, “Although the technical antonym of failure is success, I feel it’s high time people realise that failure is a part of success. Especially, when it comes to the corporate world, freshers need to embrace failure to reach new heights of success.”
Tagging this concept with a refreshing anecdote of a child learning to walk was quite motivating for the students. Further proving the point that anyone who has attained success has been through their fair shares of drawbacks. “Every parent remembers their child’s first steps,” he smiled. As the students understood the gravity of this metaphor, Maharana continued, “While a child is learning to walk, they fall several times. Even then, they get up with a bang with no intention of giving up. Although you must have failed while learning to walk, your parents never stopped you from falling. They will remember all the details of the moment when you took your first steps. Because for them, it is success that came after a series of failures. In the corporate world, it’s the same. Anyone who wishes to attain success needs to accept failure. I see many people losing out on opportunities because they have a fear of failure. Don’t be afraid of failure.”
Be a connoisseur
Being in line with the saying-Jack of all trades and master of none just does not work in the students’ favour. To make a difference, they ought to be a specialist-in the sense, be an expert in a certain topic. They should know the industry in and out. Making it easy for the students, Maharana supported this with a brilliant instance. He said, “Everyone here is familiar with MS Dhoni. MSD, ex-Indian cricket team captain and an all-rounder is a master at this game. Dhoni led our cricket team, he even had a fondness for football and with the bat he was expectational. However, he chose a stream and became a maestro at it. He is one of the best wicketkeepers in the world because of his knowledge and experience. And to reach there, he has sacrificed a lot, hence, he was able to make a difference. What he has done for our country is beyond words.”
Maharana, an integral part of the Bajaj venture, is quite proud of the company’s growth since its inception. From being a scooter company, they defined themselves as global motorcycle specialists. And currently, they are present in 70 countries. “And guess what, we don’t make scooters at all,” his voice echoed, while further adding, “Because we believe we can’t climb two mountains at once. We chose our maven and stuck to it.” Hence, he urges the students to create a brand for themselves, define their area of expertise and excel in it.
"Being passionate about things in life will provide you with positive energy that will drive you to success"
Perseverance, character and hope
There is a defining tenacity and candour to Maharana’s persona. The fact he fought the three C’s–cancer, cardiac arrest and Covid, and came back stronger than ever is a testament to his strength of mind. “At 36, when I was at the prime of my life, I was detected with the cancer of the colon. Many thought I would give up easily. Courtesy of my willpower, positive mindset, and the support of my family, I could overcome this ghastly disease. In tough times, your perseverance is put to test. All you need to do is have faith in yourself and stay put. Things will work in your favour.”
By now, the students had an idea of where he was heading with this narrative. Drawing on such fine experiences from his journey so far, he couldn’t stress enough the importance of endurance and positivity. “Colleges function on a fixed model. Students are asked to by heart the textbooks. They are expected to be precise while writing the answers. Soon, you will come out of a definite structure. This philosophy will change the moment they set foot in the corporate world. There they are expected to think out of the box. Anything which is the run of the mill isn’t given a preference. In such cases, your positivity, perseverance, performance and perspective, plays a big role,” he explained. Further adding, “In the corporate world, your performance will outdo everything. It is the value that you create for the organisation will take you forward. Life will change but your performance should keep on increasing.”
The world is filled with people who are pessimists. Some will always bog you down. Maharana agreed with this. And as he gave a solution to handle this, he advised the students, “Life after college will change. Sure, there is a rat race in the corporate world. Some people believe in gossiping and spreading negativity. Turn a blind eye towards office politics. All you need to do is focus on your goal. These things are a part of your life now. Take it positively, work hard, and you achieve your dreams. Address every angle. Challenge the status quo. Think of how you can attack the problem to be a part of the solution. It’s okay to make mistakes, learn from them, and move on.”
Pillars for life
Determination, insight, energy, and capability-these four virtues strengthen a person’s foundation. The best day of your life is when you decide to take control of it. And to do so, the stated qualities play a big role in shaping a person’s future. Maharana couldn’t agree more. He explained, “When you take the onus of your life, things fall into place. It worked for me, and I insist you do the same.”
His in-depth analysis of the values that one must possess was quite intriguing. A student’s life is filled with several difficulties, and just before entering the corporate world, the campus placement season tests their character. Lending a helping hand to the students’ Maharana clearly explained how to take control of such a situation. “Integrity is something that you do when you are alone-something when no one is watching you. The thing is, you can cheat others but cannot cheat yourself. With enough conviction, you can surmount any obstacle,” he said. While further adding, “You don’t have to prove your intellect to anyone as long as you know your worth. As students, it’s completely fine if you missed your exams by a few points. Do not put so much pressure on yourself. Remember you are a God’s gift, and you are unique in every way.”
