Akanksha Sharm has been born and brought up in Delhi. She graduated from Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology with Computer Engineering degree. Her hobbies inlcude photography, reading and dancing.
What was high school like for you? How did it contribute to your personality/ the person you are right now?
I was more of a teachers’ pet during my high school days. I was proactive in debating competitions and held various positions of responsibilities. I was the Member of Senior Student Council, Eco Club and worked for the school editorial magazine. All this taught me the necessity of being sincere and responsible for whatever work you took up. As a result, I went on take on more positions of responsibilities in my undergraduate college as well as at FMS. Delivering your work with sincerity and hard work was the biggest teaching from my high school life which still stays on with me.
If money was no object, what would you do all day?
I love to travel and explore. Hence, I would prefer travelling and exploring new places as well as trying out the cuisine of that particular place. I wish to trek to at least the base camp of Mount Everest because I love mountains.
What advice would you give to a 5-year- younger you?
Never lose faith in yourself. Do not be afraid to make mistakes but be sure to learn from them and not make the same mistake again. Be yourself and uphold your dignity. Do not change who you are for someone else. Take risks in life because after all what islife without risks? Lastly, love your parents because they are the only ones who love you unconditionally.
How do you think women are better equipped to deal with problems as compared to men?
This question has cropped up even in our curriculum studies and I feel the answer to this is that women are good at multi-tasking. They know how to manage and hence can prioritise solutions to deal with the problem. They are known to be more sincere and focused than men and hence look at the broader perspective when dealing with the problem.
Many IIMs and other b-schools award extra points for being a woman. What is your take on that? Do you propagate the concept OR Have you faced any backlash for the same?
I feel it is a good initiative to increase women representation in B-Schools which have always been low on gender diversity figures. Awarding extra points for being a women can give an edge to women in a highly competitive space dominated by men.
Name one incident that you encountered where someone told you, you couldn’t do something because you’re a woman.
When I wanted to go for trekking with my group of girl-friends, my parents had concerns of how a group of 5-6 girls could go camping all by themselves. Thus, going for trips during college trips is cumbersome when every time you get to hear “It is risky for group of girls to go alone”. The concern is understandable but it makes us feel at a disadvantage compared to men.
If you are out on a date, do you prefer to pay yourself? If you insisted that you want to pay for yourself, how did the other person react?
Yes, I would prefer to pay myself if on a date. When I have insisted on the same, the reaction is usually that of “No, you don’t have to. I am there to pay. Etc. Etc. Etc.”. I just want to iterate that it is okay for a girl to pay on a date.