The Mid-Career Re-Skillers
Even though their path is strewn with challenges, more women
professionals have been signing up for executive MBA programmes over the past
year, juggling personal, social and professional commitments. Four women
professionals share their experience
Sacrifice
and Support
YOGINI
RAJENDRA GOSAVI, 41
General Manager -Business Controls for Power
Generation, Cummins
Gosavi is pursuing an executive MBA (EMBA) at SP
Jain Institute of Management Research. She feels that in an attempt to balance
social and professional roles or demands, women turn into superhumans. She
learnt early that a clear demarcation of the emotional and professional space
is essential.
THE RE-SKILLING PUSH
“By nature a woman is a multitasker, a born
manager. I asked myself, `Why not get professionally trained for the same',“
says Gosavi, who gets excited by situations that put her out of her comfort
zone. After more than 15 years of experience in audit firms, the service and
manufacturing industries, at some points of time, Gosavi started feeling
stagnant.She wanted to keep learning and that is when she opted for an
executive MBA. She hopes to develop skills in situational leadership that can
immediately be applied at work.
SUPPORT SYSTEMS
Before enrolling for the programme, Gosavi
ensured her family knew exactly what changes lay ahead for them.
Also, Cummins is a professional organisation,
which believes in developing leaders and respecting individual needs, she says.
“At times, you need to fulfill office commitments after class, since 10 days is
a long period to be away from work. But colleagues are very supportive,“ she
says. Gosavi says despite full support from family, at times it is tough to
make time for studies.
“Application of the concepts learned in
classroom sessions is the real learning for me. There is no gain without pain.
With this logic and a small sacrifice of my personal time, I can balance studies
with work.“
Multiple
Roles
PAYAL
AGARWAL, 27
Former Lead Onsite Coordinator, Espire Infolabs
Former Lead Onsite Coordinator, Agarwal, who is
pursuing an executive MBA at ISB, has handled multiple responsibilities in
Infosys and Espire and done an acting stint for short Bengali and Hindi films
screened at international film festivals.
THE RE-SKILLING PUSH
While working as an engineer, Agarwal got a few
opportunities to prepare Espire Infolabs business cases and present proposals
to prospective clients. It was then that she realised her liking for this role,
and she wanted to move into a career with increased managerial responsibility
and business development.
Salary growth was another motivator to take up
an MBA programme. Having had no association with either economics or finance,
she wanted to learn more in both the fields.
SUPPORT SYSTEMS
Agarwal says she received encouragement from her
family and senior managers to pursue her career goals.
“My family has given me the freedom to make
career choices and cultivate my passion. They have stood beside me through
thick and thin.“
Time
Management is a Plus
SANU
VISHAL KAPOOR, 44
Company Secretary and DGM Legal with Otis
Elevator (India)
Kapoor, who is pursuing an EMBA from Narsee
Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai says her passion for studies led
her to sign up for an EMBA after 21 years in the manufacturing, advertising,
retail, pharmaceutical, infrastructure sectors.She has expertise in handling
corporate legal, secretarial and financial matters.
THE RE-SKILLING PUSH
A re-skilling programme at this stage in her
career will give her more insights into corporate practices coupled with a
strong alumni network, she says. This will enhance her skills and knowledge to
be part of the top management, besides helping in peer group learning and
networking with classmates from varied academic and industry backgrounds, she
says.
SUPPORT SYSTEMS
Flexi hours at Otis were a great help in meeting
the EMBA programme commitments. Also, her family motivated her to take up the
course.
“For me, career and family life are both
important. Support of my family, time management and setting the right
priorities in life have helped me in achieving work-life balance.“
Unconventional
Choices
ANAITA
SINGH, 24
Worked as a senior research associate with the
Indian National Congress for last year's general elections
Singh has worn many hats with ease.She has
worked on the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana with the Punjab government as an
implementation analyst. Her first job was with Citibank as a graduate
management associate.
While at ISB, she undertook a probono consulting
skill development project with the ministry of labour and employment covering
four southern states.
THE RE-SKILLING PUSH
As a member of the team that monitored
Citibank's institutional banking operations and through her work with the
Punjab government and the Congress, she realised that government policy
-particularly government service delivery -lacked the control systems followed
effectively in the private sector.
“In the hope of enabling myself to be in a
position to make a career shift and place myself in an organisation which works
in this area, the next logical step was to sharpen my policy execution skills
and gain critical business insights, which could only be understood better from
a top notch business management programme,“ she says.
SUPPORT SYSTEMS
It is not easy to have a daughter who wants to
tread the unconventional path on a recurring basis, she says with a chuckle.
“I have been extremely lucky to have a family
that has not just accepted but even appreciated my ambitions and passion and
enabled me to pursue my dreams,“ says Singh. Besides that, her peers in various
age groups who have juggled studies and family, have been extremely
inspirational.“Congress was extremely supportive with my application and
recommendation letters while applying to ISB.“
Rica Bhattacharyya & Anumeha Chaturvedi
ET14APR15
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