Why did I choose to be an MBA graduate?
I have been working as a software engineer in a renowned organisation. It took me only few days after I joined it, to know myself that it is not my cup of tea and definitely not a long-term goal. The reason behind not liking it was quite simple. There was a very little room for me to be part of any change in the organisation. I believed I can do more apart from the technical aspect alone. I wanted to transition myself into managerial roles and amplify the impact by applying the same talent to a broader range of problems.
What were the upcoming options?
Since my goal was clear enough, the path I saw was to crack CAT 2019 and get into a top B school. It was July 1st 2019, my birthday, when I decided myself to get off the comfort zone and start working.
About the journey.
I am a GEF student. So ultimately without any hardcore preparation scoring 90 odd percentiles would be a herculean task. I was not able to make it to any decent score in VARC. I practised reading large articles and brushing up vocabulary everyday as a habit. The journey is quite challenging one, I faced hurdles both personally and professionally. One mock went well and the other went bad. There is a fine line between success and failure. Persistence and right frame of mind will definitely help you end on the winning side. Despite everything, I still couldn’t make up to verbal cut off and dreams for IIM’s shattered. XAT was the only huge option coming up. At least for me who wants to pursue an MBA in HR, this was a huge opportunity. Pushed myself much harder this time. Extended the preparation hours to close to 16 hours a day. I Attempted a mock every day and made sure not to make the same mistake again. XAT is known to be difficult compared to CAT and decision making is one tough section to score. But believe me, its completely easy if you get into the case by yourself and try to answer after analysing the situation through all the perspectives. I could totally make it and scored 96.5 percentile. More importantly 98 plus percentile in decision making.
The purpose I have for doing an MBA in HR.
Being an HR, you not only fulfil your own dream, but you can enable thousands of other’s dreams come true. One gets to influence the innumerable aspects of an organisation through strategic decisions. Over the years of my work life, I have seen how tough can life be for women trying to balance their work-life and motherhood. Compliance with new laws and legislations by HR’s can help women not give up their dreams. One single opportunity can make miracles happen in people’s lives. I want to be a part of it. Genuinely caring about employees can result in a utopia of the organisation along with a sense of satisfaction to employees.
Advice for future aspirants
1. For verbal only reading and thoroughly practising vocabulary helps. I have used vocabulary.com to help me remember them in better way than normal memorising.
2. For quant, practise more and more different sums so that you are familiar with wide kind of problems.
3. For decision making, the key is putting yourself in an unethical situation that is given and make unbiased decision looking through all the perspectives. Do not let your own biases influence your judgement.
4. For GK, have a study partner. My dad is a current affairs enthusiast and I remembered the stuff by discussing with him every night. He used to tell me few more details about a point rather just remembering it. This way you learn more. The percentile I got in XAT, I totally owe it to him.
For the interviews part, it is important to be “you” in front of the panel. They always look for the reasons on why they have to select you but not on the reasons to reject you. All you must do is explain them the purpose you have, to take up this opportunity as a career.
Overall dedication and self-belief were the key. The "Congratulations you are selected" mail is totally worth the pain. I’m thankful for getting the right mentorship from my tutor, my sir, who taught me how important discipline and dedication is for the success and also my family and friends who have been my constant cheerleaders throughout the journey.
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Recommended Readings For You:
- My Journey To XLRI Jamshedpur | Rachit Chandra 99.7 %ile
- How I Overcame My Obstacles And Made It To XLRI Jamshedpur | Saloni Malhotra
- From BFSI Sector To IIM Kozhikode | Vignesh Kamath's Journey
- How I Scored 99.46%ile In CAT 2019 In 40 Days | Suhani Singhal, IIM Bangalore '22