Now that they’ve completed their two years in the Fellowship, what comes next for Teach For Malaysia’s first cohort of alumni? Dipesh Sanghvi tells us about the next stage of his life as a HR Analyst with Shell Malaysia.
Now that they’ve completed their two years in the Fellowship, what comes next for Teach For Malaysia’s first cohort of alumni? Dipesh Sanghvi tells us about the next stage of his life as a HR Analyst with Shell Malaysia.
What is the position you’ll be taking on after the Fellowship?
I would be working as a HR Analyst with Shell Malaysia. I am being sent to Miri, Sarawak. It is (part of) the Shell Graduate Trainee Program, a three-year program with two roles for 18 months each.
What made you decide on this particular pathway after the Fellowship?
I used to be in the corporate world with IBM Malaysia prior to this and I joined the Fellowship as a leadership experience/real life MBA/next closest thing to Westpoint Academy. I saw the Fellowship as an avenue for me to do my national service, contribute back to society in the education sphere whilst equipping myself with the necessary leadership skills for the journey of life.
How do you think being part of Teach For Malaysia helped prepare you for this role? What skills do you think you gained from the classroom that will give you an edge in this position?
Being in TFM has helped me vastly to improve my emotional intelligence, enhance my communication skills with various stakeholders, presentation skills for formal/informal gatherings and negotiation skills with people from all walks of life. Managing the most challenging classroom and students in my school has given me the edge with regards to my people skills and this (is) essential in my new role in Human Resources which would entail dealing with people from various demographics, skills and qualifications, more so in a global organisation like Shell.
How do you think you’ll be able to further the cause of ending education inequity in this position?
My immediate goal would be to have a Shell representative at the next TFM Week to enable Shell and TFM to build a bridge. Thereafter I would continue to volunteer in Shell CSR’s Education initiatives. On a personal level, being in Sarawak would allow me to reach many high need schools to see how best I could help them out over the weekends with extra classes, tutoring or mini projects of refurbishments.
What will you miss most about being a teacher in a high-need school?
I will particularly miss the simplicity of village life and the kindness of the community. Of course it goes without saying that I will miss my students and fellow teachers who have become more like family to me. Lastly, I will miss the chance to contribute back to society on a daily basis.
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