Diverse faces of the traineeship – Nivedita

In light of Diversity Week 2024, we interviewed some trainees from our Digital Transformation Intensive Programme and explored with them their experiences of working in multicultural environments like DSS. Meet Nivedita who joined our international cohort of trainees in September and is working on a challenge from Amsterdam Fashion Institute.

“At one of the celebrations, my friend said something in Hindi to me and all my friends: “तुम मेरी कमाई हो”. It translates in English to “You are what I earned through my life.” At that point, I found it so beautiful and relatable. I want that feeling after DSS and after anything in life. “ – says Nivedita, reflecting on her ambition for the future.

About the programme

The Digital Transformation Intensive Programme is a hands-on traineeship for young professionals from around the globe who want to learn how to work responsibly and sustainably by using design, technology and social innovation. The participants follow an intensive learning trajectory while simultaneously working in multidisciplinary teams on an innovative challenge from one of our partners.

Interview with Nivedita

Could you tell me briefly about your background and where you come from? 

My name is Nivedita and I come from New Delhi, India. I lived in 3 different cities in India, which provided me with diverse perspectives of how life can be in my own country. First, I studied Fine Arts and pursued a career as a photographer after. I was mainly working in the fashion industry, taking pictures of fashion collections and fashion weeks for a while but it didn’t make me content. It was a male-dominated world and I wasn’t getting the same opportunities as my peers. Even when I would bring someone on board with me, they would get paid more. So I decided to continue doing photography only as my passion and did a master’s in New Media Design at the National Insitute of Design. This multidisciplinary master’s really changed the way I looked at life.

And why did you join DSS, if I may ask?

I like things happen to me, not to plan too far ahead. DSS was also not planned – my friend was part of the traineeship programme before and she liked it. So, when she recommended it, I decided to give it a try.

Have you had any experience working in a diverse team before coming to DSS? What benefits and challenges have you faced related to these experiences?

Back in India, I experienced inequality between men and women in the workplace and I didn’t like that. Of course, I met both very good and not-so-good teammates. But it was one of the reasons why I decided to switch countries, to see if the reality is different abroad.

When it comes to DSS, I don’t think I have ever seen a workplace like this before. Everyone is so enthusiastic and happy to be here, and this is very new to me and came as a big shock. It’s for sure a good attitude to learn and adapt to cause I have never looked forward to going to a workplace. But that’s exactly what I look for in the future as well.

Within my team, we are still learning to understand each other and work well together. Everyone is so vastly different from one another and no one understands each other’s way of working just yet. We have only been here for 3 weeks, so that’s also not expected to happen so quickly. What is nice is how we can talk about the most random things in the world for hours. And those conversations can bring us closer together too.

What is your ambition after DSS?

In the past, I really wanted to climb a career ladder in the corporate world. I started with a big dream of wanting to be rich and to own things, but as I grew older I realised that it is not something I want to do after all. My goal is to have a simple, meaningful and peaceful life that can come from anywhere: it can come from myself and doesn’t depend on a place. I am still seeking it, and I am sure something will come my way.