Leveraging My Professional Network to Find an Exciting New Role
During my routine performance evaluation meeting back in 2018, my boss asked me a seemingly simple question – ‘Where do you see yourself in a year? What plans have you made for your personal growth?’ It was when I heard this question that something struck me – I had become so comfortable in my life that I had stopped thinking about the next stage. I had been in the same company for 9 years, being unaware of the stage when I stopped adding value to the role and vice versa. Many of us go through this phase, don’t we? We get a full-time job and once we get settled in the role, we get so accustomed to our daily routine that we stop thinking ‘What next?’
When I first thought of investing in myself by pursuing an MBA, I was dreading the idea of getting back to school and preparing for exams. Once I mentally prepared myself for that, the next hurdle was finding a program that was friendly for full-time professionals and flexible enough to fit my busy schedule. SP Jain’s highly flexible weekend Executive MBA was a perfect fit for me.
It wasn’t a smooth ride from Day 1, though. Initially, once I got accepted into the program, I realised that the deadlines were super strict, and you couldn’t afford to miss them. How was a working professional supposed to adhere to these timelines? However, as we progressed, I started understanding the need for this. Without these seemingly impossible deadlines, it would have been impossible for almost all of us to complete the course on time. The college had thought out the program structure very well, indeed.
The best memory I have of the program is the SPJ team going out of their way to accommodate my health during and after my pregnancy. SP Jain has been like an extended family to me. I also remember the time I needed to switch my job and mentioned it in my EMBA group. My batchmates made use of their diverse network to find me a new job, and I was placed at Tech Mahindra as a Project Manager within 2 days! Can you imagine the networking power it takes to land a job like this in just 2 days? The professional network that this program helps you build is just amazing.
I am now making the transition from being under the spotlight at a start-up to earning recognition in an established company like Tech Mahindra. Yes, this journey comes with its own set of challenges, especially as a new mom. But I must say – it is extremely worth the discomfort. At Tech Mahindra, my boss is an SP Jain alumnus as well, and reliving the campus memories has become our go-to tea-time gossip!
I just have one piece of advice to share with the future students who decide to take up this program. You must stay up to date with the new developments in the market and continually upskill yourself. I had a couple of batchmates who were in their late 40s and still took up every new assignment with so much zeal and interest! Trust me, that zeal helped them a lot in taking their career to new heights. No matter where you are in life – never lose interest in your personal development.
About the Author – Anchita Majitha
Anchita Majitha is an SP Jain alumna from the Executive MBA class of 2019. She started her career as a Junior Research Associate at Gridstone Research and is currently working as the Project Manager at Tech Mahindra Business Process Services.
