I vividly remember the day I cracked CET and was on the top of the world realizing that I would finally get a seat in my dream b-school, JBIMS Mumbai. Ever since the first day of our induction, life at Bajaj (as we like to call it) has been a roller coaster a student can only hope for filled with learning, opportunities and experiences no other place can offer.
Amidst the rat race between the best minds of the country, it was soon that we had realized that our batchmates coupled with the guidance from our seniors would be the key to win this race. B-schools, as they said, were truly student driven in every sense, where the academia to sports – and the management competitions to placement, everything was under an assigned student body. This paved the way for us to be a part of different committees and clubs dedicated to specific events and following niche subjects.
As a part of The Catalyst Forum, the student-development body at JBIMS, I got the opportunity to conduct various student related events and activities, network with senior alumni to organize the mock GD-PI sessions for both the batches and organize the annual management festival at JBIMS, Prayaag’18. The learnings from these simultaneous, diverse activities were much more than knowledge one can gain from books.
Late night prep for early morning presentations, lectures throughout the day, competitions, guest lectures, workshops soon became the daily routine of our lives. By virtue of being together almost all the time turned our batchmates into allies and this gave rise to ‘Legit Western’, my family of 7 batchmates from the Western line of Mumbai - acing MBA was our objective and Bajaj (as we like to call it) was our home. Only when it felt like things had started to be comfortable, came the much-feared Placement Week. The aura soon turned into that of gut wrenching nervousness and anxiety. However, the strategic location of Bajaj helped the downpour of companies on our campus and quick placements for all our batchmates.
Post our first year, we set out for our summer internships, another major checkpoint of our MBA life with immense learnings, opportunity to experience the practical world and which allow us exposure to the corporate society, which we soon will be a part of. These internships are the gateway to the corporate world and hence play a crucial role in determining a b-school students career. Hence, to bag an opportunity with a giant such as The Aditya Birla Group in the fashion and retail division (Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd.) is not just a mere opportunity, but a dream come true for a student inclined towards marketing.
Harsh Vajani
MMS-II, JBIMS