Passion to perform
Affirmation or positive statements are a real boon. People, especially students, need them to overcome negativity, considering the kind of pressure they go through. Repeating positive statements often converts their apprehensions into self-belief. And Maharana advocates in this process. “Being passionate about things in life will provide you with positive energy that will drive you to success. Everyone needs a source of inspiration and guidance to boost their confidence. Wherever you go, create a sense of belongingness-the outcome will be simply amazing. Once you are comfortable on your path towards success, be sure to be an inspiration for others too.”
A cricket aficionado, Maharana couldn’t help but go back to using a narrative that spoke volumes of the players. “This game depends on your skill, agility, tenacity and fortitude. Take any cricket pundit, for instance, Sourav Ganguly or AB de Villiers. Both are par excellence. They have gone through the worst to reach where they are now. Take a cue from their journey and your roadmap.”
"Change won’t happen overnight. However, after a while, you will start noticing the changes the way you handle a situation. That is what meditation does to you"
Don’t impress, express
Under the right guidance they will do wonders-it has the potential to shape the young minds, stir a revolution, and most importantly, it shows them how to find themselves. Leaving no stone unturned to show the ray of hope to the students, Maharana touched upon the most crucial aspect of a person’s life-“Love yourself,” his voice echoed. Giving a valid dimension to his statement, Maharana further added, “When someone asks you about who is the strongest person in your life. You would think of everyone else but yourself. It is high time you realise that you are a strong person. I am not talking about physical or external appearance. It is all about inner strength. And this can happen only if you know yourself better. Under the right mentorship, your mind will surely flourish. Of all, always remember never to impress anyone but don’t miss any opportunity to express yourself.”
Expressing one’s thoughts is fair enough. But they should make sure that their views are not overpowering others. This might lead to hurting others’ feelings. In short, we must treat others the same way we want to be treated. Referring to this analogy to the corporate world, he explained-“A good person will always excel in their life. And if you are a genuine person, you will be good in your professional life too. Treat others with respect. Personalise your conversation but don’t cross the line.”
For a better tomorrow
Act, adapt and anticipate is a concept that the students or freshers can incorporate in this journey from campus to corporate. This strategy helps the students to cope with the initial stress and inhibitions. “Without knowledge, there is no wisdom. To make the most of life, one should gain enough knowledge. Encashing on that, they should build skills and competencies that will make them stand out from the crowd. Now is the time to act and perform.”
Explaining the ‘adapt’ aspect of this theory, he said, “Thinking creatively propels groundbreaking ideas which will revolutionise the world. It has the power to improve any situation. However, your work just does not end here. There onwards, prepare yourself to envision the future. This is the ‘anticipate’ part, where you plan a roadmap for a better tomorrow. Your alertness to foresee a problem and your readiness to overcome it defines you as a person.”
Silence is golden
It is rightly said: what you get by achieving your goal is not as important as what you become by achieving your goal. “Don’t achieve your goals to show-off. Learn from the journey. See what you have become by the end. Just understand one thing, your needs will be taken care of but your greed will take you down,” he said. The journey of reaching your destination, in this case-your goal, teaches you several values. It makes you confident, puts a smile on your face, teaches you to get up when you tumble and prepares you for the next task.
Meditation is something that gives you a clear idea of what you are thinking, further, giving you an upper hand to maintain your calm whilst undertaking any adventure. Expressing his thoughts on the same, Maharana said, “In silence, you will find all your answers. It is a way to take control of your life. Be it the stress of the studies or the tension of achieving the target, life at times, takes a toll on a person. I urge everyone to sit with themselves for a while, away from all the worldly matters. Change won’t happen overnight. However, after a while, you will start noticing the changes the way you handle a situation. That is what meditation does to you.”
By the end of the session, Maharana happily answered all the queries raised by the students. He advised the students to read 'Humble Leadership' by Ed Schein and his son Peter as he was signing off. The book gives a creative perspective on leadership that ignites the values of empathy, vulnerability, strength. The second book that he suggested was was Subroto Bagchi’s 'Go Kiss The World'. It radiates life lessons for young professionals. The session enlightened the students and gave them the courage to embrace the campus to corporate journey.