The Roadmap to Success: Navigating Your Early Career Journey

By Manas Dey, 95MET, Atlanta, USA

Have you ever come across the concept of VUCA BANI? No, I'm not referring to a sermon delivered to the hungry instead of food. Rather, we recently delved into how understanding of VUCA BANI can equip individuals for their career journeys, contributing to organizational growth and innovation. Our insightful discussion took place during an engaging webinar titled "The Roadmap to Success: Navigating Your Early Career Journey," part of our global networking initiative.

Kalpana Majumdar, an alumna from the class of 1987 CST, set the tone for the session by extending warm greetings to our esteemed students, faculty, staff, and cherished alumni. She then introduced the moderator, Sanjay Basu, a 1995 CE graduate, who, having worked in fifteen different countries and completed his executive program management at IIM Kozhikode, currently serves as the business head of the B2B SAS business unit at TCS.

The sole panelist for the session, Amit Das, a 1988 EE alumnus residing in H9/Richardson Hall, holds the position of Director-HR & CHRO at Bennett Coleman & Company Ltd. Renowned as a global HR leader, he actively contributes to the creation of an employment exchange platform for senior citizens called SACRED. Additionally, Amit plays a pivotal role in the CII B20 taskforce under the Government of India.

According to Amit, the traditional VUCA acronym—representing Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous—has evolved into BANI, denoting Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear, and Incomprehensive. A new perspective within the VUCA framework has emerged and redefined VUCA as Vision, Understanding, Clarity, and Agility. In our ever-changing world, he points out that the only constant is change, consistently keeping us on our toes but in the last two decades the speed of change has been so accelerated that one time industry giants like Nokia, Motorola, Blackberry, Blockbuster have perished for not being able to keep pace with it. Simultaneously, a new generation of companies—such as Facebook, Google, Netflix, and Uber—has emerged. The landscape of business models, global markets, customer expectations, digital disruptions, and multi-generational talent is in a constant state of flux, presenting both challenges and opportunities. The relentless pace of change defines our contemporary environment, demanding a proactive approach and adaptability to navigate the dynamic challenges and opportunities that arise. The emergence of a new generation of companies, driven by innovative and disruptive technologies, has revolutionized traditional business models. The leading ride provider doesn't own a single car, and the largest hospitality provider doesn’t have any real estate. These companies, termed network orchestrators, specialize in building platforms that connect those in need with those who can provide, creating a networked ecosystem.

The success of these network orchestrators relies on a workforce equipped for the future, individuals who are both tech-savvy and freshly graduated. Businesses must be adaptive and consistently innovative to remain competitive, and it is the people within these organizations who drive such adaptability. Modern companies seek a workforce capable of swiftly unlearning, learning, and relearning, embracing change as a constant.

Amit emphasizes that today's world is an interconnected marketplace, where suppliers and consumers span the globe. The talent pool is also globally dispersed, with individuals not confined to traditional office spaces. Future-ready professionals must grasp the dynamics of the global marketplace, exhibit cultural awareness, and leverage digital skills to position themselves for new opportunities. In this digitally disrupted era, technology plays a pivotal role, making it imperative for future-ready individuals to comprehend and apply technology solutions to solve business challenges. Continuous learning is key for those aspiring to thrive in an ever-evolving business landscape.

In the contemporary workforce, according to Amit, there is a rich mix of talent spanning multiple generations, encompassing Maturists, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z. Each generation brings unique strengths, experiences, preferences, and perspectives that require successful management. Future-ready professionals need the ability to collaborate across diverse cultures and generations, working together to achieve their goals.

The session was highly interactive, with Amit actively engaging the audience through a Mentimeter poll. He sought their opinions on the most crucial skills for future-ready talents. In the context of the rapidly changing landscape, individuals equipped for the future should possess key competencies. These include learning agility with a growth mindset, creativity and innovation, critical thinking, adaptability to change, and emotional intelligence. Amit emphasized that adopting a design thinking approach is essential, beginning with empathizing with a problem, defining it, followed by brainstorming to ideate, and building a prototype that undergoes testing before successful implementation.

Amit advises young professionals to adopt a proactive career management approach. This involves identifying their competencies, aspiring towards specific goals, and then actively developing themselves to reach their desired destinations. Towards the conclusion of his talk, he underscores three fundamental pillars of learning. First is formal learning, constituting approximately 20%, typically occurring in classroom settings. This is followed by self and social learning, contributing about 30%, where individuals glean knowledge from online courses, on-the-job training, seminars, or conferences. The third pillar is experiential learning, making up around 50%, wherein individuals learn within the context of their own jobs.

Amit fielded a couple of inquiries from the audience, including one from Shreya Sharma, a Ph.D. student at MIT and 2018 Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics graduate. Shreya was curious about Amit's involvement with advisory committees for government ministries and sought insights into the distinctions between the private and public sectors. In response, Amit highlighted two key factors: the immense scale and immediate impact on the general populace that the public sector decisions or policies can offer compared to those in the private sector.

Addressing another question on whether early career talents should commit to a single employer for an extended period or explore frequent job changes to advance in their careers, Amit delved into the contemporary workforce trends. He explained that the current inclination is towards building a portfolio of experiences across various companies rather than adhering to a single employer. This shift in perspective is reshaping how the present generation approaches career development, marking a departure from the traditional notion of long-term commitment to a single company. Sanjay skillfully managed and moderated the entire session, offering insights on how Covid has influenced the development of future-ready talent. According to him, the discussion not only benefits those eagerly awaiting entry into the workforce but also seasoned professionals like himself. The audience actively participated, posing questions towards the end.

As the program drew to a close, Kalpana Majumdar informed everyone about the upcoming webinar on Dec 2nd with Arijit Banerjee, 2005EE. She also thanked 400+ alumni who joined IIEST Alumni Networking initiative’s pilot program and being part of three different Special Interest Groups. She reminded us of all over again about the great cause of building an all-inclusive IIEST Alumni Network. This event provides a splendid opportunity for attending alumni to personally connect with our panelists, fostering meaningful relationships and reflecting on the shared experiences at our beloved Alma Mater.