'Not a business article, but it will surely change your perspective.'
Everyone has their own story, but when you start telling your own story this question always pops up in your mind. Will someone even listen to it with patience? When I thought to write this, the only thought was will someone even read my story. As I have got your attention now let me tell you one thing first before telling your story to someone, it is more important that you start reading other’s story as well. It’s not because you can convince or ask someone to read your story as well after you have read theirs, the actual reason behind this is you can get an insight how to engage someone into your story as after reading you know where you feel related and where not which gives you an advantage while writing your own story. Now, let me take you on my journey.
In the interview round for MBA, almost everyone is asked why MBA? Believe me or not, I have an answer but still didn’t have an answer. Are you confused though? Let me take you back in my journey, when I was in class 6th, I decided to be a scientist and somewhere in class 12th, I decided to join the defense forces. There is one thing about defense forces and that is its unpredictability of getting selected or not. Then, I thought to work on what I have decided in class 6th being a scientist. I chose against the fair choices while choosing a stream in Bachelor of Technology i.e., aeronautical engineering. I was criticized by almost everyone, there is no growth in it as a career and different kind of criticizing comments. But then also I had an answer for “why B. Tech?” which 90 – 95 % of the students didn’t have. And yes, I have completed my research work in IIT Kanpur and have some significant things to show you if you’re really interested in understanding fluid mechanics. So, I really don’t know if I am a scientist in your opinion but yes I have done research work and have my own set of theories in fluid mechanics which gives me a satisfaction that I have really done something which I have thought around 12 years back.
Let me ask you a question before we go ahead, what’s most important your own satisfaction or satisfy the criteria what society have set for you? Think twice and have a glimpse of your own journey from childhood to reading this post, I hope you have the right answer. If your answer is the second one you’re at the right place and if your answer is the first one, let’s move forward. In my final year of graduation, I decided to learn some management skills and this idea struck my mind when I successfully coordinated several events and thereby successfully coordinated a college festival in 2017. Further moving, I got placed in one of the most prestigious organizations i.e. Infosys in 2017. I appeared for CAT 2017 as well to get an idea of my potential to land up in a B School and believe me, I failed miserably. As discussed earlier the unpredictability of getting into defense forces, similar is the thing with CAT and landing up in a decent B School. I thought to start my journey with Infosys by keeping in mind the keenness of understanding management. I have been observing every little thing for two years in Infosys. How things work in an organization from the lowest level to the highest level? How do you need to keep yourself in demand? How someone should remain honest with his work? How management is responsible for your well being and how you are responsible for making management’s work easier? and there are many other things that I have learned. In August 2019, I decided to give myself a chance to learn these skills at a better pace and I appeared for CAT 2019. Truly saying, I was in a dilemma till the moment I landed up in IIT Kanpur if I have failed this time or succeeded. I feel proud to start my journey with IIT Kanpur as an MBA student. I won’t cut this story short so let me tell you why I was in a dilemma. I appeared for interviews in 13 colleges and got selected into 11 of them. But, I rejected all of them with the last hope of getting into IIT Kanpur. After a long wait and then getting an admission letter from IIT Kanpur was a smile over my face. I hope you have my answer now, Why MBA? Still not get it, let me tell you then because it’s my choice which I made in 2017 and that time I want to learn something, and keenness for the same has been going up each day. Just an advice, don’t do what everyone wants you to do, do what you really want to do.
One more question must be popping in your mind after reading the whole article where is that desire of getting into defense forces. Let me cut this short now, I have appeared for 8 SSBs and have not been selected in any of them. But these 8 SSBs had told me not to give up, I don’t know if I will go for the 9th SSB or not but yes I haven’t stopped dreaming about it. The cutoff age for joining defense forces somewhere around 26 – 28 years for different areas and I am just 23 years old. So, nobody knows where I will land up next but I know one thing for sure I will do what love I will live how I want to and not the way others want me to be. There are many more happenings left out in this story but I really don’t know if you have reached here, if you have I can tell you more another time.
“If dreaming is your choice then action onwards the same should also be yours.”