Ms Samta Arora, Management Trainee, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. shared her experience at ABG with us. She joined the company after completing her MBA from IMT Ghaziabad.
When enquired about her journey at ABFRL so far, she said that she is very happy to be a part of the team. She informed us that the company pays a lot of attention to its employees as well as their career growth. The focus lies on training the employees from the most rudimentary level. It is the company’s belief that as one rises up the corporate ladder, one must be aware of the basic processes as well. This forms a crucial factor in one’s success.
With respect to the work culture, her opinion is that the culture is quite open and all employees follow the basic values of ABG seamlessly. “Everyone is extremely helpful and you can approach them with any kind of problem at any point in time." "People are very understanding”, she added.
Her key learnings at ABFRL include the five values regarded highly at ABG, including seamlessness and passion. She expressed the fears and scepticism that she had as a young intern about becoming a part of the team. However, for her, it turned out to be a very smooth process. All the values of ABFRL came very naturally to her, "probably because it was evident in the attitudes of all the other employees of the company as well."
Ms. Arora was given the chance to head an entire team, one year into her training. She stressed on the fact that as a management graduate, one is inexperienced and considered to be on a basic level in the job. One only participates as a team member, not as a leader. But ABFRL provided her with an opportunity to head a team. As she emphasized the rarity of the situation, it was clear that the company had invested greatly in her. According to her, this has prepared her well to climb the ladder of success in the near future. She called it an “overwhelming experience”, as she recalled her the exact moments.
Addressing every management student’s concern regarding the ways to crack the selection process for the ABG Leadership Program, she gave some very useful insights. Most importantly, one must be thorough with the basics of each subject. “At this level, the interviewer would like to know what you have done in college and what you have not”, she said. It is also crucial to have an understanding of the operations run by ABG as well as an awareness about all the companies that come under the wings of ABG. An ‘out of the box’ approach and a passion for the industry of one’s choice are also two desirable traits in a potential candidate.
This opportunity to interact with Ms Arora was an enlightening one. It has given us many relevant insights on the selection process for the ABG Leadership program along with what one can expect out of the experience at ABG.