Today there is a lot of scope for students in the marketing and advertising industry…

Sanchayeeta Verma- Leader in Marketing and Advertising Industry

“Never claim others’ work as your own. Work hard and prove your worth.” With 25 years of experience and hard work in the marketing and advertising industry, Sanchayeeta Verma is today seen as a strong leader. She has worked with some of the world’s largest companies, including Carat India, Mindshare, JWT, and others. Sanchayeeta Verma always keeps herself busy innovating, learning, and teaching.

Today, Grihshobha speaks to her about her education and career journey and brings some advice and guidance for students transitioning from school to college.

Tell us about your education and career choice.

During my schooling, I was also interested in extra skills. I learned crafts for one year and gardening for one year. I did Honors in Mathematics from Jadavpur University. After that, I thought about what to do next in my career; then, a friend of mine suggested doing an MBA. At that time, I had in my mind that if I want to work in a business organization, then doing a Master of Business Administration would be the right thing. I was very fond of reading fiction since childhood. I used to go to the library and pick up Blyton’s books. That storytelling encouraged my imagination. I took Mathematics because I liked science, and when I was pursuing my MBA, I chose marketing because it involved analyzing and convincing people about your products—a kind of storytelling. That’s why I earned an MBA in Marketing from IMT, Ghaziabad. During my university career, I made many good friends who always supported and encouraged each other. My university mentors were also very good and always supportive. After that, I got the opportunity to work with JWT Media. I feel like I became the first professional woman in my family.

Are marketing and advertising a threat to students?

Today, the marketing and advertising industry offers immense opportunities for students. If you’re afraid to enter this industry because you fear AI might take away your opportunities, don’t worry. AI is incredibly effective today. Furthermore, its arrival isn’t going to destroy much of the advertising industry.

If we compare today to 25 years ago, the advertising industry has changed significantly. Many tasks we used to do manually, often with a high probability of error, are now handled quickly and easily by AI. Yes, it’s irritating, but when you’re working on numerical data in Excel, AI can do it instantly. While everything is going digital, many things still operate on simple principles and will continue to do so in the future.

Also, understand that just as doctors have to obtain new certifications every year to maintain their practice licenses, our industry also requires new certifications. Once you get a degree, that’s it. It’s not like that; you always have to keep learning something.

How should students choose their career?

A good degree and a good college will definitely help in shaping your career; it does. But if you didn’t get into a good college and don’t know what to do or where to go, I would say, focus on what you have and tell yourself that whatever you do will be useful. At this age, many people don’t know what to do or what not to do. So, I would suggest looking at good role models and reading good books.

What kind of thinking should parents have for their daughters?

Girls’ parents should understand that boys and girls are equal. All the freedoms and rights that boys have are also available to girls. I remember my parents telling me to study first, then everything else, and they gave me every opportunity my brother had. I’ve seen many mothers who have taught their sons to do all the household chores because, for them, boys and girls are equal, so both should know how to do all the work. Therefore, parents should give their daughters opportunities, let them choose their subjects and careers, and make them self-dependent.

What are the keys to success?

Believe in yourself; don’t dwell on what happened yesterday or what lies ahead. This is the time to build and develop yourself. And parents should not overprotect their children, because no child can truly thrive in a pampered environment. Students should also not choose the easy path, because if they don’t accept challenges, work hard, explore different environments, and work, how will they become successful and grow? Remember, even a stone must undergo high pressure to become a diamond.

I would also like to say that India will rise when its youth rise, and our people are hardworking. I want students to study, learn, and grow so that a New India and a New Global Civilization can be created, where everyone respects and supports each other.

Learn from the struggles of your parents and teachers. I learned this myself. My parents were always very hardworking. Today, even though my father is 86 and my mother is 77, both continue to do something.

— Rajni Prasad