"Meet Woman on the Move Neha Agarwal "Up and coming Woman on the Move, Neha Agarwal is AVP – Search Marketing for IGP.com in India. Here is her interview:

Tell us about how you chose your career/business and what your responsibilities include?

Honestly speaking I didn’t chose my career but the circumstances at that time made me join digital marketing. I passed out as IT Engineer in the year when global economy was crashed and there was a huge recession. There were no jobs in software for beginners or freshers.

I had no choice but to grab whatever work opportunity I got to begin with. And today I feel blessed that the opportunity happened to be in digital marketing.

I am sure no other career could have been as fulfilling as being a digital marketer for me.

Currently I am heading the search marketing for India’s largest gifting portal IGP.com.

In my job I am responsible for online traffic and sales from search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing etc.) on site (web, mobile, app etc.)

I am also a keen blogger and write on mylifemyways.com.

Tell us about the company you work for?

I work for IGP.com, an online gift store that deliver ‘gifts’ anywhere to anywhere. We are into gifting for all large and small festivals (Indian festivals like Diwali, Important Days like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day etc.) along with private occasions like birthday, wedding and more.

Something that makes us stand apart is our handpicked collection and excellent curation. From Indian themed gifts to western preferences, we cater all gifting needs.

Prior to this, when e-commerce just entered in India, I worked at Jabong.com (a Rocket Internet Venture).

What are some of the most fulfilling projects you have been involved with so far?

Few of my friends started a campaign to educate kids from slums and villages near Gurgaon in India. I am volunteering for the campaign. We go and meet the parents of kids (mostly of them are uneducated and don’t understand the importance of education). We convince them to let their children go to school.

On new year I also started a social campaign #BagOfJoy. This is to encourage people for giving and experiencing the joy of sharing.

This is for the less privileged people in the country who struggle daily for basic necessities. #BagOfJoy encourages people to share clothes, bags, food and other stuff with the needy people.

You may check more details https://www.facebook.com/ MyBagOfJoy/ 

Are there any people in your field you would like to meet and/or work with and have not yet had the opportunity?

Yes there are some industry veterans and experts whom I would definitely love to meet. If get a chance working with them will be a big honour. Avinash Kaushik (Analytics Expert), Matt Cutts (Web Spam Team, Google) are few of them.

What are some of your favorite ways to network?

I love to attend launch meets, bloggers events, digital marketing summits etc. This helps me in socializing as well as learning new things.

Also social media is a great way to network.

Do you have a mentor – if so how did you choose one another?

Yes I do have a mentor. He is my senior from my previous organization. I feel working with him as well as his advises positively impacted me a lot as professional.

What have you learned from your mentor? What do you hope to learn?

Apart from most of the work related technicalities, I learnt a lot from him on the leadership front.

The concept of Emotional Quotient (EQ) is the biggest thing which I learnt from him. I feel EQ is something which today helps me lead a team successfully.

I also learnt how important it is to help sub-ordinates learn & grow.

I try to learn everyday from whomsoever I meet. Learning is never ending. And someday I hope our paths cross again professionally and I get a chance to learn again from his leadership.

What’s been the most surprising thing that has happened to you so far in your career?

I come from a very humble background and this whole professional experience of last 7 years itself is very pleasantly surprising for me.

I thank God everyday for helping me make a fulfilling life and career. Though today I aspire for a lot more and know that I have a long way to go. Yet I never hoped I could reach to where I have reached today this early.

What do you do for fun/relaxation?

I like to blog and spend time alone. Apart from this I like to meditate & chant. Chanting helps me keep calm and feel good.

Any parting advice for someone who would like to follow in your footsteps?

A bird in hand is worth two in the bush. This means everyone has ideas but successful people believe in doing more than dreaming and thinking.

Learn more about Indian Gifts Portal at www.IGP.com

Social Media Links
https://www.facebook.com/ mylifeandmyways/
https://twitter.com/ nehaagarwal802
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ nehaagarwalseo