I came across these beautiful words by Swami Vivekanand at a very early stage and have always applied them in my life:
"Arise, Awake, and Stop not till the goal is achieved."
My family originates from the land of gods, Uttarakhand, but I took birth in the beautiful city of Chandigarh. I spent my early childhood in the City of Nawabs, Lucknow, and did my graduation in India's political and cultural capital, New Delhi. Currently, I reside in the financial capital of India, Mumbai.
Having been raised in various places has shaped my personality to a great extent. Over the years, I have become adaptive to different environments, people, and locations. I have always been a versatile student, and my upbringing during these years made me curious to explore other horizons.
Taking inspiration from my father, I decided to pursue management. I joined Delhi University to pursue a Bachelor in Business Studies with a major in finance. During my college days, I worked as Vice President of the Law Society of my college to get hands-on skills, and here, I learned problem-solving & crisis management. I headed a team of 20 students and was responsible for the management and smooth functioning of the society.
During my college days, my interest in finance increased, and to get hands-on experience in finance, I interned at Grant Thornton under the 'Due Diligence' Department. I gained first-hand knowledge of due diligence there, prepared a report on the Pharmaceutical sector in India, and presented the same to the team of partners, who appreciated my efforts.
After this endeavor, I was presented with an incredible opportunity to work at TresVista as a Financial Analyst. However, right as I was set to join Tres Vista, I met with an accident, wherein my 2 two fingers and part of my face got ruptured. The Doctor prescribed a recovery time of around 4-5 months. I didn't want this physical hurdle to stop me from achieving my goals. I worked to regain my lost composure and began at Tres Vista after just two months. Upon my joining, I worked with two major African Development Financial Institutions for over 1.5 years, which equipped me with the knowledge and skills required to understand the nuances of project financing. I believe the proactive nature I possess is one thing that sets me apart from the crowd.
I started preparing for CAT in October 2018, but I could barely manage to work and study simultaneously, with my utilization going up to 150% in the office. After much contemplation, I decided to leave my job to focus entirely on building my career as a manager. From working 12+ hours on the client's requirements to spending 12+ hours pouring over coaching class lessons, the high-paced routine had become my new regular.
I was juggling between 3 different mock series, analysis of mocks, classes, solving study material, and recreational activities. I somehow survived that period. But as luck would have it, I fell short of my goal and managed to get 97%ile overall as I fell flat in one section (DILR: 99.45%ile; QA: 97.55%ile).
After CAT, I mainly focused on other B-school exams and prepared according to their exam pattern and GDPI preparations. I ended up having all my interviews back to back, and the whole schedule became very hectic, more so because I had to travel from Mumbai to other places for interviews. I had been worried that my score would have closed the door on prominent B-schools, but with my perseverance and hard work, I managed to convert all the calls I had, i.e., NMIMS, SIBM P, IIT D - WL, MDI M, IMT G, and of course, IIM Rohtak. I chose what I believed to be the best among my options, IIM Rohtak.
My focus is now to expand my corporate exposure horizon and make the best of these two years by going for multiple case study competitions, participating in various extra-curricular activities, and being an active member of committees. The past year has been incredibly fruitful, and being a member of the Placement Committee has given me a first-hand chance to interact personally with the heads of some prominent companies from multiple domains. It has further enhanced my negotiation skills and knowledge base.
I foresee an even better version of myself once I complete two years in this prestigious institute, with an ever-increasing drive and hardened work ethic.