Tara Majumdar: Where Resilience Met Recognition and a Squiggly Career Found Its Place at dentsu

Resilience in Motion

For Tara Majumdar, resilience has never been about standing still. It’s about movement across countries, careers and chapters of life. Now a Display Associate in Programmatic Advertising at Dentsu, she’s thriving in a fast-paced, data-led field that many would call a new beginning.

But Tara sees it differently.

“I wasn’t starting from scratch,” she says. “I was starting from experience.”

Her career began in software development in Germany, where she moved from India after marrying in her twenties. Since then, she’s worked and lived across three countries, Germany, Spain and the UK, while raising two sons and building a portfolio of contract and employed roles that crossed industries and skill sets.

“I’ve never not worked,” she reflects. “I’m a better mother if I work. It keeps me learning, and I love learning.”

That blend of curiosity and persistence would eventually become her defining strength, though it took the right employer to see it that way.

Finding Direction After a Squiggly Career

When Tara decided to refocus her career in the UK, her experience, her greatest asset, became a puzzle for recruiters. “They looked at my CV and said, ‘You’ve done so many things we don’t know where to fit you.’ I remember thinking, surely that’s a good thing?”

It was a moment of frustration that quickly turned into determination.

“I just thought, this can’t be happening. I’ve got all these skills. I’m going to bet on myself again.”

The next day, scrolling through LinkedIn, she came across a post from a contact: Dentsu was hiring. The role, an entry-level opportunity in Programmatic Advertising, caught her attention immediately.

“It was a split-second decision. I thought, I’ll apply and see what happens.”

When she was shortlisted, she was surprised and deeply grateful.

“They were giving me a chance to show what I could do. That meant everything.”

Prepared to Learn, Ready to Begin

From her first interaction, Dentsu’s approach stood out. A recruiter took time to walk Tara through every step of the process, from the numerical assessment and group presentation to the final interview.

“She didn’t share the questions, but she explained what to expect. That small act of transparency and support made all the difference.”

The process was rigorous and new.

“I’d never done an assessment centre before,” Tara admits. “And I thought, oh my God -numbers!”

But she prepared thoroughly, trusting her own ability to learn. “I parked my ego at the door. I just thought, get your foot in the door and we’ll see what happens.”

At the assessment, surrounded by recent graduates, she focused on collaboration over competition.

“They could have been my children,” she laughs. “But I held back to let the younger ones present. Maybe it’s a generational thing leadership can mean creating space for others.”

Her approach didn’t go unnoticed. After presenting and completing her interview, she received an email while reading an article on The New Yorker.

“I thought it would be a rejection. But it said I’d been successful. My heart just leapt. It was one of those moments you don’t forget.”

Confidence, Reframed

Taking an entry-level position at 49 was a bold step, but Tara approached it with openness and self-belief.

“It’s about humility,” she says. “I’ve done lots of things in charities, councils, startups, but you have to be willing to learn again. The title doesn’t matter; the learning does.”

In just 18 months, she’s built new technical expertise and found her rhythm in the dynamic world of programmatic advertising.

“I used to say I wasn’t that good with numbers. Now I live in them every day, and I love it.”

Her attitude reflects a balance of confidence and curiosity that only experience can bring: calm under pressure, open to challenge, and quietly ambitious.

Me/Redefined and the Power of Reflection

Tara’s love of learning naturally led her to take part in 55/Redefined’s online Me/Redefined career and coaching programme through the Age Inclusion ERG. It was an experience she describes as both challenging and rewarding.

“There were some tough questions that really made me think. But it gave me clarity.”

Her five-year plan, developed through the course, includes becoming a go-to expert in Programmatic, starting a PhD, and continuing to travel, journal and learn.

She’s already achieved one of those goals: winning the WeAreTheCity Rising Star Award in Advertising & Media 2025.

“It’s proof that growth doesn’t stop. It just evolves.”

Advice for Others Finding Their Way

To those navigating similar career crossroads, Tara’s message is simple:

“Talk to people. Reach out to your network; you know more people than you think. Keep learning and don’t wait until you know everything. Learn as you go. Take the time for yourself. Reflect, invest in your own growth, and keep learning. It’s worth it.”

And, true to her nature, she ends with the question that continues to guide her career:

“What’s next?”

Editor’s Reflection

Tara’s story is one of optimism, self-belief and strength, the kind that builds over years of adapting, learning and contributing. Her career path may be squiggly, but her direction is clear: forward.

For employers, it’s a reminder that when organisations look beyond linear careers, they uncover talent that’s resilient, agile and deeply committed. For individuals, it’s proof that confidence doesn’t come from having all the answers, it comes from staying curious enough to keep asking questions.

Resilient. Recognised. Redefining what’s next.

For more information on Me/Redefined, click here.