7 Pieces of Advice from Our Awesome Trainees
Have you been reading inspirational quotes to help you in your career lately?
If not, don’t worry. Our team members, Abu Saleh, Zarif Hassan, and Arka Aqeeb Iqbal, will help you catch up.
During our talk, we first learned about experiences in the Banglalink Strategic Assistant Program. Now, we hear more about their personal and professional journeys and the lessons they’ve learned.
The good news is Abu Saleh, Zarif, and Arka’s tips are solid. They’re not going to tell you silly things like:
- Write your resume in crayon to make yourself stand out.
- Wear a space suit to work to show you’re ready to go higher.
- Bring dessert treats to win over your superiors (well, that may actually work sometimes).
Okay, enough of the jokes. Let’s get the advice…
1. Did you know that fungi keep trees alive and recycle waste? They’re a crucial part of the ecosystem (thank you, fungi!). Now, think about your company and all its moving parts. Understand how each contributes to the whole.
“I came to Banglalink because the Banglalink Strategic Assistant Program gave me the opportunity to see the whole company, from tech and engineering to marketing and HR. It’s given me a foundation for branching outside my specialty and doing big picture stuff.”
— Arka, a network planning lead engineer at Banglalink
“The biggest thing I learned from the Banglalink Strategic Assistant Program is that challenges differ across industries, but the right approach ensures success. To have the right approach to your work, you must understand what the bigger purpose your serving is.”
— Abu Saleh, a strategic assistant (management trainee) at
Banglalink
2. Perhaps you’ve become a master of office pranks. That’s great. But you need to find a place that stimulates you to do great things, too (well, unless you work for a company that specializes in making pranks).
“When I first arrived at Banglalink, I found out there was no assigned seating. This made interaction with managers and C-levels and working with colleagues much easier. There are no barricades. Over time, I realized that environment and culture are key to success here.
— Zarif, an e-engagement and marketing expert at Banglalink
“For anyone hoping to join the Banglalink team, I would say the best thing about working here is the helpful and collaborative environment. You have the freedom to do things. If you can conceptualize something and show it could work, others will help you. This company enables you to grow.”
— Abu Saleh
3. If you reach a roadblock, do you just turn around and go home? No, you find a way over, under, around or through it. Apply that to what you do in work and life, not just navigating traffic.
“When I give advice to university students, I tell them to participate in business competitions and do internships. Interact with the business world and see how they face challenges. Work on improving by testing yourself. If I could talk with my childhood self, I would say to participate in every program that interests you, like sports and extracurricular clubs. I studied a lot and missed out on those things.”
— Abu Saleh
“When I was young, I had a science teacher that inspired me to dive deep into the subject. She knew I could go beyond what we were learning in class, so she motivated me to start competing with older students and study more advanced topics. She showed me the value of challenging myself.”
— Arka
4. It’s easy to become trapped you’re running in a cave (that actually may be dangerous, so don’t try it). Because you’re not able to see clearly. What this means is don’t get stuck in one way of doing things. Get out and learn other things — and you’ll see the road ahead clearly.
“As an engineer, my main advice to young engineers is to keep an open mind and be willing to do different things. You’ll grow more. You can be versatile by learning different subjects and skills.”
— Arka
“When I was a child, I would get heavily involved in one thing, like debating. After debating, it was football. This left no time for other things. Now, I’ve learned to balance activities and learning out. Having a balance when it comes to your knowledge and experiences makes you much more well-rounded.”
— Zarif
5. It’s not necessary to read a book about motivation to know motivation is how you make things happen. But you do have to find something that energizes you. Yes, coffee and sugar can help, but find a more sustainable way of staying motivated.
“I had a math teacher when I was young who had really incredible handwriting. I tried to write like him because it fascinated me. He also knew how to get more out of people. He taught me how to keep going after failure. At university, I had a professor that opened my eyes to the potential of technology to change the world. These two educators really proved to me the importance of staying motivated and dreaming big.”
— Abu Saleh
“I took a course in business strategy taught by Bobby Hajjaj at university. He inspired me both personally and professionally, as his great interpersonal skills taught me just how crucial communication is in everything we do. It was his course that made me want to pursue a career in marketing. He showed how creating marketing strategies from scratch can enhance lives and build amazing brands — that motivates me every day I work.”
— Zarif
6. You don’t have to aim for the moon, unless space exploration is your business. And SpaceX is planning to fly people around the moon soon, anyway. But do shoot for the stars (we’re talking figuratively here).
“In Bangladesh, we have a mission to become a digital country. Banglalink is a big piece in making that happen. We’re selling devices that enable you to connect to the world. We have data services and we’re building apps that put experiences and all the world’s information in the palm of your hands. It’s a company where you can have a significant impact and that’s why I joined the team.”
— Zarif
“I joined Banglalink because the company is one of the main advocates of new technology in Bangladesh. You can be a part of introducing revolutionary products and services to people. We’re becoming a truly digital company, which is very exciting to be a part of. This is a place where you can make magic!”
— Arka
7. Ken Robinson, an author, speaker, and education and creativity expert, attests, “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.” Now that’s encouragement to always keep on trying — to learn, adapt, and push forward in the face of struggle.
“During my childhood, I didn’t try things because I felt they were too tough. I would tell my childhood self this: Don’t let fear hold you back.”
— Abu Saleh
“I’m happy to be a millennial. I feel like this generation is freer to take on challenges and adopt new perspectives. We’ve grown up willing to take risks — which I think can lead to incredible things being created.”
— Arka
“My advice to younger people is simple: Find out what you like and do that. This way, you’ll have a personally enjoyable career. You also won’t fear failure. When you do what you love, you’re driven to push the boundaries of what you thought was possible.”
— Zarif
Bonus information (say hooray!)
Since Abu Saleh, Arka, and Zarif have so many enlightening things to say, we just had to ask them the question about which three people they would invite to dinner (dead or alive!).
“I would have dinner with my father, mother and life partner, because family is what’s most important,” states Abu Saleh.
“I would invite Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk. Their ideas have changed the world, and I would want to get advice from them,” says Arka.
“I would love to ask Natalie Portman, the actress, Michael Ballack, a German footballer, and Albert Einstein, as I would want to know how he came up with his theories,” exclaims Zarif.
Now, those are some interesting answers.
We also discovered that it’s not all about work with these three team members. They like to enjoy life. Outside of Banglalink, you may find Abu Saleh reading books or hanging out with friends, Arka reading tech blogs or playing computer games, and Zarif collecting stamps or playing football.
