Waste water management – the required way out!

At just 21, he is the youngest among all the IMPALSIANS, but he is the most sought after team member too! He joined us as an intern three months ago but since then has made such a powerful impact with his work that surprised one and all.

Today we are highlighting the journey of our bright Graphic Design intern Aakarsh Raj.

He hails from Bokaro, in the state of Jharkhand, a 2 hours drive from Ranchi, home to one of India’s most successful captains Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Akarsh was the youngest member of the Raj family too, pampered and loved by two elder sisters. He completed his SSC from DAV Kathara and HSC from DAV Swang in the Science stream. He was an average student in school, and his true interest and talent were in drawing and painting from a very tender age even without formal training.

He was only 9 years old when he lost mother who passed away after prolonged illness. Like talent, tragedy doesn’t spare tender aged either, and this loss left a vacuum in his life forever. His sisters never let him feel the absence of their mother though, pampering and showering him with love to the utmost. However, this experience made him self-caring and taught him the lesson in responsibility.

As both his sisters would be out in colleges and their father, who would be out on duty for long hours with his job in coal industry in Jharkhand, he, at times, had to spend with himself taking recourse to his interest in drawing which gradually became finer.

After 12th, he cleared entrance exam for pursuing Engineering, but didn’t feel inclined towards the grinding of Engineering! He found a supportive family in this moment of career decision. He decided to pursue Economic Honours, landed up in the City of Joy – Kolkata, and got admission in Asutosh College, one of Calcutta’s reputed colleges.        
He cleared the first year of Economics Honours, but unfortunately could not clear all the subjects in the first attempt and was not promoted to the second year.  According to the college rule, he was to reappear for the whole first year again as he was from Science stream.

He followed the rigorous process but soon felt de-motivated, and decided to give up on his studies. His family supported him again and motivated him to pursue what likes the best.
He listened to his heart’s call.

He decided to pursue Graphic Designing and that decision brought him to the city of Pune, where he started staying with elder sister who was a working professional in Pune. Akarsh joined MAAC Institute for his Graphic Designing course.

Once the course was over, he was looking for some organizations where he could take up an internship stint to gather some hands-on experience.

He was all set to look out for opportunities, but then a strange thing took place. The guy who was happy go lucky suddenly was embraced by Anxiety disorder. And that too in such a way that he started getting anxiety and panic attacks. His first attack lasted for almost a few hours and which scared him to the core.

At first he was unaware as to what exactly was happening to him but then he started researching about it on his own. For almost four months, he never moved out of his house alone as he was just scared of anything and anyone that came his way. He realized that he was getting panic attacks but was adamant on the fact that he would not undergo any harsh medical treatment for it since the medication could have some different side effects of depression as well. This decision was the true elixir of his life. He reassured himself for a moment and decided that he could come out of that phase on his own.  He read many articles on the internet and found out that Meditation is the key to calm down his anxiety.

He followed a strict regime to come out of this nightmare. Since he was suffering from sleep deprivation in this phase, firstly he started listening to sleep meditation videos due to which he could at least fall asleep. Mornings then started by his meditation by around 4am-5am, followed by pranayam, walking and yoga. Two hours of his day were strictly dedicated to this routine and he saw to it that nothing could obstruct it.

It was his sheer determination that helped him come out of the darkness as per one of his own favorite quotes from the movie Harry Potter: “Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right”. This truly inspired him and transformed him into a responsible and matured person. The idea of joining internship was still on his mind and he got a chance at IMPALS as a Graphic Design intern. He joined us in January’18 and from that time he was made a lasting impression on all of us by his dedication and hard work. Graphic Designing is his passion and he is well focused on it, come what may. Nothing can deter him from his focus and stop him from getting IMPALSIFIED. This quality of him has grabbed him an opportunity to become a full time IMPALSIAN after his internship period is over.

To throw light on some other aspect of him, he has almost 113k followers on Instagram, on his page “Petrifying Pen”. He posts shorts stories, quotes, designs etc on Instagram on a daily basis. He is a homely person so he spends most of his time in his house with his laptop exploring new trends in his field. His further plans are to complete his graduation through distance learning and get himself a degree.

From “Playing Alphabets” to “Petrifying Pen”, that the journey of our brilliant intern Aakarsh Raj. He is a true inspiration to today’s youngsters and shows us that with strong determination brings fruits of success along with it.

Team IMPALS is proud of you. Keep up the good work & get IMPALSIFIED every day.

Five points to consider before entering in the Customer Service job

Making your client valuable is the key to success of any business and very important for organizations these days. Building credibility is very tough in today’s era of competition. Business means not only acquiring new clients but also retaining your existing clients. Your existing clients are your ambassadors, who can help promote your business and in turn help you grow. But, this will happen only if they are satisfied with your customer service. In today’s world, client servicing is not an option but a must. You don’t have to struggle for repeat business if your relationship with your existing clients is excellent. Neglecting client servicing means neglecting your business, and that’s why, it has to be taken seriously. It is also one sure way of assuring your organization’s cash register ringing.

If you are in a Client Relations profile, you have to take utmost care while dealing with your customers. Good customer service should come naturally to you and should be a major part of your daily schedule. Below are five guiding principles to abide by in a Client Servicing profile:

1. Effective Communication - both verbal and non-verbal: Communication is an essential aspect of Client Servicing. If you have good communication skills, you will be able to express your thoughts in a much better manner to your clients. This ensures that the information you provide is conveyed effectively to them. Effective communication helps to bind your customer with you for a long term as it is the foundation of any business. The interaction should be personalized, and the clients should feel your willingness to help them. Client relations are effectively maintained if communication is made in a positive manner. Negative communication can make a bad impact on the client. So, communicate appropriately and clearly with your clients.

