Talking Optimism with Debi Prasad Kar
This story is a refined transcript of my conversation with one of my friends Debi Prasad Kar. As a part of the show, I asked Debi 5 questions and listened to his perspective. And this transcript is for all the readers on here that would love to read the conversation with respect to HR, physical fitness, job search in India, and the repercussions of Covid.
Intro:
Debi is a good friend of mine, we met last year and worked together. We worked together in an MNC as Human Resource Practitioners. Debi is a senior HR analyst working with an MNC in Bangalore. He’s done his MBA in Operations HR, from Ravenshaw University Cuttack, and did his bachelor's in Technology in Civil engineering from Gandhi Institute of Excellent technocrats. Debi is a big-time Gym freak and loves movies, especially movies from all over India, and he’s into traveling and he loves motorbikes and huge Salman Khan fan.
Q&A:
Q1: I have seen you at work & I am fond of the way you work too. Once the clock goes off, you are head down, all in, and be productive for the people who need you. So, could you explain what work ethic means to you in your words?
Firstly, thank you for saying that. I am happy to hear that because I believe in my work ethic. I do believe in work ethic in general. I put my head down and work because I know there’s someone at the other end waiting for me & I know that there is no substitute for hard work. But if you ask me about the way I do it, I do it by working on 5 things consistently.
Professionalism, Respect, Responsibility, Reliability, & Determination.
i) In my opinion, professionalism is not limited to top corporate jobs. It applies to every job. I see a lot of professionals being productive but not professional. Whatever you are doing, you can do it with morals. When you are getting paid, you are getting paid for being productive and also for your professionalism.
ii) Respect is good. I feel that your words and actions will have a huge impact on others. For example, I see people be very polite and respectful towards clients, managers, and their bosses and not towards subordinates. Be respectful towards everyone, and be supportive and attentive towards your subordinates.
iii) For me, responsibility is a big deal & much needed to grow. I honestly can’t sleep, if I don’t finish my job for today. Especially if I ever fail to finish my job for the day, due to negligence or ignorance, I don’t get good sleep.
iv) You are reliable when you make and keep your commitments. You are reliable when you complete your tasks in an accurate and timely manner and I am always working to get better at it.
v) I would say, always focus on yourself. If you ever fail at something, practice and get better at it. Tell yourself, without me this work is not achievable. And always work hard to achieve something for yourself and for your organization.
Q2: Undoubtedly, you are one of the folks who are all in about working out as well. So, could you tell me what working out & physical fitness mean to you & how someone new can approach the gym in your words?
Thanks for this question, I am into working out personally. It started a long time ago and I am still going for it. Because I feel that having control over your body saves you from a lot of trauma or overthinking. I always had a quote that drives me, my mantra for working out. ‘’The pain you feel today, is the strength you feel tomorrow.’’
I would say, going to the gym and working out are 2 different things. You can stay home, work out and still get fit, and be in shape. Working out at home is a huge possibility to get fit and be in shape.
Q3. Can you share your story about how you overcame challenges during Covid and what did you learn from it?
Well, Covid was rough. I was in Orissa at my home. I was working in the construction field at the time and I was doing well, both financially and also emotionally. It all changed very quickly, I became jobless and anxious. I was the guy who is leading a relatively lavish lifestyle and went into bad tune almost in an instant.
Yet, that was also the time I decided to get into the corporate world as I was also pursuing my MBA on the side. So, I started applying for jobs in my domain. I remember applying for 60–70 jobs at one point and went to the last round and got rejected at least 25–30 times. Well, I got a job later on and then I didn’t stop.
What I learned from it was to be more watchful with money. It taught me to face the challenges head-on instead of sitting there and complaining. It taught me the importance of investing and being prepared for adversities. There could be another pandemic in the coming years, but I am ready to face it better now.
Q4. Do you think being optimistic help? What do you think of optimism & how do you see it?
I like optimism. For me optimism is the fuel to see beauty in every little thing and in every adversity. I always loved the idea of having an iPhone, I worked hard for it and bought it. That’s how I see it, you can be optimistic but you have to work to achieve what you want in your life.
Optimism is not just dreaming, it lives in action. Optimism seeks solutions to problems and challenges we may face in the future. I think the optimism that’s grounded in gratitude is a huge strength. Personally, I am grateful, I think positively, I believe it’s possible, and I stay fearless.
Q5. If there’s a young graduate, or a jobseeker reading this, what would your suggestion be and why do you think it works?
Well, firstly I am an HR professional and I deal with jobseekers day to day. It is my job and I come from my learned and practiced experience and that’s how and why I believe what I am about to say works for a job seeker.
First, I would tell them to be proactive and start doing something rather than staying idle. Take up a course related to their domain, and keep learning. There are so many free resources available to engage in.
As mentioned, it’s a refined transcript. If you would like to listen to him more on the topic, please listen to the podcast episode embedded at the top of this blog.
