Climbing The Ladder Of Success
A calm and composed Chanchal Upadhyay has been slowly and steadily working towards her goals. She envisions climbing up the ladder of success in the corporate world and hopes to own her house in the coming years. She has been planning the moves to achieve this since her campus placement days. She is currently working with the IndusInd Bank as their Relationship Manager. In a conversation with the Corporate Citizen Magazine, Chanchal spills the beans on her educational journey, and her campus placement experience, and shares a few tips for her juniors on how to prep for the campus placement and more...
"Another important thing that I followed was to conduct mock personal interviews and group discussions with my friends. This kept us updated with the current affairs and added knowledge to our kitty."
- Chanchal Upadhyay
Chanchal Upadhyay
Born in Bhopal, Chanchal was raised in a very modest family. And the way she conducts herself is a testament to the way she was raised. “I am happy that my parents and now my husband, Ashwin, supported me and my dream to excel in the corporate world. And their support alone motivates me to never give up,” smiled Chanchal, who got married in January this year.
To great beginnings
All through her educational life, Chanchal had been a bright student. “To get placed in a good company, your scores matter a lot. Since childhood my grades were excellent. This indeed set a great foundation for my future,” explained Chanchal.
Chanchal completed her Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) from Bhopal School of Social Sciences, where she was awarded a Gold Medal in the second year for her excellent performance. Getting good grades helps you in your educational life. With that, it also pushes you to succeed in life. Chanchal couldn’t agree more. “Owing to my love for studies and my hard work I was able to secure a Gold medal during my graduation. This has not only boosted my confidence or self-esteem. But it also showed that nothing in life is difficult.”
Defining moments
Surely getting a Gold Medal gave a great boost to her educational life. However, when she moved to Pune for her MBA in Marketing in Telecommunication, the accolades she gained laid an amazing path for her career ahead. During her initial days at the college itself she received the ‘Best Marketing Student Award’ for exemplary marketing performance “Moving from Bhopal to Pune was a huge step. Then to cope with the change, settle down and win this prestigious award just made me realise that hard work pays off,” smiled Chanchal.
What brought out her inner leader was the cultural festival that was organized later. “This fest is quite close to my heart. I got a chance to work on my leadership skills and learn a lot more about people and time management. And I am happy to say that I am incorporating the learnings in my corporate life.” Chanchal and her team won the runners-up in the cultural competition and won a cash prize of Rs 75,000 “Even talking about it gives me goosebumps and sure puts a smile on my face,” she added, “I still remember that we couldn’t stop being emotional. So, as our reward, we all went to Imagica, Lonawala with the prize money.”
Focused approach
As the campus placement season approached, Chanchal was all geared up. “When I entered this course, my only aim was to get placed in a good company and for that, your approach matters a lot. I had decided a few things which I followed rigorously,” she informed. One of her rituals was to strengthen her foundation in every subject, secondly, she got in touch with her seniors and encashed on their experience. Thirdly, she maintained a journal which had all the notes. “Another important thing that I followed was to conduct mock personal interviews and group discussions with my friends. This kept us updated with the current affairs and added knowledge to our kitty.” She had applied only for two companies and her happiness knew no bounds when she was placed with HDFC Bank as their Relationship Manager. After working there for a while, she shifted to IndusInd Bank as their Relationship Manager. Now she has not only settled well in the corporate world, but she also has settled in her life as well. Chanchal got married in January 2022. And now she is swiftly able to handle both married and work life as well “The credit goes to my college life and their strict schedule kept on me on my toes,” she said. “I hope to buy a house soon,” she said about her dream and signed off!
Tips to prepare for campus placement
GD with friends: You shouldn’t just make friends have a good or have fun. You should not only support them but also have group discussions and personal interviews to that you all are well-prepared for the campus placement.
Be confident: It is obvious to be gripped by nervousness, but keep in mind your goal and you will be good to go. Don’t let nervousness get the best of you. It clouds your performance taking away your shine during the campus placement rounds. It is easier said than done. To avoid all this, you should be prepared from day one.
Practice a lot for GD: the Group discussion round exudes your persona, hence you ought to be on your toes. One of the tricks to spike your confidence is to speak up in front of the mirror. It is a great source of self-affirmation, helps in public speaking, and pushes you to judge your performance. This, in turn, helps in enhancing your GD appearance.
Keep yourself updated: All three rounds of campus placement thrive on your current affairs knowledge. For that read the newspaper daily. Download apps that allow you to understand industry trends better.
Define your approach: It is absolutely important to understand and define your approach. This step makes your goal crystal clear. The steps that you define your approach guide you in the right direction and make you disciplined.