Cheating On Excel With PowerPoint - Two Weeks At IIFT

I joined Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi with an expectation that I am going to get a break from the office last minute work and crazy deadlines. But little did I know that I am entering a place with more rigorous deadlines. Excel was my office companion which got replaced by PowerPoint here.

It has just been 2 weeks at IIFT and the past 2 weeks has already taught me unimaginable. From attending lectures, sleepless nights, meeting deadlines to participating in competitions; multitasking is at peak. From the comfortable AC bedroom at home to a triple sharing room in the hostel; the transformation has been incredible. I was a person who was always sheltered by the family but IIFT forced me to come out of my comfort zone. This is what brings out the uniqueness of IIFT.

As an introduction to the rigorous life that was awaiting all of us, the first week itself was a roller coaster ride. Completing group assignments with unknown people at night and the frenzy of submitting the assignment 10 seconds before deadline has created an unbreakable bond with the batchmates. Hanging out at Nescafe to satisfy those hungry tummies at 2 in night has become a routine. Yet, week 1 ended with a glamorous party and the echoes of #GoIIFTGo to get ready for the challenging week 2.

Week 2 is when the classes started officially and the actual feel of an MBA started settling in. Interacting with unknown faces daily and relying on them to wake you up for the morning class has instilled a sense of closeness to this place. The mid of 2^nd week came and the Clubs/Cells/Committees POR selection process started which was as rigorous as sitting for a placement interview. I was among the few fortunate people who got the POR of their choice.

They said that when you enter IIFT, you’ll be greeted by the wings of wisdom and I realized it soon that it actually radiates a sense that motivates one to scale new heights. After just 2 weeks at IIFT, I can see myself beaming with new energy to face strenuous challenges ahead.

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ABG Company:

I would like to work for Aditya Birla Capital which is the financial services arm of ABG. Working at D. E. Shaw India Private Limited for 2 years gave me the opportunity to learn hands on and in detail about the finance industry. I realized that I have strong analytical skills and a good eye for detail which is a prerequisite for a career in finance.

At my workplace, I have had the opportunity to interact with the portfolio fund managers working in New York, going through their thesis about a particular stock and how they analyse a ticker from every possible dimension before making an investment decision. I was really intrigued by the depth of the analysis that is done before investing.

ABC will provide me an opportunity to apply the skills I have garnered over the course of my graduation and work experience. It will give an impetus to my long-term career goal of becoming a financial analyst so that I can contribute materially to the financial services sector.