‘HR does not only make rangolis!’

Apeejay Panchsheel Park alumna Richa Dhawan began her career as a public relations professional but has now moved to Human Resources (HR). She is currently working as a Senior HR Business Partner at Marui Suzuki India Ltd and has been associated with the company for eight years. In an interview, she tells us more about her journey:

What was school like? How did Apeejay shape you?

I am from the 2004 batch and was in the Humanities stream. I have some great memories of school. It gave me friends for life. The school played a significant role in shaping me into what I am today—it helped me become independent and identify my qualities. The validation I got from school has been instrumental in making me a good professional today. Of course, there is still a long way to go. But I owe my success so far to the great teachers who always motivated me. The teachers shared a bond with each and every student. The personal attention we got from the teachers was valuable.

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You completed your graduation in Political Science from Delhi University and then went on to pursue Mass Communication from Panjab University. What inspired this shift?

I have always been an extrovert. Mass communication was something I thought I would be good at. It was during my graduation days that I got drawn to this subject and was curious to know more about it. I wanted to do a full-time course and was looking for good universities—during that time in 2007, that were only a handful of universities that were offering a full-time course. I was fortunate enough to be enrolled at Panjab University.

After working in media, you moved to an HR profile. Why did you decide to do that?

I began my professional career with India InfoMedia Pvt Ltd, a public relations agency in Delhi. Prior to that, I did internships in other verticals including radio, journalism, and corporate communications, and realised public relations was something I could contribute to the most and make a difference. In public relations, I worked with various clients. All this while, I thought about what difference I could bring to the agencies and improve communications. So, after working across sectors, from tourism to healthcare and corporates, I got an opportunity to work with Maruti Suzuki India Ltd in November 2014. I shaped their whole learning and development wing and set up their training academy. From there, I moved to industrial safety, and currently, I am part of corporate HR. As an HR Business Partner, I take care of the whole life cycle of an employee. It has been a great journey till now. There are all levels of manpower in manufacturing, and you have to cater to them, which in itself is a great learning experience.

There are so many stereotypes about HR professionals. What is the biggest myth about HR?

HR does not make rangolis! Period. HR is like the torchbearer of the company and is functional 24×7. They are on their toes constantly. HR professionals take their job very seriously.

What message would you like to give young Apeejayites?

Self-discovery is important—discover your competencies and skills. Honing those skills will help you choose the career path that is best suited for you. Believe in yourself.