Winning Strategies For Students

I was the keynote speaker at a national seminar on “HR practices in service oriented companies“, organised by Srusti Academy of Management at Bhubaneshwar. Here are the excerpts from my presentation. Students will find this particularly useful, though it should be quite valuable to budding entrepreneurs also.

My presentation was not on the seminar topic specifically as I was the part of the inaugaral session where I was on the dais with Shri Tathagata Satpathy, Member of Parliament from Dhenkanal  and Mr. Joy Varghese, Director, Personnel and Administration of NALCO India.

Here are the excerpts:

You have to clearly understand that when you apply for a job in a company, you are generally competing with 100s of other candidates who are equally good or may be better than you. You need to demonstrate that you are unique and ‘passion‘ can be your secret USP. If you are excited about this job, this interview and this company, and if it shows while I am interviewing you, you have earned a place in the short-list.

Remember this quote – “One passionate person is better than 40 people casually interested!”

I know you are more interested in your career and your progress but make your company’s success your vehicle. Don’t try to progress at the cost of your company, progress with it and you will progress a lot.

Here is my big tip about getting that coveted job. I call it the Imagine-Achieve principle. With all your honest intent, imagine yourself working for the company – doing the various assignments, eating in its canteen, reporting to your boss, attending the appraisal meeting and everything else that will happen when you actually join the company. This may sound weird but it works. Of course, you have to do this exercise without a doubt in your heart or mind.

While on this topic, let me give you another perspective. Why does everybody present here, have to get a job? If you have a bit of adventure in your nature and high ambitions too, why not consider being an entrepreneur? You can start your own company and instead of taking up a job in some company, you may be offering jobs in your company. This is very much possible if you apply the Imagine-Achieve principle.

I will now do something that people don’t do on academic and business platforms. I will be sharing with you, 2 spiritual tips for winning almost any battle of life – be it studies, job hunting or business success.

1. Forgiveness: Forgive everyone who has done anything bad to you. Yes, your girl friend who has ditched you, your friend who avoided you when you needed his help, your brothers and sisters who played loud music when you were studying – get rid of all the anger, frustration and resentment and you will feel a tremendous relief. Your mind and body will feel very light and you will be able to achieve your future targets so much more easily. This is an abstract thought – difficult to accept and act upon – but you will feel the difference in a day when you apply it.
2. Gratitude: Be thankful to everyone around you. Be thankful to your institute which gives you the education that prepares you for a successful career ahead, to your parents who brought you in this wonderful world and perhaps, have parted with their life-savings to send you here, to all these people who are sharing the wisdom of their life with you. Think a little and you will be able to find ‘at least one’ reason to thank anyone you come across. And to follow my own dictum, I thank you – heartily – to have come here and listen to my ‘gyan’.

I see a lot of teachers, professors and guides here and if I may dare to (I am too young to be teaching the teachers), my tip to you, Sirs and madams is – ‘Love your students who have given the oars of their life-boats to you and row them to a successful career and satisfying lives, give them all you know and then some more, and you will be amazed at the grace of Almighty that will be showered upon you”.

I will like to close with this parting message. You have great potential and capable of achieving a lot. Believe in yourself and get on the job. Some French general once said “Difficult problems are no worries for us; it is the impossible that takes some time!”