Most people every year close to the admission season always ask me what they can do to better build their profiles, be more employable or to even increase their chances of getting into a better B-School. It would be wrong to say that I have it all figured, however, now that I have reached the end of my B-school life and am seeking out a final offer for myself, I’d like to share some of the things I did and some that I could have done to build my CV even more.
- Get yourself a live project
A live project is a brilliant way to learn about a field, domain or industry. You can easily ask a professor to allow you to assist them for some of the research work that they're undertaking. What's more is that if you work well, you will have a great chance to getting a recommendation from them at the end of the project. Trust me, these recommendations hold a lot of merits.
Internships are the best way to boost your CV while simultaneously helping you figure out what the best career path for you is. I've done about 12 internships so far, including this one at Inside IIM and I've spaced them across sectors that differ from each other. While it helps you gain an immense understanding of that particular sector, it also broadens your horizon for when you're making that final choice towards your eventual career path.
- Find a hobby and pursue it fully
It will be surprising and contrarian to what you've always taken a hobby to be, yet a hobby if fully pursued with the utmost level of dedication and for a long period of time holds more value than just being great at a few skills on the surface. What will surprise you more is that most IIMs in the interview will also ask you for some general awareness questions on Writing in case you mention it as a hobby. While most people stick to safe things, with respect to the CV, try to aim for something wherein you could attain some national or state level accolades so that it can help justify the scale of things and how good you are.
- Play sports not just for leisure
Sports for leisure or fitness is something that you're familiar with but it also counts exceedingly for admissions especially abroad, placements and to help you relieve stress even at an IIM. Getting into a team at an IIM isn't too difficult and it really helps you on both personal and professional fronts.
- Take up some positions of responsibilities
Help host a college fest; be a part of a club, society or committee; or start your own body. The choices are unlimited and the potential likewise. You'll meet amazing people, build great people skills and have great stories to share with your interviewer apart from the value addition it will have on your CVs.
- Take part in various competitions
Competitions are an amazing way to learn and gain quick CV points because of the limited time involvement they require. If you're not from a city or college where a lot of competitions happen, there are a plethora of online ones to look out for. For instance, dare2compete is a great platform to have access to these competitions.
While these points are illustrative of some of the things that I followed, there could be many more that you could take up basis your background, interests and innate skills. A CV is a mere piece of paper which you design the way you like through the activities that you pursue. It is your representative in front of a company when you're not around and even before they've met you, so it really makes sense to invest in it wisely to make the most of the opportunities in front of you.