Going back to grad school was something I really had not imagined at the time I got my admission at JBIMS. I had just left my job in Bangalore to join my husband who had relocated to the US for a two-year project; it had been two years since I had completed my postgrad in engineering and I had to make the major decision of whether we had to settle in the US or India.
It was one of the toughest decisions to be made; I spent days on end contemplating whether to take the admission or not. On one hand I had the opportunity to be in one of the best business schools in the country renowned as the CEO factory. But taking this meant that I had to leave behind my family for two whole years and move to Mumbai, a completely new city for me.
When I look back today, the choice wasn’t easy, but not once till date have I ever regretted taking the plunge. Sure, we don’t have a campus to boast about or a lot of the B-school necessities’ which often become the basis of biz school rankings across the country. While our location in the heart of Mumbai city and the beautiful Marine Drive along with our rich alumni base are often quoted as our primary advantages, there is a more powerful aspect about JBIMS which probably is the most vital, in shaping us Bajajites as we are, when we step out into the business world.
It is the fact that JBIMS, for the most part, is a B-school which is run for the students, by the students. Almost all major decisions like coursework, faculty and college events are almost autonomously decided by students. The seniors mentor and guide juniors not just through placements but throughout the year for competitions, assignments and certification courses. The power that is vested in each of us, while making decisions and mentoring not just the juniors but also our classmates, make us more responsible decision makers and a little more accountable for everything we do. Nowhere other than JBIMS, could I have the uniqueness of being a part of a batch which has a professional poker player, a professional cricketer, a professional dancer, math wizards, finance enthusiasts and a lot of others to make memories for a lifetime.
Interacting with these people has made me identify my latent interests and read up more about fields I was always passionate about. For a person who always thought of a career in marketing, JBIMS proved me otherwise. In the past year, it piqued my interest in finance, has made me read up more about stock markets which have always fascinated me and has also given me the confidence to invest my internship stipend in stocks and mutual funds. Today, I aspire to work with leading financial services businesses like Aditya Birla Capital which will provide me the right stepping stone to pursue my career in the area of wealth management and private equity. ABC will be the right platform to condition my learnings at JBIMS and put this knowledge into practice in the business world.
As I step into the shoes of a senior this year, I look forward to completing this roller coaster ride with the best of memories at the one and only, #HamaraBajaj.