“I come from a business family in Solapur. The elders in my family believe that girls should not pursue business, but I took up BBA to prove them wrong. I hope to get placed through my college’s placement cell, though, eventually, I want to start my own business. As a BBA student, I have learnt many business skills at a boutique I am employed with. I manage everything here; cash, clients, and the store. I study in the morning and come to the store after my classes.

Interacting with women from different walks of life at this boutique has taught me several life skills. First, I learnt to not take things personally in a professional setting. Women who come here are usually quite particular about their clothes. They get frustrated when things don’t go according to plan. Some clients have unrealistic expectations from clothes. They may say things to express that frustration. As a professional, I’ve learnt how to take these things in my stride and not let them affect my feelings. One of my clients once raised a stink about us adding lining to her top, because she did not like clothes with lining. Unfortunately, the material she had given us needed it; we had no other option. No matter what we told her, she, however, insisted on having it removed. Once she had worn the top a few times, she realised that the lining was essential. Such incidents have taught me to be patient with people.

Second, I learnt to think fast and solve problems. Once, one of our clients was not happy with the fitting of her dress. She was leaving town that week and was apprehensive that she would not get her dress back in time. We assured her that we would get her dress altered to her specifications. When she didn’t seem too convinced, I told her that we would even deliver it to her address if needed. This calmed her down and we were able to deliver what we promised.

Thirdly, I’ve learnt that it’s better to plan ahead. I make sure that I show the picky clients what their clothes will look like. It is part of my job profile to that my clients are happy with their clothes. ”