Life AA (After ASB)

It’s been a little more than six months since we ventured out to the wild in search of wealth and happiness, and if I were to comment on the status of our quest, I would have to say that the beasts are really trying us. For most of us, it turned out to be a bit different of an experience than what we had imagined it to be like sitting in the classrooms and canteens at Ettimadai. I have been on a self-initiated project since last month to gather and put together information about the experiences of my batch after having worked for six months. From the responses that I have got so far, I can say that most of us are doing well and learning a lot though the world seems to be a tougher place, and there is a lot in these responses for the School and my juniors.

I would like to, in this post talk about my journey so far, outside the Planet, particularly in my career. I will try restraining from bringing out greener memories from inside the planet as that had been the regular plot of my posts here. Before I start off, I start with an empathetic note. A year before as the member of the Student Council handling the Placements, I was in constant interaction with those in my batch who were yet to be placed. It was not that they were less smart than others; the companies that had visited us until then had failed to offer them what they wanted, or had just failed to see the worth in them. I empathized with their feelings. And today that feeling is six or seven times higher. Companies are still more blind and poor today. It will take time for them to stand back on their feet and see clearly. I say turn inward and hone yourself until then. And when they start to see, let them see an ocean of jewels ready to be taken away at Amrita.

I went on AA to a shipping company’s back office. The profile was completely managerial. I was put, after an initial training, to a role where I had a team of seven doing shipping export documentation for VIP customers in the US. The team makes a document called the Bill of Lading, which becomes a critical part of the shipping cycle. It requires knowledge of customs requirements, customer requirements and adherence to the time that Hapag Lloyd commits to the customers. The process was newly transitioned to our center in Chennai. The role began as a challenge, and went on to become a bigger challenge. Regular systemic issues and people issues kept us from accuracy and TAT requirements most of the time. On the bright side, I had the help and support of an able and understanding manager. And in the process, what I gained was an on-the-floor experience and understanding of how to manage a team, their feelings, and their potential. The VIP team was and still is the best team in the US documentation team. But somewhere, I started to realize that what I was doing was not quiet what I wanted, the common symptom of dissatisfaction and what I would like to call the first symptom of self awareness. It started as a feeling of emptiness. Its then that I came to know from a good friend, about a research vacancy at UBS, Hyderabad. Everything followed the other after that and in a month, I was in Hyderabad in the Strategic Research and Intelligence team catering to the HR research needs of the Senior HR leadership in the Wealth Management division of the bank. The work here is much different that the one in Hapag. I am part of a specialist team that acts in a consulting capacity and therefore is flat and flexible. Most of the time in a typical day, I keep reading books and articles by thought leaders, and reports and survey analysis by large consulting organizations to be able to help the top HR management with HR trends and best practices. To have attended your first exit interview in the first six months of your career can have two different meanings; One that you have no idea of where you are headed or what you want, and two that you somehow took a while to realize what you want. In my case, I like to believe that it’s the latter. But we never know until we know when my next exit interview is… do we. ;)

To my Juniors (batchmates and seniors) in ASB who are passionate about HR, I would like to extend an interest of mine to have a network among us in which we can take HR research seriously. This network , in my imagination will help the alumni research contribution at ASB stronger and this can help us, future students, faculty and ASB. If you share this interest, do write to me sometime. (karunakarantk@gmail.com)