I do not remember when this dream of “The IIM” started, maybe it was in my third year of graduation. Achieving a dream is not as easy as said. A dream doesn’t come according to your capabilities. However, it makes you do everything to improve your capabilities and to achieve it. Then I started chasing it.
After multiple attempts, I scored 97.10 in Cat 2017. I was initially disappointed that I did not get a call from any of the older IIMs. But that isn’t the end of my dream, but I have the opportunity in the newer IIMs (which I don’t like to call them as).
Then I prepared well for interviews and gave my best. Apart from my dream, I had to consider reality. So I gave interviews for a few B-schools as well. I got offers from IMT Ghaziabad and a few other B-schools. I was happy, but not completely, as I worried that my dream remains a dream. However, within a few days, the dream came true. I got calls from IIM Rohtak and IIM Raipur.
As both the institutes were equally good, it became tough to choose one. Then I did a lot of secondary research and discussions with peers and seniors, went through placement reports, international student exchange programme, websites, faculties and industry exposure, and finally chose IIM Raipur, which offers one of the best international exposure one can get through Exchange Programme, with around 17 foreign institutes participating in the Exchange programme.
The Aditya Birla Group Company I want to work for
I want to work in Idea Cellular, which was always an industry leader and is currently in a critical phase. This gives me an opportunity in facing challenges and finding solutions with the help of industry stalwarts.
M Naresh is a first year student at IIM Raipur