Landing a dream job in advertising

Right through my college days when  I was studying for a B.Com degree, I was clear that I wanted to take up advertising as a career, though advertising was not considered a career for a boy from lower middle class those days. .Luckily for me, by the time I had finished my four years in college, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan had started the first ever P.G.Diploma Course in advertising in Bombay, in which I promptly enrolled.

Apart from doing a day job and attending evening classes, I was also a part time tutor at the Podar College of Commerce, taking classes on ‘Salesmanship & Publicity’ for students of  the Diploma in Commerce course.  During this period, I got involved in organizing an exhibition on advertising for the  Commercial Museum.of the Podar College which gave me a legitimate excuse for visiting  leading advertising agencies like JWT, Lintas, Bomas, Clarion, etc., seeking materials, photographs and advertising clippings required for the exhibition. These trips also helped me see first hand the insides of ad agencies and meet some veterans of advertising, which only enhanced my interest in the subject.

 Around this time, Clarion Advertising which had just entered into a tie up with McCann, advertised for Management Trainees. After passing the first two rounds of interviews in Bombay I was selected for the final interview in Calcutta. Friends advised me that to get a job in an advertising agency, I must

be properly attired. Since I could not afford to buy a new suit, I  borrowed a black blazer from the nearby laundry on rent for a week. It was not a perfect fit,I probably looked more funny than smart, but I had a coat to wear for the interview.

I  landed in Calcutta on a Friday evening as  the interviews were scheduled on Saturday

and Sunday. Sitting in the reception of Clarion next morning  I felt nervous  looking at the other candidates. Most of them were sons and daughters of parents who belonged to the upper strata, as was

evident from the way they looked, dressed and talked!. It only added to my complex when I learnt that most of the other candidates had their college education in prestigious institutions  like St. Stephens, Delhi, or St. Xavier’s, Calcutta. I didn’t have to worry because  I was the only guy in the group who

was doing a PG Diploma in Advertising, which gave me a distinct edge over the others, as I found during the group discussions on the second day. I was thrilled when I learnt at the end of the day  that I had done well and that I can expect an appointment letter soon.

On my return to Bombay, I got busy putting  together the exhibition on advertising for which dates had already been fixed. With the help of some students, we had got all the display panels ready and I went around trying to identify a chief guest. I was lucky that the legendary Edward J. Fielden the then Chief of J. Walter Thompson (JWT), the biggest agency in India, agreed to be the Chief Guest and inaugurate the exhibition.

After the inaugural function, at the informal tea session, Mr. Fielden who was obviously impressed with me offered me a job in JWT as a Trainee. He said, “Well, normally boys pay money and get trained in JWT. But I will see that you get a stipend of Rs. 60/- per month”. I was on cloud nine since

I already had offers from the top two agencies of the country. I thanked Mr. Fielden profusely and told him that I would get back to him. The letter of appointment from Clarion, which arrived within a week,

helped me make up my mind in favour of Clarion which  offered me Rs. 250/- per month with a promise that I would be confirmed as Junior Account Executive and would get Rs. 550/- per month at the end of a

year’s training. I was delighted that I had landed my dream job in the second largest advertising agency, even before I had completed my advertising course. My tryst with the advertising profession had begun!

( Excerpted from my autobiography titled `Courage My Companion`)

My formula for success in life

I spent  four years pursuing a degree in Commerce from Bombay University.. During every summer vacation ,I used to take up temporary jobs to earn enough money to look after my college fees. My last summer job as Accounts Assistant at Dharamsi Morarjee Chemicals, which was otherwise routine, was memorable because of a meeting I had with Mr.Shukla,  the Sales Manager  on the last day of my stint at the company.

Watching him in action from my corner table  I  had  become his ardent fan. I am a pushy person by nature. On the last day of my job, I barged into his room and requested him to spare me a few minutes. Though he was initially annoyed at my insolence, when I told him who I was and the purpose for which I wanted to meet him., he  relaxed and asked me to take my seat.

After giving him a brief background about myself, I told him about my plans to become an adman and sought his advice in the matter. Much to my surprise, he was categorical that advertising might not suit me and explained why. He felt that advertising at that point of time was meant for people with social

standing. My lower middle class background would keep me down in the ad world, even if I found a job.

