“Why do you want to do a management course? “. A common question, or sometimes the very first question we are asked in a B-school interview process. Most of us work on answering this question few weeks before the interview, while some possess the much sought-after quality of conviction and know exactly why they are doing this. Fortunately, even before I was answering this very question to an interview panel and convincing them, I spent a year doing the same to my parents and almost all my relatives. Ultimately, I succeeded but the path I traversed to get here was not an easy one.
Like most engineering graduates, I was employed in an IT firm. After spending two years with the firm, I realized, though I was doing justice to my designation, my interests lay elsewhere. After much introspection and research, I made up my mind that a management course was the way to go. Apparently, I took a little too long to introspect! As a female in her mid-twenties hailing from a conservative community, I did not have the luxury of time and I learnt this the hard way.
When I presented my interests to my parents, their reaction was unexpected. It was neither a moment of appreciation nor of pride. Instead they were confused weren’t expecting such a decision from me. Their first response “Why now?”, and several versions of “Why take up such a course that is so rigorous to continue your career in a corporate?” As parents, I knew that their intentions were in my good interest and the problem essentially was the generation gap. But what disappointed me the most was the school of thought leading to these questions. According to them, this was an unnecessary venture when few years down the line, I most probably would have to trade off on my career to ‘take care of my family’. Instead, switching to a 9-5 job (though with lesser prospects) would allow me to have extra time (read as time spent on household chores, etc.) for my family. I was given so many examples of several women in the family who have let go of their careers for their new found family. I refused to be affected by any of this.
Despite my parents being unenthusiastic about this idea, I chose to pursue my ambitions. I knew that if I missed an opportunity at this point in my life, I will never get another one. But pursuing any dream, especially one that requires dedication and hard work gets even more challenging when your loved ones are skeptic about it. I had to go ahead with my aspirations alone. I prepared for CAT 2018 like my life depended on it. I practiced problems on the 1.5-hour long train rides to and from my office. I spent weekends improving on my weak areas, though the previous week was hectic with work and commute. There were days when the stress got so overwhelming that I would almost give up. But if there was anything that this one year of preparation taught me, I would say it was RESILIENCE. No matter how many factors like lack of time, lack of encouragement from loved ones etc., put me down I chose to push back harder. The sheer determination to choose a career I was passionate about, to be financially independent and to live life on my terms were the biggest drives that kept me going.
My undeterred focus on my goal eventually convinced my parents that I meant business (In this case literally!). I had won the battle when my father accompanied me to most of my interviews. With every confirmation call I got from BSchools my confidence grew. One life changing examination and several interviews later, here I am typing out this experience with a smile on my face. One of my mentors always told me, “Don’t expect Extraordinary results without Extraordinary effort”. The satisfaction of great results after all the ups and downs is incomparable.
Most women in our country face similar situations when they decide to break societal norms. Some give up. Some just power through. With each barrier a woman breaks, India gets one step closer to becoming a super power.