Tell us about a time when you messed up, and what you learnt from the experience?
Once I missed a deadline because my team and I failed to overcome scheduling conflicts. However, we went into overdrive to make sure the project was completed the following week. In the end, I realized that procrastination hurt us and could be avoided by taking initiative and getting started early.
Tell us something about yourself that others may be surprised to know about you.
I also like travelling, I have been to every state in India, most recent being Andaman and Nicobar islands, Leh Ladakh. I also overcame my biggest fear by learning how to swim. Now I am planning to get a certification in Scuba diving.
What have been your two biggest successes in life? What did you learn from them?
The biggest success was definitely giving CAT along with the stress of Placements in my final year, and getting a good result in both. I received a placement offer from a consulting firm and a good cat percentile too. The major learning from this was that if you plan and manage your time well, you can get laurels in whatever activity you take. The next big success was when I converted the only call I had, which was IIM Calcutta. The major learning from this was that one shouldn't feel dejected and stop putting in the effort just because the goal seems impossible. Consistency and routine is the key here.
Professionally, what is your ideal image of yourself five years from now? Where do you see yourself?
I have a long term goal of 10 years from now. Post-MBA, I would love to get into consulting. Top firms such as McKinsey, BCG and Bain are potential targets. I see myself getting into a top Partner-level position in the next 10-12 years. Over the next 5 years, I would like to get exposed to different industries and verticals.
What is the one skill or characteristic you possess that you are most proud of, and why?
The skill that I am most proud of is I am a good planner and I am able to think structurally. Usiing this I am able to make a roadmap of what I want to do, what problems I will face and what to prioritise on very easily. With this I get thoroughly familiar with the entire working process.
In your opinion, what skills or qualities does a successful manager possess?
Being the president of the finance club, and raising it from a less than 10 member club to the most sought-after club in the institute, I learnt a lot about managing both people and the club. I think these are the few qualities which will help a manager succeed-
Good communication: Having good communication skills is probably the most important skill of all for managers to have. Unless you can properly communicate with those you supervise, the rest of the skills really won't matter.
Good Organisation: Probably the second most important skill that you can have as a manager is the ability to organizeLeadershipIt is the manager's responsibility to define goals along with team members and then assign responsibility to various team members clearly
Ability to Deal with Changes Effectively and Domain Knowledge: Good managers have a thorough understanding of the process he is managing, including the type of tasks that team members are performing and how they are working.
Tell us about an ethical dilemma that you may have faced, and how you resolved it.
I've faced them regularly during my studies You know how it works with the exams, especially during Covid time when college exams were happening online.Sometimes it is easy to cheat, because the professor doesn't pay attention. It was easy to succumb to the pressure of getting good grades and as it was easy to cheat, many were indulging in the same, I also felt the desire, but I eventually realized that it wasn't ethically correct, and more importantly, that first and foremost I was cheating myself. I went to college to learn something and at the end of the day my knowledge and experience will matter more, so I preferred putting in extra hours to study rather than cheat myself and my teachers.
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?
I would want to become the CEO of TATA, as this is a company I have immense respect for and I would like to see this company reach top heights. The first thing I would focus on is to restructure and streamline the business, a few of the famous legacy brands of TATA have been bleeding money since the last few years, and my top priority would be either to rescue them from the losses or sell of these assets to focus on our core strengths. Secondly, as today most of my competitors are focusing and leveraging tech to boost their business, eg Reliance focusing on Jio, I would start building business for the future. I'd also want to make sure that I got as much clear and accurate feedback as possible from front line staff about where improvements could be made.
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Check The List Of InsideIIM’s 50 Most Promising Incoming Students 2021 Here!
For the Class Of 2022, we are back with the 8th season of InsideIIM's Best 50 - India's Most Employable MBA Graduates - Class Of 2022! If you're graduating from a B-School in 2022, you're eligible to take part in this competition! Grab the chance to bring out your best side and impress your recruiters and peers. Take the opportunity to show the world why you are special, on your own terms.
If you're using a web browser (Mozilla or Google Chrome), then you can take part through this link. Otherwise, please download the Kampus App (Android | iOS), and head over to Competitions.
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