How My Passion in People Management Led Me to a Trip to the US

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Exploring A Career in HR

I recently joined the Global Rewards team at Schneider Electric as an intern based in Paris, and I am enjoying the experience here. I am a postgraduate student pursuing a double master’s in business management & international business from France and The Netherlands.

Prior to that, I finished my undergraduate studies in electronics and communications engineering from India. I love technology, but there was always a part of me that was interested in the people side of the business. I decided to listen to my heart and follow my calling. While studying business management, I developed an interest in people management.

Today after studying and working in 5 countries, I am confident to say that I want to build my career around HR. I always try to keep myself updated about the new trends in the HR world and keep on looking for opportunities to explore more. As an early career professional, I have found this exploration somewhat challenging.

Seizing an Opportunity with HRCI- HR Certification

Back in early 2018, I was eager to deepen my understanding in the HR field, which led me to get a qualification with the HR Certification Institute (HRCI), a well-recognized association among HR professionals globally. A year after completing the Associate Professional in Human Resources International (aPHRi) certification offered by HRCI, I was surprised to receive an email from the organization. To my disbelief, it was an invitation to visit their headquarters in the US as a Subject Matter Expert and contribute as a panelist.

I was excited at the prospect of collaborating with one of the most prestigious HR institutes in the world and anxious at the same time because I was uncertain of how much value I could bring to the panel as I was still early in my professional career. With mixed feelings, I seized the opportunity and accepted the invitation to join the panel.

Communicating as a Global Citizen

On 18^th September, I flew to the US to attend the 3-day panel, and it was an enriching experience. The panel had experts from all around the world with diverse backgrounds. The only common thing we had was our passion for HR. The discussions we had, revolved around the changing sphere of people management. We focused on keeping the HR certification arena updated with what is crucial for today’s business world.

One of the key learnings for me was the importance of communication in today’s global environment. With continuous collaboration amongst people from all around the world, we are becoming global citizens. Different perspectives bring new ideas, but they can also lead to multiple interpretations of the same thing. Hence, the communication needs to be comprehensible and continuously reinforced.

In my opinion, the bottom line is that the business has always been about people. It currently is about people, and it always will be about people. The technological advancements we see are a means to support the business, but people are what drive the business. I would not argue on which of these two is more important, but both need to complement each other to thrive in today’s business world.

About the Author

I am a huge people-person and a Communications Engineer, but a few years ago a serendipitous event inspired me to get into the Business side of the Corporate World. After that, I gained experience in Recruiting, HR and Change Management in China and France, and I love it. After gaining these diverse experiences, my short-term goal is to settle down and work in people management and get to know the ins and outs of the field.

I am also focused on putting my passions and skills to good use by organizing networking events with the motto ‘Connecting Humans’ or organizing workshops for skills management.

While I am not doing this, I indulge in my love for seeing new places and capturing the moments through my camera. I am very much kid at heart and love to cook, whenever I can.

I love meeting new people and learning new things, so please feel free to say hello and share a story with me.

Connect with Utkarsh on LinkedIn!

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