Akhil’s career began with an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. But early on, he knew this wasn’t what he was cut out for. Despite this, he listened to his father, who urged him to stick to it: “You do whatever you want, but finish what you have started.” That kernel of advice became something Akhil takes to every part of his life, even today.
And so, Akhil went on with his engineering degree as usual, but his true passion lay in the realm of design. When he wasn’t caught up in endless coursework, he’d spend countless hours learning design software and techniques through YouTube videos. He learned as much as he could, all in the absence of a personal computer—he was preparing for a transition he knew was inevitable, “I didn’t want to waste a minute when I eventually had an opportunity to apply what I had learned.”
"YOU DO WHAT YOU WANT, BUT FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED",
was valuable advice from Akhil’s father, something he applies to every part of his life today.
His design career was going alright, but Akhil had to put on the brakes. He wanted to take up a manufacturing business -an idea that began as his father’s dream, but just as much a product of his own interest.
Starting a business from scratch is no joke. Sales, inventory management, social media content creation, procurement, distribution…. putting multiple hats on is a part of being a business owner. And doing this through the peak of COVID? Well, that’s as humbling, yet empowering as it can get.
Akhil threw himself headfirst into this venture. Every little quibble you can think of that a start-up owner would go through, he went through it, and he was better off for it.
This stint lasted for three years. Eventually, once the business was up & running, he gave it over to his family and returned to design.
In the act of getting out into the world and doing things that lead to character-building, Akhil got a great moulding
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Having set up his business, Akhil decided to return to design and was now looking for the right job. As gruelling as job-hunting can get, there’s a certain self-confidence that you start bringing to it after having been in your field for a decade. Add to it the pride of having started your own successful business, and you become laser-focused on what you want from your next job.
Akhil had a very specific vision of what he wanted to do and in what kind of an organization. For him, settling for anything less wasn’t an option. One of the organizations that did meet his criteria was Canvs. His first interview with Premankan, CDO at Canvs, was focused on his technical knowledge.
However, his second interview, with Debprotim, the founder of Canvs, was a little bit different. During this round, he delved into his design experience as well as his time as a manufacturing business owner. The focus wasn’t so much on things like “Why the career pause?” or “What transferable skills did you acquire?” Instead, in Akhil’s words, “It was about my ability to navigate different situations, and how I handled the changes that came my way.” These aspects of his character were valued just as much as his grasp on design.
AKHIL'S RECENT EXPERIMENTS
