'I wanted a good job and SCMS has helped me achieve it'

Sreedevi has recently been placed with Ernst & Young, Trivandrum, as a Business Analyst through the SCMS Cochin School of Business campus recruitment season of 2015. She is ecstatic, exclaiming “I could not believe I had bagged the job. The first thing I did was call my father.” This job is a clear result of her dedication and foresight: “I did my graduation in Math from Trivandrum. I always believed that management with math is a good combination that will help me find a good job and it did!”

After her graduation, Sreedevi wasn’t sure about which college to join. She is a girl who likes to stay close to home; so, she had never imagined a life away from home: “The decision to join PGDM at SCMS was really tough for me. I couldn’t stay away from home, but then I realized I had to push my boundaries and explore more opportunities and places if I want to succeed. I was searching for a good management institute and became aware of SCMS through local media. I got in touch with a cousin who had studied at SCMS and is well placed today. On her recommendation, I joined the institute.”

Sreedevi was told that she would have to work very hard at SCMS, and that the program is rigorous; however, that did not stand in her way once she had made up her mind to join the college. Today, those high-wired days have left her with close friends and sweet memories. “I will miss my friends the most”, she says. “And, I will also miss being in a hostel with lots of friends, with everyone helping each other under immense stress, working together at night and studying together. In fact, I will miss SCMS – even the faculty members who seemed such hard task masters at that time!”

The interviews during recruitment are very intense and the schedule can be very demanding. Sreedevi was the last candidate to be interviewed and her session ended after midnight. Everyone was tired, but Sreedevi displayed a resilience that possibly cinched the job for her. “It’s not easy to have much energy in you at 12.30 in the night, she says. “We all were feeling very stressed out, we had been sitting through various sessions and had been at the venue for 24 hours! The recruiters expected me to be tired, but I decided to gather all the energy I could and put it into the personal interview. Not only did I answer the questions posed to me, but I also asked relevant questions. I believe that’s what got me placed.”

Sreedevi believes the reason she could think through these processes was the work SCMS had done to prepare her for this final selection. “Our faculty made us undergo several aptitude tests”, she says. “We also had group discussions that were carefully monitored by the faculty, and this has shown results.” Sreedevi signs off with a simple advice to her juniors that during a GD, they must remain focused on the topic and be confident.