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Sangeeta Mehta looking over a cover of a book that she is currently editing
COOL CAREER
Education International
NAME: Sangeeta Mehta LOCATION: Manhattan, New York
CAREER: Assistant Editor, Little Brown & Company (books for young readers division), Time Warner Book Group
THE JOURNEY: After working for a literary agency and making good contacts in the book publishing industry, Sangeeta moved from sunny Southern California to snowy New York where she networked, sent out dozens of letters and prepared strongly.
WE PROFILE SANGEETA MEHTA'S SUCCESS for interviews. "Working in book publishing or
entertainment is tricky," she says, "one needs a strong résumé and excellent contacts to 'get in,' perseverance and patience, and the determination to work above and beyond the assigned
responsibilities."
THE OBSTACLES: The first time Sangeeta went to New York City for her interviews turned out to be the week of the tragic 9/11 terrorist attacks at the Twin Towers in the heart of New York. When she went to NY again for interviews that December, she was not able to land anything. She finally took a chance and moved to NY the following spring (without a job!) when she came across a few other obstacles, one of which was that her wallet was stolen the first weekend in the city! She was tempted to move back home, but knew that if she left NY then, she would never realise her dream.
THE DESTINATION: Now that she's finally made it, Sangeeta has learned valuable lessons for both the workplace and life: she has learned the importance of maintaining a positive attitude to assignments and towards all co-workers, even though both of these can be challenging at times. She instead tries to "find a creative way to make the best out of the situation."
Her advice for others on their own journeys: "Having faith is so important in everything we do," says Sangeeta. "I always believed that I would get the right job-I just didn't know how and when. Also, no matter how busy I get, I always try to chant Namokar Mantra at least once a day. It's amazing how much power lies in this short mantra, and how much peace For Personal & Private Use of mind it can give you."
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