Goa Diaries: The Articleship Adventure That Changed Everything
I'm writing this blog from Goa, a place that always holds a special place in my heart. Its beaches provide solace like no other. I've been here around six or seven times, and it never fails to mesmerize me. Each visit feels like discovering a new chapter in the same beloved book.
My special connection with Goa dates back to 2007 when I had just started my articleship at KPMG in its tax division. The tax team was planning a week-long training program for new CAs at Goa who had joined in the last six months from all over India.
Though I wasn't yet a CA, I really wanted to attend that training. I approached Senior Manager CA Anish Thakkar, who was in charge of the training course, and asked if I could attend as an article assistant. I had zero expectations for my request, but to my astonishment, Anish agreed. However, true to any tax professional's style, he added a caveat. He said that if I wanted to attend, I had to help organize it. Talk about a plot twist!
Now, I had two options: either to meekly get frightened about the sheer logistics of organizing a program of such scale or to put my "hands up" and say "YES."
I chose the second option in an instant (if I had thought it over, I would have said no), and the rest, as they say, is history!
It was indeed a lot of work. I had never been to a five-star hotel before, but I was in charge of finalizing the hotel deal. I had never boarded a flight, but I was coordinating flight details and routes with the travel partner. I had never attended such an event, but I was finalizing schedules and other nitty-gritty details. And all this while managing a full-time articleship. There were jokes in the office that I had also taken an articleship in the HR department apart from TAX.
The fun part was that every vendor treated me on the phone as if I had 20 years of experience in this field when I was only 21! When you get a chance to punch above your weight, you invariably rise to the occasion. I was greeted by the hotel manager as if their next appraisal depended on my reviews. I also remember getting Goa-themed vodka shot glasses from one of the travel partners.
One hilarious anecdote from this assignment was when I had to carry red color t-shirts on my head and distribute them in the office. Picture this: a 21-year-old me, balancing a stack of t-shirts, navigating through a sea of colleagues, trying not to drop any while everyone around me chuckled at the sight. It was a scene straight out of a comedy.
Another memorable moment was when, due to a common name in gender, I mistakenly allocated a male participant to a female’s room. Imagine the surprise and confusion! Thankfully, I caught the error just before the hotel check-in and corrected it. But the look on everyone’s faces when they heard about the mix-up was priceless.
This experience not only gave me my first flight experience and my first five-star hotel experience but also gave me the invaluable experience of handling a big event. It helped in increasing my network among the senior partners of the firm and the head of HR. As the central point of contact for everyone, I also got to know the 200 participants from all across the country, which was an incredible opportunity.
And how did it happen? Yes, I was at the right place at the right time while making such a request to Anish. But the difference was that I put my hands up when it mattered and didn't overthink. I just acted!
This is my advice to youngsters: don't overthink whether this is aligned with your life or not, whether you will be able to change your stream or not, whether this will be beneficial to you or not. Just do it! You will definitely gain a valuable experience.
So, here I am in Goa, reminiscing about that life-changing event. The sun is setting, casting a golden hue over the horizon, and I can't help but feel grateful. If I hadn't taken that leap of faith back in 2007, I wouldn't be here today, sipping on coconut water, with a heart full of memories and a mind brimming with stories to share.
Apart from special Thanks to CA Sushant Nayak, CA Shabbir Motorwala, CA Darshana Jain, Niloufer Irani and Shama Asnani for this wonderful opportunity. It really changed my life.
Here's to taking chances, embracing opportunities, and creating unforgettable memories. Cheers!
