#PeopleOfDonatekart: Meet Aishwarya Saraswatula
“I bought my first shade of nude lipstick when I was interning for a law firm. They said I had to tone down my makeup, lawyers don’t dress up like that. Dress up like what — I asked myself. But I didn’t argue with the HR’s suggestion. I have often wondered why it is assumed that a woman who dresses up can’t be smart. I never understand why a woman has to be a certain way when she has to make her voice heard, why she has to be okay when the men use her ideas and get a promotion.
Maybe that’s why I decided to become a POSH trainer. I was able to empower so many women about their rights and show them how the law can be helpful in cases of sexual harassment. I came across hundreds of talented women trying to thrive in a hostile environment and just letting them know that they had the law on their side was a rewarding experience. As I shut down my laptop and logged off for the day, a smile used to appear on my face unknowingly — I was making a change, however small.
I come from a family of lawyers but I was never very attracted to the profession. I always wanted a job that will be thrilling and adventurous every day. A job where I will have enough opportunities to grow and evolve as a person and learn new skills. And so I quit law and tried a number of things.
Needless to say, my family wasn’t very appreciative of my decisions — after all, who leaves a reputed profession like that of a lawyer. But I learnt a lot and I am glad I took the plunge.
Being a lawyer taught me to be argumentative but the other jobs made me street smart. Working in the customer support department of a reputed company helped in cultivating immense patience. Believe me when I tell you that I can get you the best table at a restaurant even though you might have forgotten to make a reservation by sheer patience and persuasion and not raising my voice! All this comes handy when I am dealing with so many beneficiaries for Donatekart.
However, even for someone like me who tries to strike the perfect balance between personal life and work, that one call or text message from a beneficiary at the wee hours of the morning just to thank me is heartwarming. Imagine starting off a day knowing you played a small part in helping the elderly have a more comfortable life or stray dogs who are now being given nutritious meals — it is fulfilling and makes me happy.”
-Aishwarya Saraswatula, Business Development Associate
