This past summer, I had the privilege of returning to India after five years to work with Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement’s Human Resources team in Mysore. Unlike a lot of my peers, Iam Indian-American and have been to India over ten times. Nonetheless, these six weeks gave me the chance to explore India from a new, purely academic lens and for a purpose other than vacationing in the comfort of my family’s home in Mumbai. I was very interested in the learning about how topics like healthcare, law, and employment were all interrelated in this international setting, and some of the lectures we had during the first week of the program challenged me to think critically about my own beliefs and even question them.
For me, my decision to come to India meant remaining open minded and understanding that there was much more to gain from this program than just learning about Indian food, clothing, and religious customs – it was about reorienting myself as someone from the outside serving as a member of the Indian workforce. For my project, I was essentially tasked with developing a plan to better SVYM’s recruitment. What most interested me about this project is that I would get a chance to see the administrative side of an NGO, specifically the behind-the-scenes of sourcing talent. I was to collect information about the challenges faced in recruitment, research and analyze how other Indian NGOs attract talent, and create a document detailing ways SVYM could improve their own practices. To help SVYM act on some of my recommended strategies, I also designed visual content for the website, created contact information spreadsheets for potential partnerships, and collected employee testimonials to attest to the work culture. Throughout my project, though, I was mindful of the fact that, despite my observations and research, each of my recommendations had its own advantages and disadvantages based on the resources and desires of SVYM.
Ultimately, I am grateful for the opportunity to have participated in the ILR Global Service Learning Program this summer and, upon reflecting on my experience, feel that I have grown both professionally and personally. I was able to see firsthand the needs and limitations of the social sector and contribute to SVYM’s mission in developing human capital, while learning a lot about myself along the way.
-Nidhi