The days that changed my life…

It was like any other day when I woke up and looked at the watch. I knew that from then on my life was going to be different and tedious too. My memories flooded back to those days when I used to lazily lie down on my bed happy with the fact that my exams were over and I had a huge break to relax my lazy bones and live life the way I wanted. But MBA had taken its toll on me and was to shape my life till the end. I enrolled myself into one of the companies named EmPower Research Knowledge Services (P) Ltd.; I smirked at the fact that I, who did not have any power, was expected to empower it and vice versa. I got dressed in my best formal clothes – the myriad of advices poured in from professors, parents and many renowned individuals (all the characters I had come across while reading books of tycoons and the success mantras to be a professional) had convinced me that the first impression would be the last impression. I was not thinking of days, but yes of two months of gruelling effort that I would have to put into a project that would be scrutinised; to me it looked like a litmus test that I had to pass. From then on it was serious countdown and showtime.

On the D-day, I went and reported at the right time. I was welcomed in a way that no book had taught me, no tycoons had defined much about, nothing that my close ones had revealed to me – “The power of smile”. It felt so nice and I struck up a conversation with the Senior HR Manager of the organisation. She inquired about my arrival and also gave me a warm handshake and again a warm smile saying “Welcome, you’re officially on board madam”. I smiled. This was indeed something that made me feel more comfortable. From then on there was no turning back as I met another bubbly character, the HR Executive of Empower who made me feel at home. She took me all around the office and helped me whenever I was in need, in spite of her work load. I was not treated as an intern, but as another employee who was there to make a career of her own. I was always treated with sincerity and courtesy. The employees were addressed by their first names and given the due respect that any individual deserved. I forgot the last time I participated in a Rangoli competition. It was great fun and there was never a point of time when I was treated differently. The result was that I worked more passionately and enjoyed what I did. I never felt that I was working, but felt that I was conducting a certain study and at the same time enhancing my knowledge. Each day after I went home from work I felt more rejuvenated and would eagerly wait for the next day so that I could feel better doing something different from what I had done before. Because it was not just work, it was like meeting my friends and learning something new from them each day. It was a wonderful experience when I personally met all the Directors of each department. My mind set changed totally when I discovered what professionalism meant to them – being simple in their gestures and high in their thinking. What made the difference was their outlook and attachment towards each employee of the organisation.

It has been an eye opener for me – understanding the fact that work life is something that has different perspectives. It changed the way I saw things and also made me understand the importance of seeing life from a different angle. It was a dress rehearsal for my actual work life. It made me understand what I should be expecting from the work area and how I should enhance my skills in order to reach my goals. I enjoyed what I did and was positive throughout. I certainly think I was blessed for getting the chance to work for such an organisation which gave me a feel of the real-life work culture in such a way that it made me smile.

By Sanghamitra Dhar