Join InsideIIM GOLD
Webinars & Workshops
Compare B-Schools
Free CAT Course
Take Free Mock Tests
Upskill With AltUni
CAT Study Planner
Before XLRI, I was a Management Trainee at Marriott for Cluster Revenue Management. Owing to the pandemic, my joining had been deferred by 8 months. When hotels finally opened up after lockdown, they were making soaring losses. The pressure on business was immense, and outcomes were very little. Since Cluster handling involves managing all the hotels in a territory, I had a lot of training modules to complete; but I had to jump into the field much sooner. I was assigned to make major reports that were analysed by stakeholders at the APEC level even before I could complete my onboarding. Being unaware of the nature of resources, one of the reports was sent with inaccurate data, as I had not been provided with updated data. My supervisor was baffled by this, but my manager and mentor guided me through the process. She explained the toughness of the situation and constructively criticized me manage my training modules before or after working hours. Although this went against the strict Work-Life norm we followed, I took her advice and noticed the change in my knowledge. I had to go out of my way to make up for the unnatural scenario, but I came out of it as a developed person with enhanced skills.
I wanted to a space scientist. Since childhood, I have been intrigued by the concept of space and time, and how they co-exist in what is called the Space-Time continuum. What is more fascinating, is the theory of there being more than three dimensions, and wormholes - which indicate a possibility of time travel. I was (still am) intrigued to study the theory of how the space-time continuum bends and folds and links time in different dimensions. I wanted to research and develop more on these lines; however, I felt I would belong better in the corporate world. After weighing out all my options very carefully and numerous counselling sessions, I decided to move ahead towards a degree in Hospitality, that would eventually lead me to the business world.
Five years from now, I see myself positioned in the management of a leading organization in the marketing/operations domain, whilst also conducting pilot rounds for my start-up. Having completed my MBA from the prestigious institute XLRI, I see myself gaining some corporate-world experience, and simultaneously finalizing a comprehensive business model for my start-up. Being an entrepreneur has been my dream since childhood. I have taken several small-scale initiatives during the pandemic, which offered me more learnings than success. I aspire to gain proper experience and build a financially stable base and then take up entrepreneurship gradually to return to the community.
Personality. Ever since school, I have been an active participant in public speaking events. Apart from honing speech and debating skills, I have learned how to learn from people who are better than me at something. Fast forward to my college IHM Pusa, which is the county's Rank #1 Hospitality Management Institute, had a robust collection of events for me to participate in. These extra-curricular and co-curricular events introduced me to diverse groups of people and taught me to move outside my comfort zone and interact with new people. I often receive compliments for my professionalism. During my experience in ITC Maurya as a Hospitality Intern, I had customer-facing roles which also involved serving guests. At Marriott International, as a Management Trainee for Cluster Revenue Management, I had interactions with General Managers and Vice Presidents on an everyday basis, hence professionalism wasn't a choice but a pre-requisite.The grooming aspect of the hospitality industry has contributed to my overall personality development. Now that I look back at my peers from school or new colleagues, I realize the importance of having a pleasant personality, professionalism, and good communication skills.
A successful manager (they/them) acts as a leader for their team, instead of a boss. They facilitate and maintain a positive and productive work environment. A successful manager possesses exceptional people skills and maintains an open-door policy for their team. They promote a two-way method of learning, where the subordinates feel valued and their opinions hold weight in the organization. They are empathetic and act as mentors for their teammates when required.
This is a situation from my experience at ITC Maurya, a five-star deluxe luxury hotel. ITC Maurya is the preferred residence of heads-of-states and celebrities. During my internship, I was rotated among all operating departments. While I was posted in Bakery, a subsection of the F&B Production department, it was severely short-staffed due to unavoidable circumstances. Being the festive season, the workload was tremendous with an unequal distribution of tasks, creating undue pressure on the team. Consequently, I found some of my seniors doing double shifts to stay on schedule and taking responsibilities that were not expected of them. This inspired me to follow their lead and help reduce the burden on the team, but my daily tasks were already very exhausting in nature. Besides, I was already contributing more than what was expected of us as interns or mentioned in our job description. This led me into an ethical dilemma. However, keeping the organization and the learning aspect first, I performed double shifts for the entire week, something that was not expected from an intern. I learnt operational processes from my supervisors and relieved them from tasks that I could fulfil so that they could take care of more complex responsibilities. My seniors took note of my helpful behaviour and made sure that I learnt the processes effectively, even during the busiest of times. My fellow interns were motivated by my initiating behaviour and volunteered to take on extra responsibilities as well. The impact of this situation on me was that I had more tasks and the responsibility to execute them while maintaining the performance standards; I also made good cross-boundary relations. The impact on my seniors was that there now existed an equitable distribution of work, which boosted their morale. I was also appreciated by the then Corporate Executive chef for my due diligence.