Though I did not follow his advice regarding a career in advertising, I took  two other pieces of advice that he gave me seriously which have helped me evolve as a compassionate and good human being, successful in every thing I have attempted to do  over the years.

Advice No. 1: Since you will be starting on a career in a couple of

years, you must introspect and prepare a balance sheet of your plus points

and minus points. Show this balance sheet to a few of your near and dear

ones to add or eliminate some points. Having got a final list, you must

make a sincere attempt to convert each one of the minus point to a plus

point. It will take you a whole lifetime to do this but the efforts will be

worthwhile.

Advice No. 2: Do not judge the success of a person based on how

he lives or the amount of money he makes. He may have all the money

in the world but in the process of accumulating that wealth and enjoying

the pleasures that such wealth can provide, he would have missed out on

important values in life — values pertaining to relationship with people.

To become a really successful person in life, start at being a good son, a good brother, a good friend, a good student, a good spouse, a good father, a good employee, a good boss and so on.  In other words, you must be successful in every role that you are called upon to play in life. He said that this would take you a whole life time to achieve. But the goodwill that you would have created will guarantee you

greater happiness than all the money in the world can buy. Money can help you buy pleasures but not happiness.

I have followed this advice throughout my life. It has not been easy but I know that I have tried my best. I am happy to say that at 78, I feel that I have led a far more fulfilling life than many so-called-successful people that I have come  across!

My bank of good will is always over flowing  because of which I am able to help any one seeking any kind of help from me. I have discovered, over the years,  that there is no other joy greater than the Joy of giving!

( Excerpted from my autobiography titled `Courage My Companion)

Story Telling- A career opportunity!

Story telling from being  a hobby has become  a career  for many.. My second daughter, one of the the founder members of Bangalore Story Telling Society is one such person who has taken to story telling with great  passion.  She tells me that Story telling is no more restricted to children with morals but is used as a  communication tool even by Corporates in their training sessions. There are professional training institutes training interested candidates in this art which used to be the prerogative of the grand parents of  yore! Alas, with the disintegration  of  joint families today`s children are denied the benefit of this important means of learning about our  mythologies, traditions and cultures.

As a boy brought up  in Mumbai, far away from our grandparents based in Chennai, my siblings and I were denied the privilege of hearing stories from them.  My father neither had  the inclination nor interest in  telling stories; my mother, who was always under tremendous pressure with domestic chores, found very little time to enlighten us on this score. She would make it up by taking us sometimes to Pravachanams of scholars who came visiting  Bombay to give discourses on Ramayanam  or Mahabharatham . The result was that I grew up with limited knowledge of our heritage.

While my lack of knowledge of heritage did not affect my building a successful career as an advertising professional, it posed a major challenge when my grand children arrived. When they would come  visiting and expected me to tell them stories, I was at a loss. When I tried to cook up stories from the epics with my limited knowledge, they would pull me up for the mistakes I was making  in narrating the stories because they  had already heard the stories from their paternal grandparents. It became very embarrassing. I found a solution. I bought several story books for children. Whenever they demanded stories from me I started reading out from the story books. It was a sheer  joy to be nestled with them in beds and reading stories. They were happy and I was happy that  I managed to retain my reputation as a story teller.

Undoubtedly story telling is one of the best ways to teach children values of life.It is an art which  requires  a  good memory on the part of the story teller.  Newspapers are full of horror stories about cri me against women, not sparing even the toddlers and young children. We cannot stop these by enacting laws. I believe that this menace can be tackled only through education. Boys must be taught to respect girls/women from childhood.. Teaching them life lessons through stories is one effective way, like it is happening in Japan. I understand  that in Japan, for the first  few  years  school children are taught  Japanese traditions and culture through activities including story sessions.

Closer home I was delighted to learn about an 86 years old grandma spinning stories for a few hours daily to students of Bala Mandir, a school for underprivileged children,. She has been doing this for the last three decades as a volunteer. We need many more such volunteers among the senior citizens who can not only bring joy and hope into the lives of kids but also spend their time usefully.

It will be also a good idea for every school to have a couple of special story telling classes every week  for creating a whole new generation of youngsters with right values of life.