Written by Karishma Pal
My work journey began as an article assistant in a CA firm back when I was pursuing CA. The arrangement was not great though it took a lot of effort and hard work from me. You know, sometimes things do not go in the direction you want.
With a lot of anxiety to keep working and the urge to be independent, I started working as a content writer in an IT firm because that was one of the few offers I had got. Who doesn’t enjoy a sizeable paycheck at an early age? I hadn’t put thoughts on my professional growth or career aspect at that point and only worked with blinders. I always made a point to be good at what I am doing and get better each day by asking never-ending questions or taking feedback constructively. In just one year, I was promoted as a Team Lead and loaded with more responsibilities and work. I have been a rude and horrible leader, but I tried to work upon myself for days to just fit with the team.
Paycheck size and team size both increased at an exponential rate and I did learn about time management and people management. That led me to learn about time and people management. The only thing that bothered me there was the fact that there was no professional growth for me working as a content writer.
Content writing was never the plan, and I did not enjoy the work either. I started to realize how well my friends or cousins were doing for themselves and enjoying what they did, and honestly, it did make me sad for myself.
What am I even doing? Is this something I would like to do even after ten years?
Not getting into a motivational speech but questioning myself helped.
I started to search for better work and explore career options at the same time. I got offers from three companies and wrote down their names on paper, folded them, mixed them up, and picked one to choose from. That’s how confused I was! But, this silly decision turned out to be amazing for me. I chose to say yes to eWards — which is now my eWards!
As a Senior Relationship Manager at eWards, one of the leading SaaS companies, I got the option to explore what I want to do at work. Whether it was focussing on making a client’s experience better or wanting to provide a solution to businesses and crunch numbers. While working in the servicing department, I thoroughly enjoyed brainstorming marketing ideas for clients across Food & Beverage, Beauty & Lifestyle, and Retail industries. Conversing with the leaders of these industries gave me the rich exposure I always wanted. This brought meaning and purpose to my professional career.
One day, the founder asked me to focus on Sales because he thought I could do it. Trust me! I hate the word in the first place. The whole thought of going through an interview where they ask you ‘Sell me this pen!” is a task for me.
However, you can never argue with him without any proper logic. I tried my hands on it and even got burned but, now it’s shining a bit brighter than I thought. I traveled to different cities from Bhubaneswar to Jaipur to Bangalore and loved it. Enjoyed the food, culture, and everything else in different cities and it was amazing. Even as a part of the Sales and Servicing team, I did take responsibilities beyond the usual work. It was always fun to learn how the leading CRM or marketing automation solutions are built, which I sell regularly. I learned far more new skills unconsciously. However, it was not a bed of roses for me. You do face issues at work like any other working professional.
Traveling to different cities continuously left me with no personal space or life. My unbalanced work-life situation took a toll on me. Situations changed due to the pandemic that led me to spend time with my family, be at home and enjoy that personal space that I lacked for months. Everything picked up gradually for me. My team head and founder saw growth in me, and when I least expected it, I got promoted within a year. Promotion boosted my confidence and gave me a push to keep trying something wildly different. I think I have come a far way from where I started. Being an aggressive, hyper, short-tempered girl to being a mix of everything and mellowed down mature person, it is a good road I’m driving on!
It’s necessary to have good people around you for your growth. There will be roadblocks because of which you might rethink your plan and course but that’s OKAY! It’s okay to take a step sideways and make a deal to find the path that works for you. Believe it or not, this will help you find your path and encounter them successfully. You just have to stick to your guns and be passionate about what you do.
Always be true to yourself and do what you love and enjoy!
