Saptarshi Shaw graduated in 2011 with an MBA from Alliance University. He shares his story from the days at Alliance to his current stint as a Zonal Marketing Manager for one of the top commercial automotive companies in India.
Our batch was a tight knit group of less than 90 students as it was the January batch comprising largely of students with prior work experience. The first year was grueling and I remember having sleepless nights with a barrage of assignments and tests. As months passed, it got better – either the pressure lessened, or we just got used to a high-pressure environment, either way, college life became more fun. The sprawling campus, new friends, and amenities along with pressure of assignments and tests made my time at Alliance wholesome.
I always was inclined towards marketing and when it came to choosing a career, I knew I wanted to pursue a field that is not just my interest but also one that I am naturally inclined to. So, when the time came to choosing electives in the second year, Marketing was my obvious choice. I was never the studious kind, so while I consistently delivered on the assignments and assessments, I think the real take away for me was how my thinking was developed and shaped by these various academic activities and experiences.
In 2010 I joined the placement committee – there was always prestige associated with being part of the placement team, but the reality was that we would do all the running around and coordination to make companies feel comfortable and excited about the campus recruitment process. This experience allowed me to experiment with marketing concepts, as we needed to market and brand the college and students to these companies. The same year, I got placed with LG Electronics and that gave me a solid platform to build my foundation. We had a rigorous one-month orientation process where we trekked in the Himalayas and learnt some invaluable life lessons. I was placed in Mangalore and handled Mangalore territory as Area Manager. After 4 years, my role expanded, and I was relocated to Bangalore as a Branch Marketing Manager. After spending 6 years with LG Electronics, I got an opportunity to change my sector from Consumer Goods to Automobile and that seemed to be a sensible next step for my long-term career plans. I wanted to gain more exposure in other sectors and this opportunity came right at the time when I felt that I had dabbled with most aspects in the Consumer Goods sector. I joined Ashok Leyland in 2017 and relocated to my hometown, Kolkata. I currently work here as a Zonal Marketing Manager taking care of Eastern Region. My goal in 2021 is to sharpen my skills in Digital Marketing.
While I articulate my professional life till date, I’ll leave you with a thought that resonates with me – view life as a continuous learning experience. Dream big and work hard.
