Name an instance where you wanted something and went out of your comfort zone to achieve it OR Tell us the biggest risk you have taken so far in your life.
For as long as I can remember, quietness and silence have always been my distinguishing trait in any group. Having grown up as an introverted kid, taking on my journey as the leader of my college robotics group was an instance of challenging my stereotype of myself.The story had started two years earlier, in my first year at NIT Calicut. I joined the robotics group because it fascinated almost all of my senses. I was a quiet participant in everything, from endless meetings, workshops, and exhibitions to an abundance of zeal. Fast forward three years, I was elected as the Team Lead of the same group. At that moment, I knew it was way out of what I had made my comfort zone - things I used to observe and enjoy turned into something I had to be responsible and answerable for. Attending meetings turned into conducting those meetings, participating in workshops turned into planning the workshops and so on. But all of it amounted to my decision to do something differently.Looking back, it was the best decision I had taken. When I became the Team Lead, I saw that the group had completed very few undertaken projects on time. I decided to focus on improving the efficiency of the group. For the rest of the year, the project teams were responsible for documenting their following two-week plans, previous two-week achievements, obstacles, and solutions. This approach helped the team become more efficient and more realistic about their goals and answerable to their estimates.Overall, this role enhanced my confidence and enthusiasm to get things done when a team is involved. As a core takeaway from this experience, teamwork aided me in various positions later in my life.
When was the last time someone relied on you? OR What did you do which was purely for someone else - a truly selfless act?
Perhaps the best instance of someone relying on me was my sister entrusting me to help her with her board exams in the subjects I used to ace. It is a great deal of faith on her part, considering the importance of 12th board exams for the children and their parents. My sister, being the serious kid, was worried about physics and math in particular. I tutored her on these subjects, hoping that she would do extremely well in both. I knew that it wouldve made her happy and, at best, confident in her ability. My only problem was that my semester exams collided with her peak preparation time. Regardless, I dedicated myself to every step of her studies, from teaching her minute concepts to solving exercises and extending my work hours to finish my own assignments and study. The best part is that she got an A+ in both subjects!
Tell us about a time when you disagreed with an opinion/idea/decision. What did you do about it?
My team received a client requirement during my first job, which our Team Lead had promised to deliver. We had to provide a custom visualisation. When I came to know about the same, I went through it and found that Tableau inherently didn't have this visualisation. I had to sync multiple charts to create this visualisation, which proved challenging to implement. After looking into the requirement and trying it out, I discovered that it could not be implemented because of logical and technical limitations.I conveyed this to my Team Lead, but I still needed to convince them of the issue. They remained adamant about the possibility of its implementation. I understood it would take more than my personal opinion to establish my point. I contacted the subject matter experts from within the company to discuss this issue and find a solution, if available. I also spoke to experts on other forums to resolve it. In the end, it was confirmed as a blocker in the absence of any solution despite all the efforts.I turned this situation of disagreement into a learning opportunity by looking up various alternatives in the form of other charts which could convey the same information that could be useful to the client. I successfully convinced my Team Lead when I presented all these findings and the alternative solutions. The clients were also happy with my options, and the project was a success.The success of this project was the most satisfying part because I did not let the conflicting situation come in my way of delivering on my team's commitment. It was the best of my effort that the disagreement did not succeed in defining the value of my work ethic.
What is the one thing you can claim to have some level of expertise or depth of knowledge in - it could be anything - a subject, a sport, a hobby, a venture, an initiative that has led you to do deep work in that field?
Having graduated with a degree in Engineering Physics, I chose to work in data analytics because it looked interesting and promising. I joined a data-analytics firm in Bangalore, Mu Sigma. I started learning data analytics basics, coding and dashboarding, amongst other stuff, during my training period. I was particularly interested in working on Tableau, a Business Intelligence (BI) tool for data visualization at that time. It was a new thing for me to put my hands on, it was engaging, and I started enjoying the process.My first professional application of Tableau came around when I had to use it in a project. I dedicated extra time to go the extra mile and master the crucial details to deliver my part of the project most effectively and efficiently. During my two years at Mu Sigma, I went on to develop a total of 38 dashboards on Tableau and picked up a few praises on the way, too. Though I believe I have a grasp on the tool, I guess I have a long way to go before I can put the tag of an expert on myself. I see it as a continuous learning process, and I am more than eager to continue on that road.
If 10 Million Dollars (approximately INR 75 Crores) is given to you to use it any way you deem fit what would you do with this corpus?
I would use 80% of the amount (58.8 Cr) for developing the 'Pokkali' farms and pisciculture in my locality. Pokkali is a unique saline-tolerant rice type grown organically on around 5000 hectares of land in Kerala's Alappuzha, Thrissur, and Ernakulam districts.As a native of Ernakulum and having an agricultural family background, this holds importance to me. Despite his corporate job demands and the challenges of the farmers engaged in Pokkali, I have always seen my father put my heart into farming. Growing up, I understood that this farming, though a non-profitable venture, is a source of livelihood for several families. Over the years, this highly unique and nutritional variety of rice has been plagued with multiple problems. The problems of unavailability and a high cost of labour, the lack of suitable mechanisation, poor marketing and so on put Pokkali farming at risk of extinction. The significance of this in my heritage moves me to dedicate my best to save it from becoming obsolete. I would use this amount to develop and promote Pokkali farming and the associated pisciculture with the help of the Pokkali Farmers Association.I would use the remaining 20% (14.7 Cr) of the amount for myself and my family. I would put half of the amount in various investments with the help of a financial advisor for the future. And from the other half, I would take 1 Cr for traveling worldwide to indulge in new cultural experiences. The rest of the amount will be for an overall lifestyle improvement for my family. I would provide my sister with the best education, buy personal assets, and so on.
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