My volunteering experience with AIESEC opened more doors than I could have imagined

I volunteered at AIESEC in India without knowing it would land me my first job. That one decision taught me something I still believe 20 years later.

Back in college, I had no grand career plan. I just wanted to do something beyond textbooks. AIESEC seemed interesting, so I raised my hand.

I didn’t know anyone. I wasn’t sure what I’d get out of it. But I showed up, did the work, and somewhere along the way, that volunteer experience turned into my first real job at Taj Hotels.

A few years later, I attended a National HRD Network event. I could have skipped it. Instead, I walked up to a senior HR professional and started a conversation. That one conversation opened doors to my next role at Murugappa Group.

Then came Social Beat which Suneil Chawla and I had just started. No clients, no reputation. Someone invited me to speak at a small event – maybe 25 people in the room. I almost said ‘No’. What’s the point of speaking to just 25 people?

One of those 25 became our first client.

Today, Social Beat is a 250+ team member company and a growth partner of top consumer brands in India.

Looking back, every major turn in my career came from putting myself in rooms before I had a reason to be there. A volunteer form I filled. A networking event I attended. A speaking gig I almost skipped.

You never know which room holds your next chapter. But you have to walk in first.

What’s one room you walked into that changed everything?