College Experiences That Helped a Financial Strategist at LiquiLoans Succeed
Arnav, a senior manager with only five and a half years of experience, emphasizes the importance of cultivating strong professional relationships: "find the right people to help you," building a network of mentors both inside and outside of organizations, while carefully navigating office politics to avoid "burn[ing] bridges" and maintaining beneficial connections throughout their career.
Networking, Mentorship, Career Navigation, Relationship Building, Professional Rapport
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Arnav Sutaria
Sr. Manager - Financial Alliances & Strategy
LiquiLoans (FinTech Startup)
University of Mumbai, 2018
None, professional certification - Chartered Accountant (India)
Accounting
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Strategic Management and Executive
International Student
Video Highlights
1. Building and maintaining professional relationships is crucial for career success. Nurturing these connections with mentors, colleagues, and managers can provide valuable support and open doors to new opportunities.
2. Networking is essential, especially in larger organizations. It's important to identify individuals who genuinely support your growth and strategically cultivate those relationships.
3. Avoid burning bridges. Maintaining positive relationships with everyone, even those with whom you don't work closely, can be beneficial in the long run, as you never know when you might need their help or support. This is especially important in India's professional landscape, which can be characterized by infighting and competition for resources.
Transcript
What is one lesson that you have learned that has proven significant in your career?
It's a little early for me to be dishing out life lessons. I've only been working for five and a half years, but one thing I have learned is that you should find the right people to help you. It's very important to identify mentors, and they don't even have to be within your organization; they could be outside as well.
I think it's really important to find those who have your best interest at heart. With others, you might get your work done, but they may not necessarily be interested in your progress. In smaller organizations, there's usually a closer-knit culture. But in larger ones, you have to be a little clever in navigating.
When you talk about yourself or share personal life details, there are some things you may want to reveal and some you may not. This is especially true in India, unfortunately. From what I've seen, there's a level of infighting and squabbling. People fight for resources and projects. So, you just have to be clever in how you navigate these waters.
The most important thing is not to burn your bridges with anybody. Maybe there are some people you are closer to, some managers you get along with well. For others, you might just want to work with them and move on. But it's important to identify the people who are there to help you, work with them, network with them, and have them in your corner.
Even when you move out of an organization, you should try to keep in touch with your bosses and mentors. When you apply to B-school, they ask for letters of recommendation. It's always good to have that rapport.
I've been lucky that I have a good rapport with all my professional colleagues at the three places I've worked. I know if I were to call up my boss or colleagues and ask them for help, they would always answer and help me. So, building and maintaining those relationships is very important.
Make sure you don't burn any bridges in your career. You can always play it smartly, but just bear that in mind when you're navigating the waters, especially as an analyst.
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