Journey From Analyst In Cognizant To MBA Program At IIT Kanpur | Kunal Jaiswal
I graduated from BIT Mesra in 2016 and got a chance to work in Cognizant as an Analyst in the QEA CRM Department. During my experience in the corporate industry, I have learned that both managerial and technical skills are important to handle business. As a Test Analyst, it was my job to ensure that a quality product is delivered to the stakeholders. My later engagement as a compliance lead helped me understand that the very first step to ensure quality is through proper planning in the implementation of a business process. In that role, I realized the need for gaining business acumen to compliment my technology background. That's what led me to an MBA program. I got insights into the technical aspects of the industry during my journey in Cognizant. As part of my role, I was responsible for analyzing the Business Requirements and Functional Specifications and coming up with complex Business scenarios with the aim of delivering a bug-free product. The role helped me develop my analytical and logical skills. Being part of a team, working on a Customer Relationship Management tool, I got insights into the sales and marketing process and how to manage customer interactions. At a later point in my career, I moved on to a management role wherein I was responsible for monitoring the Software Development and Testing process in order to identify any deviations from the industry standards. The role revolved around mitigating any gaps in the process and suggesting respective optimizations in the process. The role helped me hone my communication and presentation skills. It required working independently, putting forward my views, and educating the team on the same which also helped me get deeper insights into the Business process. I was also part of the Cognizant corporate volunteering program, Outreach, wherein we visited underprivileged schools to provide career counseling and classes on English and Computer Science. We used to organize activities to help them develop being part of the outreach group, we also extended help in case of natural calamities or disasters by organizing donation and relief camps. I now aim to pursue my career as a Project Manager wherein I'll be challenged with complex business challenges and with the right set of skills and knowledge I’ll be able to formulate a competitive strategy. This requires a deep understanding of the various business processes covering areas such as client development, project management, resource management, cost planning, and strategy. A Master’s in Business Administration will help me gain the required knowledge and industrial training and internships will help me put that knowledge in a real-world scenario. It will give me exposure to the diverse industries which will aid my career growth. A course in MBA from IIT-Kanpur is a learning ladder to help me be more proficient in crucial business and management skills and ultimately, enabling me to perform well at challenging roles that new opportunities on my way will demand. With guidance from one of the best faculties and exposure to new experiences with handpicked students from different domains, I believe it to be the golden window to the career I'm looking for.
