What makes an MBA different from other postgraduate programs? Well, in my opinion, MBA is all about frantic studying, summer internships, placements, solving case studies, having way too much fun and most importantly, participating in corporate competitions. I vividly remember the Saturday afternoon when I first got to know about Vito Altor Ambition. A competition that requires a student like me to have a genuine conversation with a CEO or VP, captured my fancy. The chair on which I aim to sit someday and the chair that seems so far right now, what could be more interesting than knowing the roadmap to it.
Through some of my connections I built up during the last few years, I got few references and I started approaching them. Some of them were busy and some were travelling. The clock was ticking fast but I was still trying my level best. At around 8:00 pm on Wednesday there was a pop up on my phone and I got an email reply from Mr. Krishna KV who is currently Senior VP of Yes Bank that he wants me to schedule a call with him on Thursday at 11:30 am. He is an XIMB Alumnus and I got the reference to him through one of my seniors.
The next morning I articulated my thoughts on a piece of paper and practised it anxiously. That day I realized how fast time runs when you are excited and anxious at the same time.
I asked him first regarding his experience in B-School and one incident from his time in B-School that helped shape his professional life. Slightly smiling, he said that his MBA mates are still his favourite group of people. He had learnt a lot during his time in B-school and those 2 years have shaped his life in a better way. He told that he met with an accident that had completely broken his back, during his second year in B-School. However unpleasant the incident was, it taught him that relationships are perhaps the most valuable asset that one can garner. During his recovery, he realized the importance of bonds of friendship because everything from bringing food to his room to taking notes from the class was done by his friends as then he understood the value of forging strong bonds and maintaining those relationships.
I also asked him regarding a passion of his that helps him become better at his mainline career to which he said that Passion derives from a strong connection to your mission, your vision, and your goals. He is always concerned with finding new and more productive ways to reach goals. He loves long distance running. It helps him to focus, plan, coordinate and is a stress buster for him. It helps him to achieve his goals.
As HR students, we are told how important hiring the right people is, for it is the people who are the driving force of the organization. So when I asked him that what he looks for in an ideal candidate when hiring, he says that, banking is a highly technical industry. It is not always the skills that matter, but the attitude and approach towards any problem that matters. There are a few fundamental things he looks for in the candidates, which are, the ability to create or identify new opportunities, and resilience to work even under tough situations. He believes that people who are strong in learning agility are sharp and thrive in new and difficult situations.
On being asked about the learning and training process versus return on investment they put in, he says, “One cannot always quantify learning and training program. For instance, there is a training in business communication. It will improve skills like engagement with the customer and effective interaction with them. It will enrich and improve customer experience but it is really tough to tell how much business it will fetch, you are developing your staff and human power which will pay in long run.”
Last but not least, I asked for a piece of advice for the budding managers to which he replied: Deal with failures because everybody will tell you how to deal with success. As a new manager, you are likely to fail more than you succeed because everything is new to you. Take each day as it comes. If your decision is not good, take it and accept it. Yes, you have failed, you can fail. The approach should never be “I know everything”, rather, it should be, “I know a little bit and I will learn so that tomorrow I am a better version of myself”.
To conclude,
- Deal with your failures, accept them and try to take corrective measures. One should always learn from failure and never forget the learning.
- Always have a knack of learning. There is no age limit to learn. Learn anything that you think that may be useful to you. Learn from any person who can impart that particular knowledge to you.
- Maintain good relations as those come to your rescue in your tough times.
I believe that the takeaways from the above conversation make a person resilient, deft, accountable and receptive. These traits are imperative to survive in dynamic workplaces. Definitely, one should work on these traits as down the line it may act as a game changer for an individual.
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Comments
Harini Chivukula
Nice work!
21 Jan 2019, 06.57 PM
+Read Replies (1)
Mridul Grover
I am currently pursuing MBA-HRM From Xavier School of Human Resource Management(XAHR). I believe in the adage that where there is a will there is a way. I always strive to enhance my skills and knowledge. In my leisure time, I like to travel and write.
Thank you Harini
22 Jan 2019, 08.07 AM |
Bhawana Tibrewal
Amazing work!!!
21 Jan 2019, 07.02 PM
+Read Replies (1)
Mridul Grover
I am currently pursuing MBA-HRM From Xavier School of Human Resource Management(XAHR). I believe in the adage that where there is a will there is a way. I always strive to enhance my skills and knowledge. In my leisure time, I like to travel and write.
Thanks Bhawana
22 Jan 2019, 08.07 AM |
Ankur Kaushik
A CAIIB certified Banker by experience, a poet by passion and a finance enthusiast by an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. I'm currently pursuing MBA in BM from XIMB to further my proven skills in Finance while my stay in a PSU bank.
Well articulated...
21 Jan 2019, 07.04 PM
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Mridul Grover
I am currently pursuing MBA-HRM From Xavier School of Human Resource Management(XAHR). I believe in the adage that where there is a will there is a way. I always strive to enhance my skills and knowledge. In my leisure time, I like to travel and write.