2. Be a good Listener: Active listening is another important aspect of Client Relations. Listening carefully helps avoid miscommunication as miscommunication can cause us to lose a great deal of business. It helps us in resolving client queries effectively. Active listening makes the client feel that you can relate to their needs. It helps you focus on the problem completely. Show respect towards the client by avoiding any interruption during the conversation. Be focused.

3. Understand the Customer Needs: Try to understand the needs of your customer and act promptly. Think from the clients’ perspective and try to offer them solutions accordingly. This ensures the clients’ trust in you. It makes your clients feel that you care for them and their business. For this, you need to thoroughly understand your clients’ business, as you can offer solutions as per their needs. You have to regularly interact with your clients to know the current trends and to know any future developments at their end. Knowing about your clients can help you anticipate what you can offer them. This gives you a better edge over your competition.

4. Know-how of the Service Catalog: Strong know-how of your organization’s service catalog is another attribute of the Client Servicing profile. Knowing your services completely can help you map the customer’s needs more effectively. Because of your strong know-how of the services, you can eventually spread your footprints in the customer landscape. You can be more confident while dealing with your clients as you can address any query immediately.

5. Patience - A crucial factor for customer servicing: Patience is the key to relieving all the problems. Be patient with your clients, especially when they are angry or irritated with you due to any reason. Empathize with them and give them extra attention to understand the problem. Try to keep calm and cool, when dealing with a dissatisfied customer. Being patient helps to avoid any impulsive decision and also plays a major role in winning the client. As it’s said, patience is a virtue, so have lots and lots of patience.

Client servicing is all about how to know the pain areas of your clients, take feedback from them, and provide them solutions promptly as per their needs. There many more attributes to a Client Relations profile, apart from the ones mentioned above. Client servicing is not a one-time job, but it needs continuous improvement. The more you improvise, the better you get at it. Your style of customer service can leave an impression on your clients’ mind for quite a long time, and your client will start recognizing you as the face of your organization. 

Lastly, remember that great customer service is an art and can help you to maintain a long-lasting relationship with your clients. Make your customer feel valuable and increase the chances of your organization’s growth. 
 

Why to choose startups for career growth

After completing our academics, one question that hovers over us is how to choose the right career path. We aspire to work with a well known brand as we dream to be successful because we always associate success with big fat compensation we receive. Also, it makes us feel proud when we quote about it to our relatives and friends. But one thing that we never think about is “Will I get to use my skills and my knowledge over there?” 

This is why we also need to contemplate other options.  If not a well known brand, then should I take up a job at an organization which is started recently and is in its growing stage? But many a time we do not think of this option because of the money factor. We opine that startups do not pay well. May be true or may be not? But, in fact, joining a start up would be more beneficial rather than joining a MNC. Let’s find out why?

At times the reality is that while working with the MNCs at the entry level we tend to become followers and that gets tagged with us forever. Once a follower always a follower! We are used to follow instructions from our superiors. Every day is the same day with nothing new to explore. The work you do is done by many others as well and you are just a part of the team. It’s a kind of monotonous job till the time you reach at a middle or higher level. The only reward you get is the financial reward at the end of each month.

Accepting the fact that startups are not that good payers but in a startup, even at an entry level, you are a leader/an initiator, and you have a free hand to utilize your skills to the fullest. You are allowed to experiment with your creativity and share your ideas. You have to daily face new challenges and you strive hard to complete the same, and that’s the motivating factor. You get recognized for your efforts and that in turn boosts your confidence. You become a contributor to the success of the organization.

Another factor is the experience you can gain in a startup. The experience here is not limited only to your domain. You are free to help others and show your skills in other areas where required. You get exposure to new responsibilities and new learning opportunities which means you can step in various shoes and as result every time can learn something new. Learning in a startup is a never ending process, you learn as you grow. Every responsibility will be unique. And gaining maximum experience should be a major driving force rather than money when you are in your early career.

The hierarchy here is different compared to a corporate. Here the seniority factor is not that important. You are the owner of your own work. Although you are free to approach anyone from the team you think will be able to help you. You are not limited to access. You can even access the management as and when required. You can share your vision, your creative ideas, can discuss about the company’s growth strategy and give suggestions as well to your management.  This helps you build a sense of ownership in you which is helpful for you in the long run of your life.

Let’s also not deny that you have to go through a lot of pressure in a startup, burn your hands many times, but the end result would be really satisfying. If you survive this pressure, you will be able to handle any difficult situation going ahead, as you become tough. You actually have to work for extra hours here but that is going to pay you for the hard work. That is going to make you ready when you reach a higher position in your professional tenure, because once you are at a middle or higher level you are expected to work for more hours than your subordinates. Putting in extra hours while working in a startup already makes you ready for the next level.  One day of absence would make a lot of difference to the organization, where as in a MNC even ten days of leave would not make any difference to your contribution.

Startups can be considered as a stepping stone for your career. Money should not be a driving factor but a good learning opportunity should be. The urge of learning something new, the motivation to face challenges everyday will help you grow in your life. Once these factors are imbibed in you, success will automatically be a part of your life. You can find ways to come out of any difficult situation that you are in.

 Arguably, startups can also be a setback for someone, but it’s up to you how you look up to it. You have to tell yourself “I can do it”, and this “I can do it” attitude is what will help you survive. Struggle will be a part but this struggle will make you tougher and help you go miles in future. These struggles will make you a part of the growth and success of the startup. You will be proud of yourself and your achievements.

So, decide for yourself, what you want to be, A Gladiator or a Trail Blazer.