Aditi’s career comeback in India

I’m a chartered accountant and I’ve been working since 2002. Having started in smaller firms, I had my first break into a multinational corporation in 2007 at an IT services company. I worked there for about 22 months before moving to a financial services firm, where I worked until June 2016.

In my last assignment there, I was responsible for IT contractor and consultant costs across all regions. It was a global role in a team of four. The process had recently been moved to India. As a result, the role became more demanding in terms of my time commitment. Initially, I put in the extra hours, leaving my family behind. Soon, it started affecting our family life and especially my little one. She was in her first year at school. When it got as far as my daughter lagging behind in her studies and starting to lose interest, I decided to switch gears. Paying attention to her at this stage was more important.

My decision really paid off from my daughter's perspective. I spent a lot of time with her, making sure that her school, play and study routine was settled. Also, very importantly, we both had more time to bond with each other. That's going to last for a long time. It was a perfect investment at the right point in time. After that, I was ready for new challenge, reenergized and refreshed.

It was a tricky decision whether to join the workforce again. I was completely confused on which way to go. The only thing I was clear on was the need for flexibility, but it’s difficult to find that in finance. I tried a couple of places but hours became an issue again. I had the right skillset and experience, but it was really important to be present in office at the shift timings. It might be the right requirement for management but really didn't work for me.

Then one of my friends recommended a business management role here at UBS. This role has a blend of finance and admin. This means my experience and education is put to good use in a variety of ways. At the same time it gives me much more flexibility, as I am away from the core of the finance function. I also get to explore a different side of my personality here. I’m able to connect with lots of different people, across many functions and locations, and collaborate with them. I really like this new side of me!