Prepare for opportunity by volunteering for unassuming tasks

Story of role-model Shagufta Inamdar

I lost my father when I was in 9th. I am the oldest amongst 3 of us. After  I finished my 12th, I took up a job to supplement the family income.

I could express myself well in English. A cigarette sales campaign turned out to be  my first job. 

Campaign over, I went to a placement agency to register myself. They offered me a job, so I started working with them.

My future husband worked here. Within the year, we were married. I continued to work. 

He and my in-law family have always supported my ambition. Later, they would all even relocate to Bangalore from Pune, for my professional sake.

Along with work, I finished my graduation and then my MBA.

I joined an ed-tech company as a counsellor to sell training courses. 

In 1 1/2 years, I was doing the centre head role. They still called me coordinator, because I was too young for that position.

One of my best professional moments, still etched in my mind, is a little later, when they announced my promotion publicly during the anniversary celebrations.

I found many opportunities to learn by doing, while at work. 

I would show up before office to create learning aids for the enrolled students. I learnt much in the process.

A senior colleague changed jobs and a while later head-hunted me to a much bigger training company.

I taught myself project management by immersing myself in the scheduling calendar. Then I began to conduct MS project trainings.

I wanted to enter the project management space but they said, how could I teach experienced project managers, if I was not an engineer myself?

So, I started helping out by creating the question banks. Also games and ready-reckoners. Thus I learnt too and became familiar.

Opportunity comes to the prepared and it smiled my way when our team fell short of a trainer on a busy day.

No, it was not smooth sailing after that. 

A bunch of experienced project managers ate me for breakfast. 

On day 1 of a 3 day offsite, I sunk to the lowest point of my career, as question after probing question, I was unable to answer.

Can you imagine this? - I cried in front of this class. Yet, somehow, I carried on.

That evening, the office heard of my debacle and offered to send a replacement guru. 

I refused. Day 2 was much better because it was hands on MS Project and I could hold my own there.

I clawed my way back, by day 3.

I got better at delivering and built my expertise too. All on the job.

When I left this company, I was easily amongst the best trainers on project management, that they had to offer.

I joined Wipro and built my credentials there. 

As usual, I would volunteer for thankless tasks, because they could teach what I wanted to learn next. 

Marrying the two :), was my strategic lever.

Since then I have moved to HP and then to Diageo. I now deliver L&D as a strategic lever for our business.

My focus has helped me reach where I am today.