“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
A challenge is something which puts you to test; they either make you or break you. Challenges come to make us better, not bitter. It is in these unfortunate circumstances that we discover the “real me” and develop our character by overcoming the obstacles and adversity.
The biggest challenge I faced in my life was after I had finished my undergraduate course. For the challenges I faced were two-fold : a) as a fresh graduate, my first goal was to get a job in one of the India’s leading multinational Information Technology services and consulting company; and b) to prepare for competitive entrance exams to get into any one of the reputed B-schools in the country. Since I had taken a gap year, time was of the utmost importance to me and I was determined in achieving at least one of my goals. Within 7 months, I got the joining letter from my dream company and was also able to get shortlists from quite a few top-notch B-schools in the country. I went through with the interview rounds and got selected in a reputed B-school. I decided to invest next 2 years of my life in pursuing higher education over working for a decent paying job.
But, as destiny would have had it, my father had taken severely ill followed by a major operation. It happened during the time when the registration of students had started and they were getting inducted. I was allowed only to join the program within a week’s time. However, I decided to let go of this golden opportunity in order to support my family.
Over the course of past one year, I have worked as an Intern Content Writer with Grade Up and was an active member of Dehradun based NGO called MAD, acronym for Making a Difference by Being the Difference. At times I felt depressed contemplating giving up on my ambitions citing loss of one year’s preparation. But I decided to try my level best and continued preparing at home and tried to be positive. Later, I passed the exam, scoring within top 6% of the applicant pool within the country and learnt one of the most important lessons of not giving up until the last shot.
How Aditya Birla Group has impacted my life?
Aditya Birla Group is one of the first Indian conglomerates to have caught the world by the storm and has been able to engage with people around the world with so many brands serving different purposes under the ABG umbrella.
Unkonwingly, it has affected my life through its various products and continues to do so. The Freshwrapp product has been serving its function by keeping our food clean and fresh, and also served as a cricket ball, a fond memory of our childhood. The BHIM App was the need of the hour after Demonetization in 2016 and was quite disruptive in the market by enabling fast, secure, reliable cashless payments through your mobile phone.
The Fashion and Retail arm of the Birla Group is one such arm that has changed the way we dress and affected our personalities positively. As a management student, formal clothing is an integral part of our day-to-day life and Aditya Birla Group caters to need of formal clothing for women under brands like Van Heusen and Allen Solly. Since there are very few brands catering to the needs of corporate women, Aditya Birla Group has created a niche market for itself.
With Hindalco- a major contributor to development, Pantaloons-‘#StyleYourChange’, Vodafone Idea- connecting people across the globe and Ultra Tech Cement-‘Build Beautiful’, the group has grown phenomenally. Aditya Birla Group has also taken intiatives in social welfare by giving back to the society and by contributing in making the planet more beautiful.
#IMINewDelhi #ABGLPWooMe #ABG