Three months into my MBA, I was in the interview seat, AGAIN! That seat had become a routine spot for me over a season of interviews for MBA admissions. However, this time it was a different prospect altogether. The decision hovering over me was a difficult one. They said the Summer Internship shapes your career like none other! My thoughts wander to my journey till that seat.
An Engineer (as most of us here are), I had previously worked in the quiets and comforts of the IT industry with Accenture. That company had an aura of calmness, satisfaction, luxury and ambition around it. An army of Engineers surrounded me. I was just a militia in front of all the Legions. To be able to become one of those Legions, I decided to pursue my MBA.
Coming back to the interview, an HR personnel from Agarwal Packers and Movers Ltd. (APML hereafter) was glaring at me through the VC, bombarding question on question. There I was, answering all I could. I knew APML presented another opportunity to break my comfort zone and set myself free to a new world, one with endless areas for personal growth, one which had no relation to what I had done all my life (multiple Goosebumps),
one which would require me to step away from my 4×4 cubicle at Accenture to the 600 Sq. Km. city of Mumbai!
“One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.” - Abraham Maslow
APML is the market leader in household shifting. Known for its Innovation, APML has been recognised by Limca Book of Records as Largest Mover of the Household Goods in India for 5 consecutive years. Putting behind my dilemmas and in a bid to be a part of this exciting and fresh sector, I joined APML.
Right from Day 1, we were taken to the warehouses, surveys and workstations involving house packing, truck loading and unpacking. It involved a lot of travelling to customer’s houses, factories, workshops etc. The task wasn’t made any easier by the scorching heat and unbearable humidity. Multiple dehydrations later, I got used to it.
My primary role was to work towards innovation which APML had made itself famous for. I handled multiple projects during my time there, right from implementing GPS tracking to seeking companies for advertising on our trucks. Along the way, I also attended meetings with the HRs and Administrative staffs of major corporates to discuss and enter into contracts. This helped me have a quick peek into the administrative side of an organisation - how contracts are formed with vendors (me being the vendor in this case), the subsequent negotiations and contract building.
A lot of my tasks involved communicating and moving around with blue collar labour (Yes, I did travel in a lorry once!). The labourers always had stories to tell, work processes to explain and grievances to share. In a matter of minutes, I would become a part of their small yet magnanimous lives. The interactions were majorly in Hindi or Marathi at times, another contrast from the English-speaking culture at Accenture.
The supervisors taught me the skill to manage a blue-collar workforce. The skills required to manage such a workforce were entirely different from what we are taught in the comforts of our institutes. Winning their trust is the first lesson in this book. Their problems, which for us are unimaginable, are actually real and pressing. Listening to their problems in itself goes a long way in establishing the trust factor. Some tough decisions also need to be taken in such environments where the workforce is constantly on the move. Juggling between being a kind-hearted manager to a strict boss is what needs to be practised.
APML gave me the feeling of satisfaction on receiving appreciation from the customer. It exposed me to a sector which I didn’t know mattered. It gave me some wonderful people and their simple, yet powerful ideas which we tend to overlook in search for glory. It gave me invaluable life lessons which I take forward with me.
From English to Hindi;
From Office Cabs to Tempos;
From Engineers to blue-collar labourers;
From a bug in the code to a scratch on the Dining Table;
From the comforts of a 4×4 cabin to the toils of a 600 Km
2 city;
In the end, I wonder had I taken the right decision?
Certainly
YES!