A post-graduate student from Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida talks about his journey towards achieving his goals and successfully securing a job with Colgate Palmolive
Sometimes you need to find your career, and sometimes, your career finds you. Born in the interiors of Uttar Pradesh, Neeraj Tripathi grew up aspiring to become a Management post-graduate. Similar to a lot of other professionals in the sector, his passion for specializing in Marketing came not from great future prospects, but from an intense desire to learn and practice the art of selling without actually selling.
Neeraj’s first step towards getting into Marketing for a brand like Colgate Palmolive began with scouting for opportunities internally. Luckily, that worked for him. That was the time when he realized the potential of chasing for the finest job, and for that he decided to reskill himself to suit into the industry parameters. Today a proud employee of his dream-like workplace, he recalls the placement interview phase, “there was immense competition for this profile, since we were 60 of us who applied for it. The first question was tricky, and it baffled me instantly. I was asked – if a distributor does not assign work to you during your training period, what will you chose to do in that period? Today, I’m glad for the answer I gave during that time,” said Neeraj.
The thing he most appreciates is the encouragement and guidance he got from his professors at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida. Through all the reading between the lines and dedicatedly working towards achieving the set goals, he ultimately learned that the only person holding him back from doing so was himself. He adds, “What set me apart from the crowd was my willingness to learn, unlearn, re-learn and maintaining self-confidence. Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida helped me prepare for the job marketplace, tremendously. The MBA program was perhaps the gateway to my future.”
Three months away from contributing towards a new stint as a Customer Development Officer, Neeraj happily owes the credit to his internship experience at Amul and Mr. Karni Singh Jhala from Viacom 18 who truly inspired him. As a piece of advice, Neeraj adds, “While it’s easy to give excuses and difficult to maintain consistency, do not give up without even trying to know what’s in there. Everybody around us is always helpful – in my case, my professors, my fellow-students, friends, and undoubtedly, my family. You can be your own mentor, but that does not mean you shouldn’t pay heed to what others suggest”
Life holds a special place for those who dare to dream beyond their capacity. Neeraj aspired to build a career with nothing but the best, and that’s what he manifested. He recalls and says, “I remember travelling back to Noida from hometown and that’s when I got a call from Colgate. While I did secretly hope for good news, I didn’t see my dream coming true so quickly. The first call I made was to my parents, and I’ll never forget that day.”