Mr. Rishindra Vikram Singh is an alumnus of University of Petroleum& Energy Studies, Dehradun and is currently working as a Law Trainee under Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority (UP RERA). In this interview with Desi Kaanoon, he talks about interning and working under government organisations, his take on employer evaluation, and MUNs.
Q. Currently serving as a Law Trainee in Uttar Pradesh Real Estate Regulatory Authority, Regional Office, Greater Noida (UP RERA), what does your job demand to make you successful at it?
A. My job demands me to be very active with the real estate laws, keep an eye on the real estate projects, and remain an all-rounder in managing the whole court system-starting from supervising the preparation of files till the disposal of the orders. At every point, I have to supervise and give necessary directions to facilitate the smooth functioning of the bench. I am supposed to advise and suggest the organisation on various fronts for making the organisation functioning better. My key responsibilities include hearing the cases and drafting the orders.
Q. People are generally particular about what they look for in a prospective candidate during interviews but on what criteria should an employer be evaluated is not discussed that much. What is your take on this?
A. I would appreciate this question because this is the area about which people don’t ponder upon. Keep in mind that if you are good at something and you are applying for a job, it should be clear in your mind that as much as you want to work for the organisation, the organisation is also looking for the best suitable match. Now consider these following points whether the organisation is matching on your following criteria or not-
- Your interest
- Career growth in the organisation
- How much time the organisation wants from you?
- Salary
Firstly, categorise the organisation with respect to your interest. Let’s say you are interested in litigation. However, the organisation where you are applying to will be giving you a desk job and your personal space will be confined into small cubicles. Drop the organisation. Always pursue your interest.
Secondly, do the homework on the track records of the growth of the employees. Check whether the organisation is taking care of the growth of its employees along with their growth or it’s just enjoying the fruits of the profit at the cost of struggle of their employees. Check the average period for which a person works for the organisation. Hire and fire should not be a routine process. It is also very necessary to have a good senior who can guide you at every turn and not just portray your work as theirs without giving due recognition.
Thirdly, consider how much time an organisation wants from you. It varies from place to place and post to post. The government and private sectors are inversely proportional in terms of how much time they want from the candidate. In the former, the more you rise, the more you have work and responsibilities, whereas in latter, it is just the opposite. At the end of the day, you must have your personal space where you can spend your time with yourself, family, and friends. If your organisation is not giving you enough personal space, it doesn’t deserve you.
Fourthly, I would not like to work for free unless the cause is for charity. So, the pay scale matters a lot. Don’t settle for less than what you deserve. If your organisation is not paying you enough so that you may fulfill your needs, work hard, prepare, and crack the next better opportunity.
Q. How do you work under pressure?
A. I don’t feel any pressure as such. I just divide the work among the team rather than doing all alone if I find that a particular work can be completed by others too. However, if that’s not the case, I will take my time to complete rather than just disposing of it. Every work gets completed even if you are working under pressure, it’s just you will have to sit for longer hours than usual. A piece of simple advice, keep performing your daily tasks on time, you will never feel burdened or working under pressure.
Q. You have actively participated in MUNs and have bagged various awards including the Special Mention Award in United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as the delegate of People’s Republic of China in the IIT Roorkee MUN 2014. Why do you think students should do MUNs and what are the skills that might come handy?
A. I would not simply advise participating only in MUNs, rather, I would say choose an activity which suits your interest. In the initial days of my college, I didn’t find parliamentary debates fitting into my interest. Whereas, MUNs and Youth Parliaments did. These events will help you to grow yourself in team building, public speaking, and learning new subject areas which might not necessarily be taught in law schools because you will read about the agenda and will listen to the speakers. Remember that a good speaker is also a good listener. Apart from all these, you will get the opportunity to travel to various places and as someone wise has already said earlier, travelling teaches you a lot. One of my favorites- the famous actorMr. Pankaj Tripathi has also said that one should travel to various places and as much as one can. It will teach you many things which you might not learn in your house, school, and college. So yes, keep exploring and updating yourself.
Q. What were your major takeaways from your internships at Government organisations? Was it helpful in shaping your decision to work in the public sector?
A. One will always find this attitude that you will not learn anything while interning in government organisation. However, I was lucky enough to get work from seniors. I would like to name two places among my government internships where I have learned a lot. One is the National Commission for Women, New Delhi, and the other is the National Legal Services Authority, New Delhi. I got the opportunity to witness the in-house functioning of the government office and how much they value your work. Each word is counted and every step matters in the life of others in the public domain. My major takeaway from the internship was the real-life exposure and the patience to hear the grievances from others and not just researching case laws and submitting to the senior. Once you are inside the organization, you hold a positional value and your actions, advice, and every next step is taken will affect the other person. Now, you need to decide whether you would like to leave a positive or negative impact. Once you see that your actions make an impact, you will move ahead in that direction. So did I by choosing to work in the public sector. Once you are working in some position, a lot of people will expect you to will address and solve their queries and will give justice. So try to do justice to the position you hold. It will impact others’ lives to a great extent.