Taking the road less travelled
Head over heels with the marketing industry, Abichal firmly believes or has rather learnt that marketing is all about communication. Working at his dream post as their Category Manager with SPAR Hypermarkets ( Landmark Group), Abichal intends to conquer this industry in the coming years. He set his base quite strong which is why he is excelling in this industry. In a conversation with the Corporate Citizen, Abichal shares his educational journey, the importance of overall development at an early age, shares a few tips for his juniors on how to prep for the campus placement, and more.
Abichal was born and raised in Jharkhand in a humble family. The seeds of getting into marketing were sown at an early age. “I am quite happy that I knew what I wanted in life when it came to picking a career. This is precisely why I feel I was able to set a strong base,” said Abichal
Overall development
It is rightly said holistic development will not only make learning a joyous process it will also nurture innate talent and develop skills in youth, which is indeed important for a student’s growth. Abichal was quick to agree, “I have always believed in this.” He further added “Studies are important but what gives the learning process a boost is overall development. For this, students should take part in extracurricular activities. Be it sports or taking part in cultural activities, the process which a student goes through prepares them for the future. Such activities broaden their horizon, makes them aware, inculcates several traits and values, and most importantly helps them in networking. All this plays a vital role in their corporate career.”
Abichal believes in leading by example. As he spoke about the importance of taking part in extracurricular activities. He added, “Growing up I was inclined a lot towards sports. I excelled in volleyball, athletics and loved to train in the gym. During my MBA days, I took part in several cultural events. And I am enjoying their perks right now, as it helped me grow leaps and bounds.”
Connecting the dots
After completing his BBA (Hospital Management) from NSHM Knowledge Campus, Durgapur, he moved to pursue his love for Marketing and IT. Before starting his MBA Abichal spent more than a year working with Medanta The Medicity as their Management Trainee (Operations). Soon he decided to pursue his love for Marketing further. “I wanted the ‘MBA wali feeling’, that is why I moved to Pune to complete my post-graduation. The rush of running a hectic schedule, training, projects and giving presentations was amazing. This gave me an idea of what to expect from the corporate world and prepared me for the same.”
During the induction session, Abichal gave a presentation in front of 2000 students and thinking about it still gives him goosebumps. “I loved to be on the stage, but my college gave me a sensational platform to explore. Giving a ppt in front of thousands of students wasn’t an easy task but I was prepared for it. It, in fact, took away my stage fear. And this experience has moulded me into a better corporate person,” he said.
"Studies are important but what gives the learning process a boost is overall development. For this, students should take part in extracurricular activities. Be it sports or taking part in cultural activities, the process which a student goes through prepares them for the future"
- Abichal
Abichal with his parents during the convocationPlacement Ready
He believes that without a strong foundation, one will have trouble creating anything of value. “Luckily for me, my love for the marketing world pushed me to learn everything it has to offer. Owing to this my marketing foundation is rock solid. One cannot prepare for the campus placement overnight. I used to research and keep myself updated regularly. From the beginning, I was sure of the industry and company that I wanted to work with. This helped me with my approach,” he said. Overall, he sat for 4-5 companies before he got through Infiniti Retail (TATA Croma) as their Associate Category Manager.
Talking about the campus placement experience he said, “Success is the by-product of consistency, hard work and determination and that is what my college taught us. I just applied it. My confidence and knowledge played a great role. And finally, I landed with TATA Croma,” said Abichal. After working with TATA Croma for a year, he moved to SPAR Hypermarkets as their Category Manager. He is learning each day and is quite content with his progress. So, what’s next on your plate, we asked? Pat he replied, “I want to take the roads less travelled and see the world. I will begin that will exploring my country. Every weekend, I am off on a small journey on my bike. This experience keeps me grounded and happy,” he signed off!
As Abichal 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…
Focus is the key: Even if it’s your corporate, college or student life, a focused approach is crucial for many reasons. Without focus, all your important aspects in life such as success, happiness etc will go for a toss. It is rightly said – if you can’t focus effectively, you can’t think effectively.
Understand yourself: Only you’d know yourself better. Right from picking the correct course, to appearing for your preferred company during campus placement you ought to know what you want. And to do so, you should understand what you want.
Focus on overall development: Sure, studies are important but what plays an equally important role is taking part in extracurricular activities. Be it sports or any other college or school festivals, being a part of it allows students to grow leaps and bounds further helping in overall development.
Work on your confidence: For any aspect of your life, your confidence acts as a booster and helps you sign the deal. Especially in the GD and PI rounds, you ought to fight back with confidence. Your self-confidence proves that you are up for any task and ready to take on challenges head-on.
It’s all about communication: In life, it all boils down to how well you communicate. Begin by asking the right questions, and communicate well in school and college. And carry forward this ritual when you enter the corporate world.