We recently had the pleasure of catching up with Ishita Rustagi at Effectual Services. She joined us 2 years ago as a Senior Associate, Operations and we recently sat down with her to ask about her time, career growth, to discover some of her favorite projects and her opinions on diversity within the company.

What made you want to join Effectual Services?
I think that of all the companies I’ve worked for in the past, Effectual Services has got the most organized approach and cohesiveness in the organisation. The teams are very supportive and environment is super friendly. Additionally, the environment is professional and supportive which brings out the best in the employees and that’s really very important for efficiently carrying out the day-to-day work, to be able to be creative, to focus on the quality, project delivery and ideas.

Besides this, the one thing that makes this company so unique is the people. The people work here for a long time stay for good reason, because they really believe in the company’s vision, mission and the culture. They continue to grow and change along the way, which I’ve witnessed personally in the past two years.

How did your role as a Senior Associate, Operations compare to other roles you’ve held in the past in previous companies?
I think it’s the diversity of projects and capabilities that made my role stand out from others and I’m keen to really explore as to how I can help expand the current role and responsibilities and add value to my job. As a patent analyst, I was very focused on projects but I have worked with people who have varied backgrounds in electronics, communications, life sciences and who are also excellent in patent drafting. I saw that as opportunity but also a challenge, to connect with different people in order to push for quality work and create more impactful results.

What piece of work are you most proud of in your time at Effectual Services?
Unequivocally, I have to say, I’m really proud of every project that I undertake. The predictable answer from me would probably be one of the leading names in the pharma industry. I think it demonstrated that we can deliver something very quickly, with agility and flexibility to make something really amazing. It came about due to a collaborative effort of the team in Noida. The project helped me gain knowledge and use all the experiences that I have got in the past years. I took the lead on the project and was very hands-on, immediately got to know the invention really well and within a very short time, we created some quality results and got an appreciation from the client! Usually, working for such a short deadline wouldn’t be ideal situation, but this was amazing. I had a great time with the team and a fantastic experience working in the office.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced as an employee that helped you prepare for your bigger role?
A lot of time that I spent as an associate was performing patent searches while coordinating with other team members but also having conversations/interactions with the senior leadership team to get more quality results. Ultimately the associate is the person that is really working on live projects because they are hands-on and client-facing, and at the same time they have to understand the bigger picture around how to deliver results as per the deadline shared by the client. Therefore I think I spent quite a lot of time managing those expectations and, at the same time, ensuring the quality of the work. I think as a senior associate now I’m facing different challenges, which are more around looking at the bigger picture, building relationships and overseeing the other project-related tasks from a slightly different perspective.

As a Senior Associate at Effectual Services, how much importance do you place upon diversity within your team?
I think it plays a very important role. From the employee perspective, we want to really grow and I think this is a fantastic time for all the employees to really step up because the industry is more open than ever. I feel that diversity is blossoming and we can just really go for it, to ask for support from the company and other colleagues. Moreover, it’s just a great place for diversity and I accept it with open arms. Hopefully, I will be able inspire more people from different parts, educational background and culture to join the family. When you love what you do, you do a good job and that’s what I focus on.

What is something that you’ve learned and use almost daily in your current role?
Listening is one of my winning formulas. When I ask people what they think about something, it’s a great opportunity for them to question why they think a certain way about something. I really respect the people here, they have their own professional and experienced skill sets, so it’s great to get their opinions because of that but also because once you have taken the time to consider someone else’s opinion, they tend to be more open to your way of thinking.

If you could give a piece of career advice, what would it be?
Cordial interrelations among the employees are very important for any company to grow. One has to spend time networking with people, because there’s a lot of opportunity in the company. In my experience here, it’s nurturing those relationships and having those more casual catch-ups that help you grow. The second is for working in operations team: just go for it. Just do it. We’re lucky that Effectual Services is a great company where there are no restrictions and offer so many opportunities for the people to grow and thrive. We’re all very open. We belong to it now.