Determination, curiosity, and resilience are some of the key traits that have helped D Padmini Reddy of Vignana Jyothi Institute of Management (VJIM) set a foundation for a successful career in Taxation and Consulting.

“Be adaptable and resilient,” Reddy advised. She also added, “Learn from every experience and you’ll be surprised how well things will work out in the end.”

With a foot in finance and tax, Reddy embarked on her professional journey with VJIM to pursue the PGDM programme. Following her classroom experience at VJIM, Reddy wanted to develop some knowledge about tax regulations and laws. As a part of VJIM’s summer internship programme, Reddy was hired as Tax Management Consultant at Deloitte USI in Hyderabad. Working at the forefront of a large organisation and being exposed to the world of taxation enhanced her interest in acquiring an experience in the private sector.

At 22, with no prior professional experience, Reddy knew she was fortunate for getting placed as an intern at Deloitte. On the other hand, she understood she would learn much more from her fellow interns with prior experiences and from different backgrounds, and she believed that her unique profile would offer a different outlook to her PGDM class.

“The business management programme at VJIM is designed to teach us to think outside of the box and step out of our comfort zones,” said Reddy. Throughout the 8-week internship programme, due to a robust classroom and on-the-job training, Reddy learned how to respond to unexpected situations by categorizing problems in a systematic manner and finding innovative solutions to overcome the key issues. With a lot of guidance and practice, Reddy was able to improve her skills needed for dealing with SAP, ORACLE, and other tax softwares.

“The learning process is an unending one for me, I am grateful that VJIM made me who I am today,” added Reddy.

With over 100 students competing for the same job, Reddy successfully bagged a position at Deloitte after clearing intense HR and technical rounds. She credits VJIM for preparing her to develop the needed skills and confidence to take on challenging roles. Presently, Reddy has completed her first summer internship programme (SIP) at Deloitte, serving in Enterprise Tax Integration (ETI-SAP) support team. Besides this, Reddy is actively involved on campus to conduct research and execute projects.

“Despite the challenges involved in pursuing a PGDM course – such as time management and balancing personal life – I would highly encourage aspirants to join this programme. Not only does VJIM teach you soft skills which you need in the professional world, it is also extremely important for developing a business mindset,” adds Reddy.