Students of
SCMS Cochin School of Business recently had the privilege of listening to Ms. Cuckoo Joy, Manager, Centre for Excellence, General Electric Company, Texas. She is a renowned professional who has made giant strides in the industry and is a much sought after speaker. Therefore, her talk held on the 12
th of March attracted students in large numbers. The fact that the session revolved around student aspirations and the challenges they face while realizing them, made sure that the audience had plenty of takeaways at the end of the day.
Ms. Joy opened the engaging session by asking 20 students to share their aspirations. She then made them open up about their fears regarding meeting these goals, before offering helpful advice to each one of them. According to her, “You need to gather more information about your areas of interest and consider the consequences before making any career decisions. It’s very important that you understand the nature of the risk involved before jumping into something new”.
That’s something the seasoned professional would know a thing or two about. Ms. Joy shared some of her experiences in order to shed light on the risks she is often faced with: “There are two major roles for me: Risk Manager and Contract Manager. The Risk Manager takes care of identifying the risks involved and mitigating them. The Project Manager claims a leadership role and supports the managers to identify risks and to deal with and settle issues with clients. Planning and interacting with co-workers helps in coping with a multitude of risks.”
The aspirants in the gathering were interested in knowing what the industry looks for when hiring new professionals. Ms. Joy offered them insight into employers’ minds by describing three qualities she considers important. “Integrity, Temperament and Presentation are three qualities one must possess in the corporate world”, she stressed, hoping to drive home this point. “Integrity is the most important of all and it’s something you just shouldn’t compromise on. It adds to your credibility”. Adding to that, she urged to students to avoid corruption, and said that if you are faced with it, you might want to change jobs.
Talking about the significance of wholesome involvement in different aspects of an organization, Ms. Joy said, “You shouldn’t miss a single opportunity to volunteer. That’s because every interaction is a learning experience.” This interaction with her was definitely turning out to be a huge learning experience for students, who were then introduced to Ms. Joy’s own aspirations. The much-accomplished professional hopes to work with underprivileged children. This was a point that made students realize the importance of giving back to the community and the larger society.
Being a top rung woman professional isn’t always easy, as one has to wear several caps. But Mrs. Joy had a strong message during the Women’s Day week as she believed nothing was impossible for women. And what’s her advice to management hopefuls? “Have a dream, aspire for something in life and just go for it. You must do what you want to do to, and know what you really want,” she added thoughtfully. Ms. Joy concluded her session with a rendition of “I too have a dream” that left the gathering inspired to make their own dreams come true.