Tell us about a time when you messed up, and what you learnt from the experience?
During the placement season in my college, I was selected for an interview with McKinsey. I was among the only 2 people out of the entire batch of 150 students to be called for the interview. Belonging to a completely different field (Polymers), I was not accustomed to business and case interviews. I prepared for the interview within the limited time and then came the D day. It also happened to be my first job interview of the season. Though my case interview did not go well, I did well in the Personal Round. Though I could not make it, I got the confidence to face interviews and also learnt a lot after the interaction with the interviewer. After the interview, I connected with him for feedback which helped me understand my mistakes and work on them. It actually changed my perspective of looking at failures as an opportunity to learn and grow in life.
Tell us something about yourself that others may be surprised to know about you.
I tend to get in spirals and overthink events and situations many times. Although I might have an ever-smiling face, sometimes I hide my emotions behind that smile.
What have been your two biggest successes in life? What did you learn from them?
- I have displayed versatility and been an all-round consistent performer throughout my career up till now. I have been involved in lots of extracurricular and co-curricular activities and along with all this I have managed to be a top performer in academics as well. I learnt how to effectively manage time and be an all-rounder through this.
- In my college, I was the Student Placement Head. Being a pure technical institute our college did not have consulting firms visiting for placements and in my batch, I got to know that many people wanted to get into such roles. That is when I reached out to all our alums in these firms and interacted with them and told them about the interest of my batchmates. After all the efforts I was able to get some top consulting firms on our campus for placements for the first time and that really pleased me. I felt satiated. With this, I learnt that whenever there is a will there is definitely a way to work things out if we keep trying and do not give up.
Professionally, what is your ideal image of yourself five years from now? Where do you see yourself?
I wish to see myself as a Brand Manager for a multinational company (preferably FMCG) in future. That is something which I am really inclined towards. After coming from a pure technical background, I worked closely with the marketing team for major brands in Pidilite for 2 years. Having that technical knowledge base really helped me understand things better and after my MBA I wish to build on my skills further so as to pursue my interest further.
What is the one skill or characteristic you possess that you are most proud of, and why?
The one skill that I possess and is very important for me is the ability to keep learning and growing. In my life I have come across many failures, many new opportunities to learn and grow and I try to grab all of them with both my hands. I am always ready to learn new things because that is what keeps me motivated and helps me grow in life. I believe that learning should never stop. I try to learn from my peers, colleagues, superiors and all the people around me in some way or the other.
In your opinion, what skills or qualities does a successful manager possess?
Successful managers differ widely in their personalities, strengths, weaknesses, skills, values and beliefs. All they have in common is that they get the right things done by asking the right questions. They ask what needs to be done and what is right for the organisation. They develop action plans and are accountable for their actions and decisions. They take the initiative of communicating and are focus d on opportunities rather than problems.
Tell us about an ethical dilemma that you may have faced, and how you resolved it.
As the Placement Head for my batch, I was looking after the recruitment process of a consulting firm that had come to our campus. It so happened that a student due to a personal medical emergency was unable to fill the form in time and hence his name was not considered for that company by the Placement Cell as per the rules. But he came to me and explained the situation and told me that it was his dream company. I then convinced the Placement Cell to allow him after explaining his situation. I also knew that other candidates would perceive this as unfair and hence I called a meeting and explained the case to them and also took consent from them after all agreed. So finally I was able to help that person in getting a fair chance to appear for that interview with his dream company.
If you were the CEO of any company of your choosing, which company would you choose and what would your first action be as CEO?
I would love to be the CEO of a company that allows employees to grow in their careers and hence enable them to contribute exceedingly well to the organisation. So my first action as a CEO would be to listen to all people, create and grab opportunities for growth instead of focusing on problems. I would love to be the CEO of Pidilite Industries where I have also worked for 2 years. My first action as a CEO at Pidilite would be to actually understand the strong and unique culture of Pidilite and to communicate at all levels. The company is a market leader in its category and therefore there are lots to learn from people at all levels.
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Check The List Of InsideIIM’s 50 Most Promising Incoming Students 2021 Here!
For the Class Of 2022, we are back with the 8th season of InsideIIM's Best 50 - India's Most Employable MBA Graduates - Class Of 2022! If you're graduating from a B-School in 2022, you're eligible to take part in this competition! Grab the chance to bring out your best side and impress your recruiters and peers. Take the opportunity to show the world why you are special, on your own terms.
If you're using a web browser (Mozilla or Google Chrome), then you can take part through this link. Otherwise, please download the Kampus App (Android | iOS), and head over to Competitions.
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