We find ourselves in uncertain times with the world gripped in trepidation, wondering what’s next. As the whole nation is forced indoors and is resorting to working from home, one suddenly finds some free time on their hands. And as human nature is, your mind starts wandering back in time, aided of course by Google Photos’ timely throwbacks.

Looking back a year, I could have hardly predicted where I am or how interesting the journey could have been – even though I had an inkling at the beginning. To put matters into perspective – I’m a mechanical engineer with an MBA in Supply Chain & Finance working in a technology consulting company. It seems like the perfect fit, right? Well, the folks at Capgemini thought so when they recruited me for their ELITE General Management Program. Not going to lie, I had my reservations going into the induction but over time, it’s starting to make sense.

When we stepped foot on the Hyderabad Campus of Capgemini on 10^th June 2019, we were welcomed with a meticulously planned induction program that was spread over 4 weeks and 3 locations, aimed at fast-tracking us into the organization. The first two weeks in Hyderabad were rigorous - jam-packed with leadership interactions, L&D sessions and prep work for the upcoming trip to Capgemini University in Les Fontaines, which deserves its own separate mention. We got the chance to interact with leadership across the breadth of the organization which impressed upon us a few things – the investments the group is willing to make in us & the expectations from us. The task in front of us suddenly seemed much more challenging but also exciting. The intention was to ensure that we hit the ground running but have a safety net so that we are not afraid to make mistakes. In fact, a term we got used to hearing very quickly was “fail fast” – agility is key to success around here.

Week 3 saw us in Mumbai with the induction being continued at the Airoli Campus of Capgemini. The theme saw a noticeable shift with more focus now on practical exposure. Floor walks, sessions on Project Management, visits to accelerators & incubators and interactions with Account Managers were highlights of this week. The sheer breadth of the organization and the functions started dawning on us truly in this phase and also the possibilities – name any domain or industry and there seemed to be some exciting work happening within Capgemini.

The highlight of the induction was definitely the last week's trip to Les Fontaines and Paris. The Serge Kampf Campus is the crown jewel of Capgemini and rightly so. A combination of 18^th century design, modern facilities & natural beauty – words are not enough to convey the magnificence of the place & I think a google search would do it more justice. A three day intensive consulting skills workshop, many networking sessions & a pretty crazy farewell party later, we were whisked away to Paris to visit Capgemini’s new office - ‘The 147’. Little did we expect to meet the Group Executive Committee members there, let alone sit down with them in an area full of bright colors & fluffy cushions (yea, not your average workplace for sure). And you could feel the support for the program in their words as we picked their thoughts and plastered them with questions. The message was clear – you pave the way, we are here to provide the tools you need.

You might be asking why all this & why now? Because we recently had an internal meeting to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 situation on us and the incoming batches. What was heartening to see was that the discussion was focused on how we can ensure that the summer interns have a meaningful experience & what we need to do to re-jig the onboarding plan for the 2020 batch. As business continuity planning kicks in at every organization, hard times are anticipated ahead but here at Capgemini, we continue to focus on the work at hand to ensure that when this is over, we are ready to start all over again without missing a beat.

As I see the class of 2020 graduating I think of two things – I’m getting old & life goes on. Every tough phase in life passes and so will this. Let’s focus on making the best of this time – learn something new, invest in yourself and most important of all, stay safe, stay healthy. Observe the necessary precautions & spread accurate information related to this pandemic. And to those who are joining us in the coming months – looking forward to welcoming you onboard!

Rituraj Pattanaik

Capgemini ELITE: Looking Back At How It All Began