Let me be honest—I wasn’t always sure I’d make it.
I come from IIEST, one of the top civil engineering colleges in the country. It’s a place I worked hard to reach—after failing JEE the first time and bouncing back stronger. But even after cracking it and making it to a reputed institute, something felt off. Civil engineering didn’t excite me. I kept waiting for it to “click.” It never did.
I pushed through college, still unsure about my future. Hoping maybe the job would bring clarity. It didn’t.
Note From Editor -> Free CAT Mocks 2025: Daily Sectionals!
Burnt Out Before I Even Began
I got placed at a reputed civil engineering firm during college. People around me thought I was set. But within weeks, I realized I wasn’t. I was clocking 13–15 hour shifts, rotating between day and night duty. The job left me no time to reflect, recharge, or grow. The pressure was constant, the path ahead felt blurry.
And so, I did something that shocked many—I resigned.
No backup. No safety net. Just a dream that maybe, just maybe, I could pursue an MBA and build a life that felt like mine.
Starting From Zero
The next few months were the hardest I’ve ever faced. With barely 2–3 months left for CAT, I started from scratch. I gave two mocks daily, revised, analysed, and improved. Alongside, I began preparing for government exams too—travelling 8+ hours to Kolkata regularly for those exams, just in case CAT didn’t work out.
Financially, things were tight. Emotionally, I was drained. The fear of failure never left. But I kept going.
The Scores And the Storm
CAT: 98.4 percentile
XAT: 97.8 percentile
Decent—but as a GEM (General, Engineer, Male) fresher, I knew I was already behind—by nearly 20 profile points compared to others. My academics weren’t stellar either.
And then came the interviews—gruelling, to say the least.
I often felt like I was trying to prove I belonged in rooms designed to exclude me. Interviewers questioned why I left my job. Why I remained unemployed despite being from a top engineering college. Why I had a gap. Each time, I knew I had to defend not just my decision—but my worth.
What saved me was my honesty, and my relentless zeal for an MBA. I made them see that I wasn’t running from something—I was running towards something that truly mattered to me.
The Breakthrough
After months of rejection, preparation, and hope, I finally heard the words that made it all worth it:
“You’ve been selected for XLRI Jamshedpur.”
That moment wasn't just about converting a call. It was about reclaiming my story. Validating every risk I took. Proving to myself that I wasn’t behind—I was just on a different path.
What I’ve Learned
You don’t need to have a perfect profile to chase your dream.
You can have a gap, no work-ex, average academics—and still crack a top B-school.
Hard work doesn’t guarantee instant results, but it always builds momentum.
And if you feel like the underdog—you’re not alone. But you’re never out of the game.
If you’ve ever doubted yourself, felt like you didn’t fit the “ideal MBA mold,” or thought of quitting—I’ve been there.
And if you’re willing to keep showing up every day—you’ll get there too.
Just like I did.
