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It is not news that the entire world is grappling with one of the deadlier pandemics of the last few decades. Nations across the globe are imposing near-complete lockdowns, and growth in R&D into possible cures and vaccines is on an ever-increasing pace.
While you and I stay at home, waiting for the lockdown to end and life to resume usually, there’s a lot at stake here as well. Whether you’re an MBA aspirant, waiting to get into your dream B-School or you’re one of the blokes like me, now hardened after a year of intense grind, we need to realize what awaits us in our MBA life in 2020 is quite different from the several others who have been in that place before us.
With companies – behemoths and agile start-ups alike, struggling as the economy returns on a track of growth, it is only apparent that, if not laying off their workforce, slowing down of their hiring for interns, new-joiners, and lateral movers is a given.
That offers for all B-Schools alike, though varying to some extent, are going to get a little more challenging to bag – be it internships, PPOs or full-time offers is also a given.
In such trying times, building up your profile to make it an easier sell is going to be of prime importance. The following are most likely not new to you, but here is a refresher on a few things to do while stuck at home during the lockdown -
While we crib of the rigor that we go through all year round, we wished if there was only some time – maybe a few days or even hours that we could get off. These times are an excellent opportunity to make the best use of – when there is nowhere to go, and it may also sometimes seem like there is nothing to do.
Take up that online course on product management that you’d been eyeing for so long. Or read up on that topic in finance that piqued your curiosity so much during class. Gaining certifications, doing live/pet projects, or simply expanding your knowledge base by reading up on or practicing something are great ways to learn something new.
Not only would it be a strong signal that you’re an individual making the most of these times by being productive, but it would also further the horizons of your know-how by possibly learning new things across domains that you didn’t know.
It may have been a while since you revisited those skills that are already in your arsenal, and you so proudly show off on your resume.
Maybe, brush up on the concepts involved in the job role of your previous work profile. Or read up on the basics in programming you learned during your graduation.
Refreshing your memory on the skills you already have or doing something new with them – so that you know you’ve still got them is also another fantastic way to regain confidence in them and make sure you can always proudly show them off.
One of the golden thumb rules of MBA – take advantage of the free time at home to socialize with people.
Call up that friend of yours in another B-school; talk to the ones from your own! Talk to those colleagues that you had fun with from the last company, tearing through presentation/project deadlines till late in the night.
Connect with more and more people over LinkedIn. The other B-school participants who are interning in the same company you are with, the HR and the leadership in those companies.
Right now is arguably one of the best times to network – why? The other person can hardly even make excuses outside work hours, saying they’re busy doing something else or they’ve got somewhere to go.
When was the last time you picked up the mop and cleaned the entire house? Be a good kid and help out your parents by either lending a hand in the household chores.
Or go out shopping for the essential supplies, with the necessary precautions, of course. Since we observe that the ones with the weaker immune systems are at the most risk, you could thus do well by hedging out the risks, you know?
This activity will give your eyes some time off the strain they are put through all day long and you the necessary peace of mind by indulging in something elementary. It might also give you a chance to take a walk about the neighbourhood that looks surprisingly different this time around.
While it may seem like an endless, vast ocean of things to do with countless video-on-demand sites and several social media platforms, we all reach that stage when we say we have had enough of it and need to get something done. Whether this is what got you up to doing one of the things above or you got yourself doing them in the first place, kudos to you!
At the same time, it is easy for someone to get lost doing one or more of these, worrying about the times to come and eventually feeling burned out. It is, thus, also essential to remind oneself to take life as it comes.
Remember, you reached where you are today because you have got it in you. It is only a matter of time that you proved your mettle, yet again. So, take it easy and stay safe.
Nishant Naik is a participant at the Post Graduate Programme (2019-21) at IIM Shillong. Nishant seeks to pursue opportunities in the areas of consulting and technology. He is a tech enthusiast at heart, curious about the world of Fin-Tech and an avid gamer. He loves spending his free time learning about up and coming technologies. One of the many contributors to IIM Shillong's monthly newsletter, he likes to write about his take on life, on MBA and help others with his experience getting into a premier B-School.