We contacted Prerana Kumar, cohort 2011-2013, and found her in New Delhi. We had a skype call with Prerana about EMTM and what happened after. Prerana Kumar is an EMTM graduate from the second Erasmus Mundus cohort. After graduation, Prerana worked with the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) on a six-month research project as a research assistant. The project researched opportunities of Co-design and Co-creation for sustainable development solutions. However, upon finishing the project, Prerana had difficulties kicking-off her career. During the interview, she critically reflects on EMTM and the benefits of the programme regarding the job search. A note: We should keep in mind that the programme is constantly evolving based on the recommendations of students. You can always contact us if you have any questions about specific or general comments made during this interview. Interviewer: Prerana, please describe your present function and responsibilities.
Prerana: I’m working as a Project Manager for an NGO in New Delhi that works around community building through empowerment and awareness programmes. My responsibilities are two folded. First of all, I’m responsible for the funding of projects, which includes writing project proposals, justifying the project and searching for funding. The actual execution of the projects is the second part of my job, which includes online and on the ground presence. For example, we use Facebook to empower and make communities aware of certain policies. Besides this, in one of my recent projects, I’ve been working with a community in Assam, the North-East of India, where I create workshops with mothers on counter-violence extremism and radicalisation among youth. Interviewer: Was it difficult to find a job after graduation? Prerana: It was a big challenge. The transition of coming back to India after the research with SDU and finding a job in tourism was very difficult. I tried approaching e-commerce companies, government boards. It took me over a year to land my present job. What has been so frustrating is that they never responded to my requests. So, I have no understanding of why I’ve not been able to be part of the tourism industry, even after I received a specialized degree in it with EMTM. Therefore, I’m disappointed in the actual benefit that EMTM has given me regarding establishing a career path. Interviewer: What were the three most important things that EMTM has given you for your career development? Prerana: EMTM has given me some universal values. First of all, organizational skills. Second, the ability to handle a very pragmatic approach. The third asset, something I really value, is the research skills that the programme has thought me. On an every day basis, my practices of reading, referencing, questioning, deliberating have become part of me through EMTM. Interviewer: Do you incorporate values that EMTM teaches, such as sustainability, responsibility in your job functions? Prerana: I’m grounded in giving back to the community. Both professionally and personally I’m trying to meet the sustainable targets that I studied about, which was a challenge when I went back to India. I’m probably the only person in my region who was concerned about garbage and recycling. I had to justify myself. But personally, the satisfaction is immense. I also see that awareness is rising in communities through suppliers’ initiatives. Interviewer: Would you enrol again in the EMTM programme, in relation to career development, and why or why not? Prerana: As much as I enjoyed the programme, I would not enrol in the EMTM programme, because I had such a difficult time finding a job in tourism. I would look for another area of specialization. Of course, there are several factors such as contextual ones... India is very competitive and it is difficult to find a job and to justify that my degree from abroad has an added value to the tourism industry in India. Interviewer: Did you ever benefit from the EMTM network for your career? Does the EMTM network, or ‘family’ as we call, it really help? Prerana: Definitely, everybody has been helpful and supportive. Within our cohort, we constantly exchange any kind of job postings. We are all going through the same process, so the network is useful. Interviewer: Are there things that could improve in the programme? Prerana: What would have been helpful is to generate some kind of link with the tourism industry in India, while studying in EMTM. Perhaps, creating internships. There are no links. We gain no current understanding of the industry back home. It’s more a general problem and not so much an individual one. The programme is focusing on academics, and a little bit of practical exposure to business. In Spain we did get in touch with businesses, also ITHAS in Slovenia was very interactive and gave us an understanding of how people are running businesses. But coming back to India, it’s a different scenario, with different requirements. So the question is, how can we have both feet in the programme and in the industry back home?. An internship programme during the summer would add value to the programme. It’s great to move to three different systems, as it gives exposure to new dynamics, but having an internship back home would shoot the programme to another level. I understand that this is difficult, but this is the kind of expertise we should be looking at, and it is possible. EMTM is at the point where partnerships have been created with countries like India, China and Brazil. Through these universities networks there are more possibilities for jobs and internships. Interviewer: Describe the most memorable moment that happened in the programme. Prerana: For me, it was the first two months in Denmark. When I close my eyes, I can see myself biking to the university. These were memorable moments. Interviewer: Any advice for students looking for a job? Prerana: I don’t have really any advice, but I hope through what I have been sharing they learned something. But the only thing I can say is: keep trying and never give up! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and thoughts Prerana!
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June 2017
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