Finding her voice

Award-winning career coach, LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and a two-time Josh Talks speaker Aditi Sharma is a much-sought after sales and soft-skills trainer who has helped individuals and organisations grow personally and professionally

MARIA FERNANDES |NT

Aditi Sharma was born late, almost reaching ten months but was underweight due to which she was kept in NICU for a month. Along with internal weakness, she also developed a skin allergy that she carried throughout her childhood. “This allergy was all over my face, leading to a lack of confidence, fear of speaking my mind in front of anyone, and an inferiority complex that I was not good enough, allowing people to treat me as if I was only there to serve them,” she says, adding that this lack of self-esteem and confidence also prevented her from making friends.

To add to this, her father passed away when she was just eight years old. “Despite the fact that my mother has been my strongest and only support throughout my life, I have learned that, for a girl, a father is a different kind of strength who helps her understand how to face the world more confidently,” she says.

Her mother remarrying gave her some respite for a while but then things changed again. “My step-father suddenly started disliking me. I don’t know why, but his behaviour became so cold that, despite being in the same house, we never spoke to each other. We were never even in the same room at the same time while both of us were at home,” she shares. “I remember waking up to hearing him say things like I will not do anything in life. I almost started believing that he was right because I was not good in my studies or sports. I was not into anything.”

In Class 11, Sharma decided to opt for open school. “I just knew two things: I didn’t want to go to regular school and I wanted to leave my hometown. The first I was able to do the, but the second was difficult to convince my mom that I was mature enough to live alone in any random city,” she says.

Young and eager to prove herself, she tried various courses like tally, animation, web designing, but nothing was interesting enough and she soon lost interest and discontinued. “One thing I was sure about and that was I did not want to do a desk job,” she says. It was around this time she got an opportunity to participate in the Mr. & Miss Uttarakhand contest and for the first time experienced the feeling of confidence. “After participating in a few more local fashion shows, I realised my real passion: planning, organising, and managing. I decided to pursue an event management course in Pune,” she says.

The turning point in her life was the marketing executive position in a mall in Pune. Not only did she gather experience but also worked on herself and her skills. “I learned from everyone; I used to pick admirable qualities from people and tried to adapt those to my work and that has been the best practice for me to improve,” she shares.

Somewhere down the line, she moved back to Dehradun and after a few failed ventures, started her consultation business and was even invited to colleges to mentor the e-cells. During this phase, along with her cousins, she decided to create a record in India Book of Records by covering 15 treks in 20 consecutive days. “This is a victory that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” she states.

In addition to the work she was doing, she joined Toastmasters, started her YouTube channel and began creating content on LinkedIn. The Skill Up Programme she developed to help job seekers find suitable positions, has been a great success and got her the recognition she deserved. “Being recognised as a LinkedIn Top Voice didn’t just give me credibility as a career coach—it opened doors to countless opportunities, allowing me to reach the right audience and grow my business exponentially,” she says. Today, 80% of her revenue comes from LinkedIn organically, proving the platform’s immense potential when used strategically. “Leveraging LinkedIn for my growth has been one of the best decisions of my career, and I continue to use it to empower professionals worldwide,” she adds.

Today, she mentors mid- and senior-career professionals, helping them grow in their respective fields across the world, including countries like Ireland, US, UAE, Germany, and Poland.

Throughout her career, more than strategic moves, Sharma says her intuition, risk-taking ability, and faith in the process have been her guiding force. She credits her success to being a visionary and to her leadership qualities.

For those youth who are demotivated about their circumstances and have no proper direction, she says, “First of all, we need to understand that demotivation is a temporary emotion caused by the circumstances around us. These circumstances will eventually change when we start taking action.” She then highlights the importance of conducting a Personal SWOT Analysis to understand one’s self which will help take one closer to their goals. “Knowing yourself is a great power, and regular introspection can provide lifetime clarity and increase confidence,” she adds.