‘Add one KPI and KRA on your own to excel in the IT sector’

What does a student who has to leave Apeejay School, Pitampura in class X, due to family circumstances, do to rectify the situation? He does his post-graduation (PGDM) from Apeejay School of Management (ASM) in Dwarka. Now, a Global Business Growth Lead with DevRabbit IT Solutions where he has been working for four months, Roopak Chadda, a Delhiite, says that he can’t thank Apeejay enough for giving him the opportunity as a student to excel in his field today.

Excerpts from an interview.

When and how did your association with Apeejay begin?

My association with Apeejay is close to my heart. I started my schooling at Apeejay School, Pitampura, and studied here till class X. But due to some reason I had to leave this school and study at another place. But after I completed my graduation, I wanted to pursue post-graduation and this is when my association with Apeejay began again. I enrolled myself in the Apeejay School of Management (ASM) in Dwarka.

My times – in school and at ASM – were truly amazing. At ASM I got the opportunity to be part of the student exchange programme, this was the first time that Apeejay Education Society was organising with an international school in France. It was a huge learning curve for me and I want to thank Apeejay from the bottom of my heart for having given me this opportunity.

What is a typical day for you?

Well, it starts at 9 am. We have internal meetings and updates with the team. Once this is done, we have client calls; have project discussions; scout for new prospects and have new discussions related to them. We have clients in the US so by the time evening comes, we have meetings/discussions with them on projects and give feedback. No two days are the same. Every day comes with its share of challenges. Sometimes, a customer has some issues and these need to be resolved. We also get new projects that come with their own set of challenges. This leads to face-to-face/group discussions. However, some jobs are repetitive.

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At ASM I got the opportunity to be part of the student exchange programme, this was the first time that Apeejay Education Society was organising with an international school in France. It was a huge learning curve for me and I want to thank Apeejay from the bottom of my heart for having given me this opportunity

–Roopak Chadda, Global Business Growth Lead with DevRabbit IT Solutions

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Can you share some tips for Apeejayites who want to work in IT?

Someone who wants to work in this field, in a managerial position, especially if he/she is in sales and or marketing, must understand this domain thoroughly. They must know the ins and out of the market in which their company is providing service; product knowledge is imperative. This is because technology changes daily, so there is a new challenge that awaits you every day.

If the person is interested in the hardware side of IT like coding, he/she must become a master of the languages. They must also be prepared to upgrade themselves regularly and therefore, studying continuously for such people is a requirement. They must diversify as well and unless you do this, you excel in your chosen domain.

How often should one upgrade one’s skills?

It is not about how often one has to train oneself. There are times when the person may be so engaged with work that they may not have the time to pursue a course. There are other times when they have the time. This is the time to learn new things. But I would suggest that one must learn something new every quarter.

Most employees in such companies get Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Key Result Areas (KRAs). Add one KPI and KRA on your own. This will help them to excel in their field easily and quickly.

How would you rate Apeejay?

Whatever your highest rating, just add another 1 mark to it. I would say that this education society has given me so much in life. I left Pitampura school back in 2005 so I don’t remember much but I do know that they have a fantastic infrastructure even 17 years back. At ASM, I have so much to be grateful to this B-school.

They allowed me to excel in academics; they allowed me to excel in extracurricular activities – I was part of the organising committee. I grabbed whatever came my way with both hands. I had direct access to the director’s office, the faculty is brilliant here. You can reach out to anybody for any kind of help.

How did ASM placement help you bag your first job?

I was not in India when the ASM had organised campus placement. Had I been in the country, I am sure getting a job through one of the companies that would have come through. Having campus placement gives you a base for your working culture. So while I may have had to look for a job on my own, I can vouch that the ASM has a great placement cell and they stepped in when I had to do an internship while I was still studying. I would tell all ASM students that campus placement is a very important phase of your life as it will pave the way for your professional journey with a solid start.