Thanks Ankur
22 Jan 2019, 08.08 AM |
chander manchanda
Nice work
21 Jan 2019, 07.55 PM
+Read Replies (1)
Mridul Grover
I am currently pursuing MBA-HRM From Xavier School of Human Resource Management(XAHR). I believe in the adage that where there is a will there is a way. I always strive to enhance my skills and knowledge. In my leisure time, I like to travel and write.
Thanks Chander
22 Jan 2019, 08.08 AM |
Suman Mohapatra
Commendable work!
21 Jan 2019, 08.16 PM
+Read Replies (1)
Mridul Grover
I am currently pursuing MBA-HRM From Xavier School of Human Resource Management(XAHR). I believe in the adage that where there is a will there is a way. I always strive to enhance my skills and knowledge. In my leisure time, I like to travel and write.
Thanks Suman
22 Jan 2019, 08.08 AM |
Aakanksha Panda
Well done.
21 Jan 2019, 08.18 PM
+Read Replies (1)
Mridul Grover
I am currently pursuing MBA-HRM From Xavier School of Human Resource Management(XAHR). I believe in the adage that where there is a will there is a way. I always strive to enhance my skills and knowledge. In my leisure time, I like to travel and write.
Thanks Aakanksha
22 Jan 2019, 08.09 AM |
Sanskruti Panigrahi
I just figured out a few more traits to add in my behaviour goals
21 Jan 2019, 08.47 PM
+Read Replies (1)
Mridul Grover
I am currently pursuing MBA-HRM From Xavier School of Human Resource Management(XAHR). I believe in the adage that where there is a will there is a way. I always strive to enhance my skills and knowledge. In my leisure time, I like to travel and write.
:)
22 Jan 2019, 10.44 PM |
Aman Agrawal
Well written. A lot of useful insights.
21 Jan 2019, 09.20 PM
+Read Replies (1)
Mridul Grover
I am currently pursuing MBA-HRM From Xavier School of Human Resource Management(XAHR). I believe in the adage that where there is a will there is a way. I always strive to enhance my skills and knowledge. In my leisure time, I like to travel and write.
Thanks Aman
22 Jan 2019, 10.45 PM |
Suneet Padhy
Nice article with nice insights
21 Jan 2019, 10.09 PM
+Read Replies (1)
Mridul Grover
I am currently pursuing MBA-HRM From Xavier School of Human Resource Management(XAHR). I believe in the adage that where there is a will there is a way. I always strive to enhance my skills and knowledge. In my leisure time, I like to travel and write.
Thanks Suneet
23 Jan 2019, 02.21 PM |
Chitranjan Upadhayay
Wants to make a difference8
Impressive work !
21 Jan 2019, 10.29 PM
Aman Akhauri
Great!
21 Jan 2019, 10.42 PM
anuj awasthi
Well articulated
21 Jan 2019, 10.44 PM
Arnab Maiti
Nice Work!!
21 Jan 2019, 10.54 PM
Shipra Khurana
Insightful thoughts..
22 Jan 2019, 12.12 AM
mansi gupta
Well-formulated and insightful club
22 Jan 2019, 12.33 AM
mansi gupta
Nice article, well structured!
22 Jan 2019, 12.43 AM
ambika puri
@Mridul: I read your article. It is very well written and contains sound and practical advice. You have covered some key areas which are thought provoking and uplifting. Appreciate your work. Well done!!
22 Jan 2019, 12.56 AM
Shilpi Grover
Very nice article. Very well and clearly written. Keep up the Good work.
22 Jan 2019, 01.08 AM
Rohit Narula
Amazing and insightful article. Completely captures the essence of life on both personal and professional fronts!
22 Jan 2019, 02.02 AM
Gitansh Sharda
Cool dude
Amazing Article. Good Read and highly recommended.
22 Jan 2019, 05.03 AM
Sahir Abraham
I am doing my MBA from XAHR of Xavier University, Bhubaneswar
Well written. Provided some nice insights.
22 Jan 2019, 08.18 AM
Ashutosh Palia
Very well articulated. Great work.
22 Jan 2019, 08.24 AM
Deepak Mohapatra
Superb piece of writing
22 Jan 2019, 08.36 AM
Neha Routray
Nice work
22 Jan 2019, 09.10 AM
Swetashree Sahoo
Great work!
22 Jan 2019, 09.32 AM
Yasha Srivastava
Good work!
22 Jan 2019, 09.33 AM
Asmita SARKAR
Interested in Jobs related to Market Analysis, Consumer Behaviour, Consulting and Sales
awesome write up
22 Jan 2019, 11.19 AM
Tanmay Bisoyi
its oke
Good work !
22 Jan 2019, 11.55 AM
Mansi Chopra
An interesting read indeed!
22 Jan 2019, 11.59 AM
Kabir Raichand
Student at Gandhi Institute of Technology & Management (GITAM) University, Visakhapatnam
Well written... Looking forward for more
22 Jan 2019, 12.03 PM
Vivek Singh
Na
Well written
22 Jan 2019, 12.06 PM
Siddharth Singh
Very well written! Indeed inspirational!
22 Jan 2019, 12.56 PM
Sukanya Mishra
Good work! Very well written
22 Jan 2019, 01.00 PM
Arushi Malhotra
Very well articulated!
22 Jan 2019, 01.03 PM
Aayush Singh
Very well written!!
22 Jan 2019, 01.04 PM
Sourav Saha .
Nicely put together!!!
22 Jan 2019, 01.13 PM
Priyal Agarwal
Great!
22 Jan 2019, 01.47 PM
A. Dharini
Well done!
22 Jan 2019, 01.56 PM
Vishal Pattanayak
Advises are very practical
22 Jan 2019, 02.13 PM
Shakti Sourav Mohanty
Well Written
22 Jan 2019, 02.58 PM
Suparna Chakraborty
Nice .Good work.
22 Jan 2019, 03.04 PM
Saumya Verma
.
Well written
22 Jan 2019, 03.15 PM
moynak dutta
Gathered a lot of valuable insights from your write up Mridul. Brilliantly articulated and framed. Keep it up.
22 Jan 2019, 03.53 PM
Shivasish Sarangi
Amazing
22 Jan 2019, 04.08 PM
Anil Mohanty
IIM ASPIRANT
Great work Mridul.
22 Jan 2019, 04.09 PM
Saptarshi Ganguly
Great work
22 Jan 2019, 04.13 PM
Aditya Parashar
Well written.
22 Jan 2019, 04.17 PM
Krishna Das
Amazing Mridul, keep at it!
22 Jan 2019, 04.22 PM
Dinesh Santu
great work!!
22 Jan 2019, 05.36 PM
Simran Mehrotra
Nicely written, Mridul!
22 Jan 2019, 06.26 PM
Amiya Das
MBA candidate at XIMB || Looking out for interesting live projects
Wonderful Mridul!!
22 Jan 2019, 07.27 PM
Pratyasha Panigrahi
Praiseworthy!
22 Jan 2019, 08.22 PM
Karamveer Saini
..
Great work
22 Jan 2019, 08.42 PM
Pratik Saraf
Well written and insightful article!
22 Jan 2019, 09.00 PM
Gourav Chatterjee
Well written !!
22 Jan 2019, 09.55 PM
ritu raj
Passionate worker .
Good job!!!
22 Jan 2019, 10.02 PM
Amol .
Nice piece
23 Jan 2019, 11.54 AM
Debarchana Sinha
Nice.
23 Jan 2019, 12.28 PM
Divyanshi Srivastava
Great!
23 Jan 2019, 01.34 PM
Sanpreet Bisoi
Good work on the article !
23 Jan 2019, 02.40 PM
Jaskirat Kaur
Very well written! Proud of you.
23 Jan 2019, 07.10 PM
Bharat Kethireddi
Well written
23 Jan 2019, 07.25 PM
SANKALP LITT
Nice work Sir
24 Jan 2019, 01.02 AM
SANKALP LITT
Vocabulary is quite nice :)
24 Jan 2019, 01.03 AM
SANKALP LITT
Creativity level - ∞
24 Jan 2019, 01.04 AM
Aviral Arora .
good one
24 Jan 2019, 01.57 AM
Barsha Bismita
Student at Xavier school of Rural management
Amazing!
24 Jan 2019, 12.44 PM
Shuvam Mohanty
Well written
24 Jan 2019, 03.36 PM
Rajashree Banerjee
Well written
24 Jan 2019, 03.57 PM
Amulya Kumar Sahoo
S
Nicely articulated!
24 Jan 2019, 04.13 PM
Jagjeet PUROHIT
Great one!!
24 Jan 2019, 05.23 PM
Sushmit Senapati
I m always found in pursuit of perfection and I make sure it's wild, fierce, exciting and flamboyant.
Good work Mridul.
24 Jan 2019, 06.07 PM
Siddhant MP Acharya
Insightful. Great work.
24 Jan 2019, 07.25 PM
Nandini Singh
Love studying and exploring
This was really very inspiring to read . A lot of appreciation to your great work ...
24 Jan 2019, 08.14 PM
Abhishek Upadhyay
Currently pursuing MBA-HR from XAHR-XUB, batch of 2018-2020. Prior to MBA, worked as Sr. System Engineer in Infosys Ltd. (SAP Unit) for 43 Months.
Nice one.
25 Jan 2019, 09.36 PM
Shreyasi Dewan
Nice !!
26 Jan 2019, 07.24 PM
Sarthak Vasal
Nicely written.
3 Feb 2019, 07.41 AM