2nd September 2022, I came back from my CFA Level-2 exam confident of passing the exam but I was not excited, rather I was anxious. This was because I still haven't started my preparation for CAT 2022 exam which was due in 3 months. This was my third attempt and previously I have scored 93.95 percentile in 2020 and 97.49 percentile in 2021.
“Per Aspera, Ad Astra” is my favourite Latin phrase. In English it translates to, “Through hardships, to the stars.” This phrase resonates with me at a fundamental level. Everything that I have achieved in my life was a direct causality of the learnings that I have imbibed through the challenges, and it is exactly this which helped me reach the doorsteps of XLRI Jamshedpur, India’s oldest and one of the most prestigious B Schools.
Title: From Physics to Management: My Transformative MBA Journey
It was June 2021, and the grip of the Covid pandemic was strong, making job opportunities extremely scarce. Despite the challenging circumstances, I was one of the fortunate few to secure a job offer from my college campus. Initially, I felt happy as the profile seemed decent, and the compensation was on the higher side. However, my happiness was short-lived as I quickly realized the harsh reality of the corporate sector. Within three months, I made the decision to resign and returned home. The only positive aspect of my experience was my manager, who introduced me to management and CAT (Common Admission Test).
It was way back in 2009 that, after seeing the film "3 Idiots," I decided to pursue a career in engineering. My parents, who are from middle-class Bengali families, wished to bring up their only son and make him a doctor. But their plan didn't work in spite of my zeal for engineering.
You must have heard this from someone at some time in your life:
Gaurav Bellal Natesh graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from BITS Pilani. After his graduation, he worked as a Facilities Engineer at ExxonMobil, one of the world's largest energy companies for about 11 months contributing towards several projects in the low carbon (hydrogen) space. With a stellar 10/9/9 academic profile, he went on to ace the CAT exam with a whopping 99.91%ile, and subsequently made it to IIM Ahmedabad! In this interview, Gaurav details his preparation strategy, his lowest point in the preparation, his interview preparation, and more. Read on!
My journey can be summed up by one of my favourite quotes from Shakespeare: "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."
2nd September 2022, I came back from my CFA Level-2 exam confident of passing the exam but I was not excited, rather I was anxious. This was because I still haven't started my preparation for CAT 2022 exam which was due in 3 months. This was my third attempt and previously I have scored 93.95 percentile in 2020 and 97.49 percentile in 2021.
“Per Aspera, Ad Astra” is my favourite Latin phrase. In English it translates to, “Through hardships, to the stars.” This phrase resonates with me at a fundamental level. Everything that I have achieved in my life was a direct causality of the learnings that I have imbibed through the challenges, and it is exactly this which helped me reach the doorsteps of XLRI Jamshedpur, India’s oldest and one of the most prestigious B Schools.
Title: From Physics to Management: My Transformative MBA Journey
It was June 2021, and the grip of the Covid pandemic was strong, making job opportunities extremely scarce. Despite the challenging circumstances, I was one of the fortunate few to secure a job offer from my college campus. Initially, I felt happy as the profile seemed decent, and the compensation was on the higher side. However, my happiness was short-lived as I quickly realized the harsh reality of the corporate sector. Within three months, I made the decision to resign and returned home. The only positive aspect of my experience was my manager, who introduced me to management and CAT (Common Admission Test).
It was way back in 2009 that, after seeing the film "3 Idiots," I decided to pursue a career in engineering. My parents, who are from middle-class Bengali families, wished to bring up their only son and make him a doctor. But their plan didn't work in spite of my zeal for engineering.
You must have heard this from someone at some time in your life:
Gaurav Bellal Natesh graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from BITS Pilani. After his graduation, he worked as a Facilities Engineer at ExxonMobil, one of the world's largest energy companies for about 11 months contributing towards several projects in the low carbon (hydrogen) space. With a stellar 10/9/9 academic profile, he went on to ace the CAT exam with a whopping 99.91%ile, and subsequently made it to IIM Ahmedabad! In this interview, Gaurav details his preparation strategy, his lowest point in the preparation, his interview preparation, and more. Read on!
My journey can be summed up by one of my favourite quotes from Shakespeare: "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."
