Walking into a class full of 47 people and walking in a week late (thanks to the Visa process!), I was excited and nervous at the same time. More than anything else, I was curious to know if my class was as diverse as the school claimed! As I entered the class, a positive vibe welcomed me into the room full of smiling faces. Looking around and after talking to a few people, I was so enthralled by the range of nationalities and experiences we had in a batch of 47. From Irish engineers to American sales managers, from Vietnamese bankers to a Canadian telecommunications expert, there was so many to learn from in the coming year.
Thinking about what I can add to this diversity made me revisit my profile. Recollecting all I can about myself, I would love to share with you a few facts about Amneet. I was born and brought up in New Delhi, India. Born into a business family, I have imbibed entrepreneurship and the spirit of risk taking and opportunity evaluation. Every discussion conjured up many business lessons, which I have learnt as a young bystander listening to my elders deliberate on the subject. As I grew, I gained insight into the various procedures and practices that are followed, and the passion and commitment it takes to execute them.
I did my Bachelors degree in Computer Science Engineering and was involved in various clubs during my college days. I am a trained Indian classical dancer and have delivered stage performances since the age of 7. As there was no cultural club in college, I met like minded people from various artistic disciplines like theatre, music, painting etc and we gave birth to HUNAR, the first cultural club of our college. Another very fulfilling decision of my college life was joining ROTARACT. In my very first year, I got the chance to be a part of many projects; The Arya Orphanage Project, Sandhya Old Age Home Project, Pulse Polio Camps, Blood Donation Camps to name a few. The humility, selflessness and the sense of satisfaction involved in all the projects was something I will hold on to for life. I worked for Rotaract for 3 years, with the last position held as Secretary. I also worked for the IEEE Student Chapter of my college as Deputy Director (Public Relations).
At work, I was leading a team and was responsible for client interaction, requirement analysis, functional clarification, onsite coordination and knowledge transfer. I also managed the documentation and quality assurance of the project. I also handled reviews and status reports for the projects. Apart from the technical side of work, I was also a very active in the associate engagement team of the organization. This team worked with the HR office to set up effective feedback mechanisms for the company. Along with that, the team organized various cultural functions, parties, annual functions and contests to keep the excitement alive in a somewhat monotonous work environment. The team also organized various health and vaccination drives for the benefit of the employees. I was also involved in the corporate social responsibility initiative of the organization. The main projects undertaken were education of young girls and elderly care. All the effort that went into preparation of plans, budgeting and management approvals were all much less in worth than the smiles we were able to bring on some people’s faces.
So here I am, in a nutshell. I wish to continue to work and contribute to the vibrant Smurfit community, like I have done before elsewhere. I hope that adds some interesting things to the UCD Smurfit MBA blog. Though the program keeps us very busy, I am enjoying it and the company of such lovely classmates makes my experience all the more beautiful. The year has been a tidal wave for me so far, but we, the MBA class of 2011, love to surf!
– Amneet
