UPES Design School alumni on campus life, placements, career and prospects

Leading by example, two alumni elucidate their journey from the classroom to the corporate world

Mr. Rakesh Sah, faculty at the UPES School of Design, moderated a session with the School of Design alumni. With him on the panel were Vertika Saxena, UX Designer, L&T InfoTech and Arjun Kurunji, working at Maruti Suzuki, Private Limited. Excerpts of their interaction:

Did you get placed through the University or did you choose your own dream company after you graduated?

Vertika: I wanted to explore UX and thankfully UPES brought us options such as Tata, Infosys and several other reputed firms. I chose my dream company and have since been a part of it.

Arjun: UPES has one of the best placement cells in India. I got the opportunity to intern at Tata Alexi and gained profound industry experience there. Post that, I got placed through campus and later I switched jobs. Finally, I landed at Maruti. UPES prepares you in the best possible way to get placed in the industry.

A lot of potential students want to know how to choose the correct design stream for them. How can one make that choice?

Arjun:  There is a lot of information available to the students today about the various kinds of design streams and where that may land you. You must explore all the possibilities and decide for yourself what suits you the most. It should be a personal choice; a choice that interests you.

What skill sets does one require to be in the design field?

Arjun: It varies from stream to stream. The thought process is important. And UPES provides you with a lot of opportunities to add to your skillset. The right attitude can take you places.

Vertika: Adding to that, an ability to communicate well and be able to express your ideas properly can make all the difference.

What are the job prospects for upcoming designers?

Arjun: For transportation design, India is a potential giant. Several reputed firms are turning heads towards India to set up their R&D units here. In the near future, there is a huge potential for designers in this field.

What were the challenges you faced in the industry as a fresher and how did college education help you through?

Vertika: Internship opportunities that UPES provides are the best way to bridge the gap between college and industry. The practical experience of being at a firm and assisting in projects during internship takes you a long way once placed. Of course, there are challenges, and adjustments have to be made to the growing demand of any industry, but UPES makes you industry ready while you are learning on campus.

(For Arjun) How has working as a car designer turned out for you? Did you always want to become one?

Arjun: I was passionate about cars from the very beginning. However, your passion must be coupled with hard work and perseverance.

The design industry in terms of automotive is flourishing in India and there is a great scope in this field for designers.

How was your experience of campus life at the UPES School of Design?

Vertika: I spent four years at UPES.
At the Design School, the faculty were creative and inspiring. People are open to discussing ideas and everybody is approachable. To add to that, the campus is situated at a beautiful location, which further fuels your creativity and design education.

 (To listen to the full recording of the webinar, follow this link- https://www.upes.ac.in/webinars/a-conversation-with-school-of-design-alumni)