Prakhar Singh Pundhir from Xavier School of Management(XLRI Jamshedpur) is one of India's Most Promising Incoming MBA Students 2022!
The following is Prakhar Singh's set of responses to a questionnaire floated amongst incoming MBA graduates to determine the top 50 Most Promising Incoming MBA students of 2022. Amongst the massive number of entries and responses being evaluated, Prakhar Singh's story and profile stood out. Here's his story in his words.
Born in the remote town of Etah (UP), I grew up in various cities and had changed 12 schools by the time I was in 10th standard. After graduation, I went on to join the Indian Naval Academy to train to join the Indian Coast Guard as an officer. One month into training, I injured my knee while playing for the football team and had to leave. Post that, I started working as a freelance content writer. Having been pressured into appearing for MBA exams by a friend from IIM Kashipur, I decided to appear with just a month's preparation.
Tell us more about your extracurricular achievements
Awarded Gold medal among all fighters of Jaipur at the 6th District Muay Thai ChampionshipBagged the Silver medal at the 3rd Rajasthan State Muay Thai Championship organized by RMTAAs a Comms Coach, registered an 80% increase in reporting accuracy by training 20 sales reps in basic protocols
Tell us about a time when you messed up, and what you learnt from the experience?
Once, I worked with a client who wanted something that was entirely different from their previously mentioned requirements. I had finished the entire project after days of labor and suddenly, I found myself in a situation where I didn't have the necessary skills to meet their new requirements. Finally, I had to learn some new skills and platforms rather quickly. The client told me out of the blue that they utilized Surfer SEO on their blog which meant that my traditional approach to writing an article wouldn't have worked. I grabbed all the relevant resources from the internet, studied them diligently, and finally implemented the best practices that I'd learned in a short duration.I learned two things from this experience. The first was to communicate clearly and elaborately with anyone, regardless of the setting. The second was that nothing is impossible, given the right amount of pressure is applied. I realized that stress isn't always a bad thing and can do wonders for my productivity if I learn to handle it. This boosted my productivity and skills significantly which is something that I still find useful.
Tell us something about yourself that others may be surprised to know about you.
Only the people closest to me know that I'm an introvert at heart. Most of my friends and college batchmates think that I'm an outgoing and extroverted person. Many people have even remarked that I'm an over-extrovert because that's what they see. However, I've always been more inclined towards the introverted side and enjoy my time alone. I'd rather sped time alone, reading a book, sit with my dog, read a book, or play my guitar than go ut and party all night. This is the one fact that will surprise the maximum number of my friends.
What have been your two biggest successes in life? What did you learn from them?
- My 1st achievement is clearing the Indian Coast Guard Exam in 2019. This achievement is special because I was able to get recommended by the Final Selection Board on my 10th attempt. I secured AIR 4 among the 22 selected candidates and got into the prestigious INA (Indian Naval Academy) which is Asia's largest naval academy. The selection process is extremely rigorous, and candidates are eliminated at each stage. With a final selection rate of 0.33%, the armed forces selection boards are some of the most difficult interview boards in the world.
- The second achievement was when I finally converted my XLRI interview and got an offer letter. This success came after a long time and was all the more valuable because of that. Leaving the INA was traumatic both for me and my family since we have always been very enthusiastic about the armed forces. Everyone around us felt like my career was done for, however, I didn't lose hope. After two and a half years of constant struggle against destiny, I finally beat it and came through.I learned that life is not just a test of our mettle, but also of our ability to stay optimistic and give hope to others. Every time I failed, I tried to find out what can be changed and went back stronger. This relentless cycle of self-improvement helped me inculcate grit, optimism, self-belief, and determination which were my biggest accomplishments during this journey.
Professionally, what is your ideal image of yourself five years from now? Where do you see yourself?
In the next 5 years, I see myself doing what I love and doing it well. As of now, I feel like HR is what I want to build a career in. I believe that I'll be leading a team of highly motivated people who are on the same track as I am. As a student of HR, I understand that people are the most important resource of any organization, institution, or organization. This is why I would like to help manage and empower this resource while learning the finer nuance of business constantly.
What is the one skill or characteristic you possess that you are most proud of, and why?
My self-belief is one of my most outstanding abilities. This belief in myself has been cultivated after going through multiple successes and more importantly, even more failures. I understand that time and dedication are all that I need to attain any goal that I've set for myself. This self-belief also helps me emerge as a leader in my peer groups whenever there's a crisis. When people are losing their calm, I can maintain my composure because I know that I've handled similar situations before. This equips me with a calm sense of confidence which is my cutting edge over others.
In your opinion, what skills or qualities does a successful manager possess?
I believe that a good manager has to have a few key skills, which include:Empathy and compassion for their subordinates. Due respect and regard for their superiors and the organization. Competitive attitude and a sense of healthy rivalry with their equals. Lastly, the ability to take command and guide others when called to do so
Tell us about an ethical dilemma that you may have faced, and how you resolved it.
Once, when I was a part of my college football team, I found myself in a dilemma of sorts. One of my teammates had trashed the football ground of a rival college and I knew about it. This act of vandalism wasn't taken kindly by the other college and a series of retaliations and retribution kicked off. In order to stop this conflict and prevent any further hostilities against my teammates and college, I had to step up. I told my coach about this information, told my other teammates as well, and also confronted the other team's coach about it. In the end, this step did help in resolving the overall dispute but the end result did leave a sour taste in my mouth.
If you were the CEO of any company of your choosing, which company would you choose and what would your first action be as CEO?
If given this choice, I'd like to be the CEO of EA (Electronic Arts) Games. The company has been constantly under flak for its cash-grabbing practices and declining product quality. The legacy of the EA Games of yore could have been enduring because of the revolutionary games made by the studio. From games like FIFA to Need for Speed, EA has produced a lot of remarkable stuff.EA games failed to secure the legacy and have allowed greed and mismanagement to set in. My first action would be to remove all forms of monetization from all the current titles of EA Games. Monetization has been a huge problem for gamers everywhere and all the studios are imposing it despite the diametrically opposed demand of the buyers. This step would make EA Games one of the first studios to listen to its fans and buyers. The losses will be huge during the initial phase, however, the changes will be well-received. The long-term benefits of this move will outweigh the initial setbacks that a giant like EA can easily absorb. The consumers will be happy, the move will bring in an industry-wide change, and the company will re-secure its immense legacy.
Any Other Comments Or Factors You Would Like To Highlight About Yourself?
I'll mention my hobbies here because they form a major part of my overall personality. I've been playing electric guitar for the past 10 years and have composed many instrumental tracks released on Instagram. I also like to read a lot and that has been my primary inspiration behind becoming a writer. My favorite book is "100 Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garca Mrquez and my favorite song is "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin.