An MBA After Civil Services By Ankit Anand

The time I had devoted to the preparation of CSE came handy during the CAT preparation. I was able to get into the coveted 99+ percentile range. The habit of reading two newspapers and following many magazines, I secured 99.99 percentile in the verbal section. The hours put in for the CSAT paper II of CSE was also helpful in the quantitative aptitude section of the CAT.

I converted IIM Rohtak and few other second-generation IIMs. I had a personal inclination towards finance domain, so I chose IIM Rohtak given its affiliation with the CFA Institute. There I further realised the value of the knowledge I gained during the CSE preparation. In MBA, knowledge about diverse topics is considered a prerequisite.

Civil services preparation gave me latitude of knowledge in domains encompassing from economics to international relations. Apart from gaining knowledge about the required subjects, I used to follow the events happening in the country and beyond. Hence, I was updated with relevant national and international events. It helped me a lot during the group discussions and debate competitions in the college. It is also going to be very helpful in the group discussion process during the summer internship placements and final placements. It also benefits in the courses that follow case-based pedagogy as a CSE aspirant can see the minute details and read in between the lines of a case study.

Apart from the advantages, I would like to forward some suggestions based on my 2-month experience at IIM Rohtak. First, developing critical think about the objects we see around is very necessary to be successful as a manager. For example, a lot of planning and research goes into placing an innocent-looking bookshelf in the mall or designing a tagline for a product. One should always think critically about anything that he/she encounters. Inculcating this habit into the thinking process will help anyone, not particularly a CSE aspirant to become a successful manager.

Finally, I would like to wish everyone all the very best for the coming CAT examination. For the CSE aspirants who have been looking for an alternative career, I would suggest that the best time for a new beginning is now. Work hard for the CAT examination and a career in MBA will welcome you to a world with new goals and new dreams.