From Malhar to the workplace

The present and former chairpersons of the St Xavier's College festival talk about how the Malhar experience helped them in the workplace

Four months of preparation boils down to two days of collective effort
Fatima Pitalwala: Chairperson of Malhar 2008

When I first joined St Xavier's College, I did not have a clue about Malhar. Most of my classmates had already enrolled in some department or the other. Their interest made me look up the Malhar notice board, and I was amazed by the number of departments listed. It was all so complex and intricate.

Administration was my first interest. And that was the beginning of a journey, which I never thought would end up with me being the Chairperson. In my first year of senior college, some of my classmates and I got selected for the Model United Nations Conference in Pakistan organised by the Lahore University of Management Sciences. The experience to represent India in Pakistan was amazing, and that's when I also introduced Malhar to them. And this year, students from Lahore University will be participating in Malhar.

I'm in my final year, majoring in Political Science with honours. Being the chairperson of a festival and managing academics is tough combination to balance, but I'm not complaining. I was in Mexico for the World United Nations and left immediately after the competition to come back to Mumbai, because I knew I had a challenging time ahead.

Four months of preparation boils down to only two days of collective effort. As Chairperson, I have to think twice before saying or doing anything. The responsibility hit me when I realised that I was in charge of a 1,200 workforce of students, not mention participants and a huge audience. If this year's Malhar is a fun and memorable experience, I will know that I have done my job well.
Pitalwala is a final year student majoring in Political Science

Those were the best years of my life
Subhalaxmi Ramakrishnan: Chairperson of Malhar 2001
Being the chairperson of Malhar 2001 was a fabulous experience. I was a part of Malhar in different capacities for five years - from junior college to graduation. Being the chairperson of such a big event is a stepping stone to success. You learn a lot - handling and coordinating different departments, and so on. The responsibility and exposure is immense and this does boost your confidence. Those were the most amazing years of my life and I am so glad I was part of it.
Ramakrishnan works with Nike in Bangalore as part of their management team

I've always put it on my CV
Binoy Mascarenhas: Chairperson of Malhar 2002
While I enjoyed playing an important role in Malhar, to be honest, I don't know whether it helped my career in any way. However, I have always mentioned my Malhar experience in my CV. I'd like to think that it added value to my résumé, simply because Malhar is well-known even in fields beyond event management. On a personal level, Malhar was an important learning experience for me, in terms of event management, coordination, planning, marketing, finance, reporting, IT, et al.
Mascarenhas works at IL&FS in the field of infrastructure, urban and regional planning

I was offered a job, only because of Malhar
Kevin Jacob: Vice chairperson of Malhar 2003
What I didn't learn in the classroom, I learned during my three years in Malhar. The one thing I learned was honing my people management and social skills. Handling and working with more than 400 fellow students was not a joke. I was offered a job by a reputed marketing when I was in college simply because of my Malhar experience. That is the kind of respect Malhar gets. When I went for my first job interview; the person actually took notice of my Malhar experience which I had mentioned in my CV. It was this 'wow' feeling I got; I was so proud of it.
Jacob is an account supervisor at TBWA, a Mumbai-based ad agency

It was the best work experience I could have asked for
Ritu Bhandari: Chairperson of Malhar 2004
Malhar is an emotional time for anyone who is closely associated with it. To be an effective chairperson, you need credibility and the respect of your fellow students. I grew up in those five months. It was an experience of a lifetime. Even being a CEO of a thousand companies cannot compare to the feeling you get leading over 1,000 students. There are no paychecks, no incentives - just pure enthusiasm. Being the chairperson of Malhar is recognised everywhere. It was the best work experience I could get before an MBA.
Bhandari works as a commodity analyst with DCM Shriram Consolidated Group in New Delhi

It's all about teamwork
Shawn Mendes: Chairperson of Malhar 2005
I was associated with Malhar for five years. I was the vice chairperson a year before and then became the chairperson. Organising a successful Malhar means team work, an understanding of the system and leading all the students involved. But I don't think that being the chairperson helped my career in any way.
Mendes is head of marketing for a US-based company
 
Companies outside Mumbai don't know about Malhar
Payaal Kapadia: Vice chairperson of Malhar 2006
More than 20,000 students participate in Malhar every year, and there's plenty of hard work involved to make it a successful event. Heading the events department in 2006 was an altogether different experience. Execution and planning with more than 300 people under me, taught me a lot about management- and media-related skills. Having 'VCP- Malhar' on my résumé helped me get admission into the college of my choice. But it's a different ballgame when you're job hunting. Not everyone gave me preference just because of my Malhar experience. In fact, there were some companies outside Mumbai who hadn't even heard of Malhar and that was disheartening. But the skills I learned during my Malhar years have always come in handy.
Kapadia works in a production house
 
It changed my outlook to life
Arjun Nair: Chairperson of Malhar 2007
Being the chairperson helped me in my personal as well as professional life. It changed my outlook towards life completely. Malhar may be a fun festival, but there's a lot of hard involved. Having Malhar on my CV did wonders for my professional life. Because of my experience at Malhar, my company expects much more of me.
Nair is the accreditation consultant for Logic Boxes, an IT company