Kraftshala Marketing Launchpad Review: How Abhishek Sharda Switched From HR to Digital Marketing

This blog is a transcript of a video testimonial shared by Abhishek Sharda, an alumnus of Kraftshala’s Marketing Launchpad. You can watch the full conversation here: Watch the video on YouTube.

Quick facts

• Name: Abhishek Sharda
• From: Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh
• Education: BBA → PGDM in HR
• Program: Kraftshala Marketing Launchpad (MLP), Batch 18
• Placed in: Publicis Global Delivery as Trainee Analyst
• Currently working as: Media Performance Associate Manager at Publicis Global Delivery
• The switch: From HR to core digital marketing
• In his words: “When you’re taught by the best and you’re receptive enough, you become the best.”

Plenty of people stumble into marketing. Abhishek Sharda chose it on purpose – walking away from a comfortable HR package because he wanted to understand how businesses actually win customers. This is his account of why he made the switch, what the Marketing Launchpad program was really like, and how it helped him get hired.

Why move from HR to marketing after two degrees in it?

Both my graduation and post-graduation were in HR. After HR I was getting a good package – there’s no doubt about that – but I wanted to understand business as a whole. HR is one aspect of a business; it’s about how you work within the organization. Marketing, and digital marketing specifically, is about how you reach the market outside – how you work with people outside your organization and build trust with them, the people who spend money on your product. That trust is very hard to earn.

Digital marketing fascinated me because I already knew a lot of marketing concepts, but I wanted to get to the core of it. I found Kraftshala to be the best choice to pursue that.

How did you find out about Kraftshala?

In the first year of an MBA you go through all the domains – marketing, HR, operations, finance. It’s in the second year that you choose your field of interest. In my first year, a lot of my friends were talking about Stoa and Kraftshala. I was fascinated – what were these institutions claiming to provide such good packages and such strong knowledge in fields that are so dynamic?

I connected with a lot of people from previous batches on LinkedIn, compared both institutions, and then decided to join Kraftshala.

What made you choose Kraftshala specifically?

The personal factor was learning – I’ve never been able to stick to one thing for very long, and I wanted to explore digital marketing at its core.

As for Kraftshala itself, the alumni I spoke to told me the mentors come from very rich backgrounds – people from GroupM, HiveMinds, Publicis and other companies that are the flag-bearers of the digital marketing space.

When you’re taught by the best and you’re receptive enough, you become the best. That was the idea behind joining Kraftshala.

“Kraftshala isn’t just a place where freshers come in. A lot of people there already have significant experience, but the credibility they gain after studying at Kraftshala is incredible. My impression of them was: I want to be where they are. Even if I master just one of the domains Kraftshala teaches, I’d be at the helm of whichever organization I work for.

What was the program actually like day to day?

I was very committed to the process. We used to take classes for 8-9 hours a day. We had breaks, but it was a very immersive schedule.

In traditional education, you study subjects, but when you step into the real world you don’t see the relevance. At Kraftshala, when we were taught a topic it felt easy – we thought we’d breeze through it. But right after a session we’d get an assignment, one or two hours long, and that’s when we’d really rack our brains. When we discussed it with the mentors afterwards, that’s when we learned how it’s actually done in the corporate world. How a concept looks and how it’s applied in real dynamics are two very different things.

One of the other highlights of the program is Human Skills training. In my one-on-one sessions with the human skills trainer, I was forced to look back on the things I’ve done in my life. That’s where you find the merit in your own journey and understand your core capabilities. Anyone can teach you how to build a resume; very few can teach you how to present it – what to actually put in. Going through the process of realizing what you went through to earn an achievement is significant. That’s what helped me secure a job through Kraftshala.

What did you like most about Kraftshala?

If you get placed and then, say, a year later you leave for a better opportunity and need to prepare again, Kraftshala still guides you. You’re not out of the placement pool just because you’ve been placed once. Even if you come back two years later, Kraftshala treats you as its own.

What did your parents say about the outcome?

They didn’t think I’d take a job, so they were surprised when I did. Then I showed them my offer letter and they were really happy – it was a great ROI. Honestly, people shouldn’t think too much about ROI, because even if you master 50% of the expertise here, you’ll get more than what Kraftshala promises.

Kraftshala guides you, but it’s a partnership. You put in your work and they put in theirs- and that’s when you receive good things.

How are you different, before and after Kraftshala?

The most significant transformation is that I’m much more confident about the field I’m in. When I’m around peers from the same space, they see me with credibility and respect. That comes from the brand Kraftshala has built – and from the people who passed out in previous batches. If I do good work, it reflects back on Kraftshala too. So it’s a full circle.

A message for the Kraftshala team

I’d like to extend my thanks to everyone at Kraftshala. There was a time when things weren’t well in my family – I had a few losses and had to back off. I’d had a loss just seven or eight days in, so they asked me to leave the 17th batch and join the 18th, and they kept checking in on how I was doing. That was really heartening, because I wasn’t in a space where I could think for myself. 

Thinking about switching into marketing?

Abhishek’s story is one of many. If you want to learn core digital marketing and graduate with a job – not just a certificate – explore the Marketing Launchpad program and see our latest placement report.