Interview with Dr Neeta Gulati

Dr Neeta Gulati, CEO at Itnurture Den, sat down for an hour on December. 16 to talk about her experience in the field of Information technology with Our editorial member Vaibhav. Here are the edited excerpts.

Q: You have a lot of experience, good academic background and certifications like six sigma black belt. What are your thoughts about the next generation? What are they missing? Is it the skills or the grades that matter?

A. According to recent intake scenarios, recruiters’ focus is more on skills rather than grades. More than 70% of the students in Graduation and Post Graduation lack presentation skills. Students should learn an important trait to talk their way through. If you look at Silicon Valley its not their idea that shines. It’s the way they market themselves, is where the difference lies. I’m not suggesting Grades are unimportant. Grades are the ones that open the first door for you but don’t expect Grades open the every door or obstacle you face in life. Skills, practical knowledge and Attitude do that.

Q: For an MBA student what according to you are the 5 most important qualities to possess for placement or career in general?

A. It is very difficult to make a list of skills that interviewers essentially look in potential candidates. Most important skills according to me are:

• First is Presentation — how you present yourself. Working on this area can help you a lot. As I have said before presentation is what defines a vision for your idea.
• Second is focus on Body Language, best thing is to smile.
• Thirdly, know about your weakness & what you are doing about it. Also know about your strength and display it.
• Forth is focus on interaction, the way you interact in an interview plays a major role in your selection. 
• Fifth is to Stay Calm, Practice deep breaths for achieving it. 

Q: You have worked in Capgemini and IBM. How was your experience? How are both the organizations different in terms of use of technology?

A. IBM is a known brand and is a big company. It is everywhere. IBM is the company that makes many tools that software organizations use these days. On the other hand companies like Capgemini are growing companies and often uses IBM tools and services. They work for IBM and in return they get trained by IBM. Regarding organizational culture, IBM has an open culture and people are allowed to work from home.

Q: In our campus, placement and internship season is on. Many of the students are confused whether to join a startup or go for a well-established organisation. How should we go about it?

A. It depends on the person and his needs. Big companies have a brand name with them and give a sense of security. People may have a satisfaction that they are working for a big organisation. But when it comes to learning, what a startup can give you in 2 years can't be achieved even after 5 years if you work in a big company. What I suggest is to work for a startup for some time and then switch to a big organisation.