Shubham Bharadwaj has always been passionate about helping others and often takes initiative in doing so, whether it be helping a fellow teammate, standing up for women empowerment, or providing basic necessities for his fellow disabled students. This quality of his has ensured that Shubham emerges as one of the Most Employable Graduates of 2021. Read his story in the article.
The following is Shubham Bharadwaj’s set of responses to a questionnaire floated amongst MBA graduates to determine the top-30 most employable MBA graduates of the Class of 2021. Amongst the massive number of entries and responses being evaluated by the Founder of InsideIIM-Kampus Konversations, Shubham’s story and profile stood out. Here's his own story in his own words.
"I’m an amalgamation of different cultures I’ve grown up in. Having studied in 8 different states, exposure to different cultures has given me the opportunity to think, observe, ideate, and develop diversified interests. The ever-changing environment has taught me to come up with creative solutions to challenging problems, to collaborate, and to communicate better in teams that thrive not in spite of, but because of their diversity.
I would like to describe myself as an initiative taker, someone who aspires to be a leader who develops trust and a drive for excellence in the team — with clear vision and discipline."
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Name an instance where you wanted something and went out of your comfort zone to achieve it OR Tell us the biggest risk you have taken so far in your life.
“I had made up my mind about MBA, through which I wished to develop my interpersonal and networking skills. So when I appeared for CAT the first time around and converted my best call I was faced with a tough choice. Whether to take a leap of faith, believe in myself, leave the admission letter from one of the top IIMs in the country and go through the whole process again or give up on my dreams of studying from an institution I had always dreamt of.
Considering the various factors at play - the fact that next year I might end up doing worse in the same exam, coupled with a challenging job as well as parental pressure to not decline such a lucrative offer it tested all of my will power and self-confidence to choose the difficult option. As it turned out it was my biggest leap of faith, one I took alone and the journey of which has helped me transition successfully from a shaky student to a management professional. It has helped me grow as an individual who is confident in navigating the corporate world and his achieving dreams.”
When was the last time someone relied on you? OR What did you do which was purely for someone else - a truly selfless act.
"I have been an avid reader since the age of 6. I still remember the first time I entered a library, the smell of old books, and the way the worlds captured in the stories enthralled me. I grew up reading a lot of wonderful novels and their characters helped shape me into who I am today. This has not only made me a more logical and knowledgeable person but has also helped me understand and relate better to people. When I first came to DTU, I was an introvert with a mind full of questions. My interactions with different people have taught me that there is something to be learned from everyone and a true leader knows how to inspire people to give their best. Confrontation and conflicts were something I used to actively avoid till I learned to embrace them.
While heading the design team of a college fest, a team member was struggling to complete the corporate brochure just one night before the meeting with the title sponsor. Everyone panicked and suggested that we use an old brochure as it was too late. I talked to him and found out that initially, he was working on an idea which he feared was too unconventional and gave up. I guided him to redesign it and got an impressive brochure in time. This made me realize that belief and proper communication can help a leader to extract the full potential of the team. And sometimes it's okay to take the leap of faith and swim against the tide."
Tell us about a time when you disagreed with an opinion/idea/decision. What did you do about it?
I have always been very passionate about women empowerment and been very vocal about it. So whenever I have been confronted with groups who do not understand the objective and idea of feminism I have tried to explain to them what it actually stands for. I’ve done so by putting across my message through various examples that demonstrate that it stands for equality and is not based on preferential treatment for anyone. And how ultimately it is in the best interest of everyone in society to support such initiatives rather than hindering progress.
What is the one thing you can claim to have some level of expertise or depth of knowledge in - it could be anything - a subject, a sport, a hobby, a venture, an initiative which has led you to do deep work in that field?
"The prospect of working with various teams, making pivotal decisions, helping them resolve their problems, and finally achieving the goal is something I find very lucrative. Working as Creative Head of the cultural fest, I saw a student in a wheelchair struggling to buy notebooks from the shop adjacent to the canteen. There being no ramp, he couldn’t reach the shop. In conversation with him, I learned that there were more than fifteen locations in college where the disabled couldn’t access facilities. This was disheartening to hear.
I discussed the matter with the team and asked why they are being denied the basic benefits. As an outcome, we approached the Dean, who agreed that ramps were necessary, but construction before the fest was impossible. We suggested that we could ensure timely construction if funds were allocated. Our persistence with Dean prevailed, and as a result, ramps were constructed on time. The event was a bigger achievement for me personally - as seeing smiles on the faces of those disabled students who finally felt like they were a part of the college too, was my most significant achievement to date. That incident has had a considerable impact in terms of every decision I make. I try to ask myself what consequences my actions would have and then decide and act."
If 10 Million Dollars (approximately INR 75 Crores) is given to you to use it any way you deem fit what would you do with this corpus?
"Having grown up in a home where I was taught that materialistic pleasures are never the source of true satisfaction and true happiness only comes when you achieve something that is for the greater good. Given 10 Million Dollars I would carefully list down my priorities and divide the amount into three categories -
- The amount to be reinvested to ensure the money at hand grows and I don’t sit on it - to ensure the funds are maximized to support the cause I wish to invest in.
- Ensure my parents who have sacrificed everything including their careers and always prioritized their children lead a comfortable life and can retire early.
- Set up an institution for the education of the underprivileged and from that institution raise responsible citizens who are aware of the environment, orchestrate values, and further contribute towards causes like women safety and empowerment. "