Rahul Raizada, an alumnus of FORE School of Management, is currently working as Director in PwC. While work and life have caught up with him, he still recollects his life in B-school quite fondly. From his first day on campus to his placement season, it is a journey worth noting. We got the opportunity to speak with him and get exciting insights into life at FORE. If you want to know what life at a B-school is like, look no further! Read on!Excerpts from the Interview:
Can you describe how you felt as a young student walking into FORE School of Management on the first day of the PGDM program? I still remember the first day, when I walked into FORE’s campus with high dreams, and with a self-belief that skills learned in b school would enable me to conquer the corporate world. The first lecture, which was taken by our Institute’s Director at that time, instilled more confidence in me and I started to believe in the literal meaning of the “Future Manager” group.
The going couldn’t have been easy with constant deadlines and assignments. What kept you motivated and what would you advise juniors? Every assignment/deadline provides an opportunity to learn. I would advise all the young Foreians to take each assignment as a learning expedition. In the end, it is the learning which counts. The marks remain only academic!
Was there a turning point during your journey at FORE School of Management, where everything seemed to have fallen into place? Which helped you to grow? Summer training is an important assignment, and I would advise every student to take it very seriously. I am still with the same firm where I did my summers i.e. PricewaterhouseCoopers Pvt. Ltd. and I would say it was a turning point in my journey with FORE, the summer training not only provided me with my first tryst with the corporate world but also with destiny. I joined PwC from Campus as a Consultant and Today I am a Director with the firm, and look after Distribution and Renewables in the P&U vertical.
How did your faculty members, seniors, and batch mates contribute to your journey? Any advice or encouragement from them that continues to inspire you? We had Prof. Singhvi for Marketing in the first year. He was the one who was revered the most during our times. He was also feared a lot. He is the one who taught me and many like me, discipline, thinking beyond books and being practical. I still remember whenever any day had a marketing period in the timetable, the preparation for it would begin 2 days before, with people discussing in groups and spending hours in the computer lab and library. I think the advice of thinking out of the box still makes me do things differently.
Besides management education, any important life lessons that you learned during your time at the B-School and that have helped you in your career so far? One of the most important lessons I learned at b school was to be honest with yourself. Another thing I learned is that if you have taken up any responsibility then try to do justice with it. This does not mean that you have to say “yes” to everything, you can always be selective. But always try to be professional in any work you do. This attitude has helped me in my professional career as well.
Looking back on your journey at FORE School of Management, do you think or wish you could have done some things differently (like being more involved in sporting activities, organizing events, etc.)? Our group (FMG 12) took a lot of initiatives to promote the brand FORE, and took part in a lot of competitions held across b schools, be it sports, summer case studies, quiz or any other competition. I too was involved in a couple of them, but looking back I think I could have participated in many more. It not only gives students an opportunity to showcase their skills, but also provides them with the confidence to face the world.
When you were approaching the placement season, how confident were you about yourself and your PGDM program? How did you prepare for placements? I think I was lucky that I got placed in the firm where I did my summer internship. It was also the first time that PwC had come to campus. I did a lot of preparation for the placements, and would advise young Foreians to brush up their basics. Also, you should have a personal anecdote in mind which brings out your strengths and can be told to the evaluators.
If you didn’t grow up in and around Delhi, can you tell us what were the challenges and joys of studying in the National Capital? I come from Jaipur, where I completed my schooling. I moved to Bhopal for engineering, and finally landed at FORE for PGDBM. Studying in Delhi gives you a lot of opportunities and exposure to work and connect with corporates. Campus culture is prevalent only in India, whereas in countries like the US and UK, students have to market themselves as to why a particular company should pick them. This can be either through meetings, summers, or live cases, etc. Being in Delhi gives that additional locational advantage which young Foreians should use to the fullest.
Can you tell us about some special memories or moments during your time at the B-School? Are you planning to revisit the campus? All my memories in the b school are special and though it will not be right on my part to pick one, I still remember the road trip I took along with my friends from Delhi to Mount Abu after our placement season was over. It still remains one of my most cherished journeys. The days spent at campus will never come back, so work hard and party harder. I am always around when PwC is coming to campus, and I am looking forward to this year’s Alumni Meet.
