Tell us about a time when you messed up, and what you learnt from the experience?
I interned with the Government of Delhi under the Commission for Protection of Child Rights. Since it was the first batch of interns, there was an immense workload and we were given a lot of cases at a time. Due to carelessness, I forgot to update a few important case files leading to a delay in their working. 1 week later, our Chairperson received a notice from the Directorate of Education (who overlooks the commission) about the progress of a certain file allotted to me which was quite urgent since they pertained to official Government work. And I realized that I forgot to work on them.My supervisor was very unhappy and made me realize how responsibilities need to be taken seriously in a professional setting. I was devastated but requested him for a day to work on the case diligently and I submitted the file by the End of the Day.Also, to ensure no such mishappening takes place in the future, I created a google sheets system to update the progress of all my files which was then used by the whole cohort of interns as a single place of all updates to our supervisor.This experience made me understand the importance of owning up to my mistakes and working hard to resolve any problems that are caused due to my actions. I feel indebted to my supervisor who not only continued to put his trust in me but also gave me a return offer to work with the commission in the future.
Tell us something about yourself that others may be surprised to know about you.
I have always loved to sketch and create artworks, but I dont come off as an artistic person. So, 2 years back, I decided to use a Whiteboard and Marker to create art pieces that stood out from other sketches.I started uploading my art pieces on Instagram under an anonymous name but slowly my family encouraged me to put that page under my name. When people around me got to know that I was behind the art page, they were very surprised since they never saw me as a sketcher artist.So even today when I tell people about my art page if the conversation strikes, I always get very surprised and pleasant reactions.
What have been your two biggest successes in life? What did you learn from them?
The happiness of my students-My friend and I have always believed that knowledge about Safety, Rights, Gender, and Sex are as important as school subjects. We saw a lack of medium for underprivileged children to attain knowledge about these topics that would help them grow into responsible adults but did not dare to do something about it. After brainstorming for months, we started a Project called RISE- an initiative to provide underprivileged children with sessions on subjects like safety and rights through child-friendly mediums. We got the first flavour of success when the children gave amazing reviews after our pilot session. Their happiness and increased understanding of important life lessons taught us how our small efforts can create big impacts in someones life. We learnt how to grow an idea into reality. The experiences during our sessions made us realize how helping children evolve can bring happiness to our lives as well.We were awarded the United Nations Millennium Fellowship for our project wherein we impacted 2000+ children through our sessions. Interacting with Directors at UNAI would always be a highlight of my journey 2. The pride of my parents-I have been a consistent academic scorer throughout my school and college but was never devoted to studying for 7-8+ hours each day. The reason was that my competition was always limited to the people around me. But preparing for CAT was one of the most dedicated journey I ever undertook.From scoring 70%ile in my first mock to getting a 99.56%ile in my CAT Examination, it felt like everything was worth the effort. But my happiness was nothing in comparison to the pride my parents felt due to all the recognition I was getting. They always taught me to stay humble but were getting overjoyed by this news. Further, when I got admitted to IIM Lucknow, my grandfather told me that he saw his younger self in me since he was also very dedicated throughout his life. More than my admission, I feel this journey through the CAT examination and my untiring dedication towards it would remain to be my biggest success. I learnt how to never give up and work hard in the face of adversity. Further, I realized my true potential and that nothing can stop anyone from achieving their goals.
Professionally, what is your ideal image of yourself five years from now? Where do you see yourself?
My ideal image even five years from now would remain to be on the lookout to learn and grow. I want this culture of MBA learning to stay with me even after I venture into corporate life. My aim is to enter into a dynamic sector like consulting which would make sure that I keep on enhancing my skills and face new challenges in new projects. 5 years from now, I see myself working for a top consulting firm. Using my critical thinking and analytical skills to break down business problems and devising appropriate solutions. My goal would be to work in the Social Responsibility Department of the Firm due to my belief in helping NGOs and Businesses in need, who cannot afford such consulting services. At the end of these 5 Years, I hope to make an impact in the lives of people running small NGOs and Businesses and give them the leverage to grow!
What is the one skill or characteristic you possess that you are most proud of, and why?
The characteristic that I am most proud of would be my listening skills and the ability to put myself in someones shoes. While leading teams, I find it essential to be a good listener before being a good director. It helps me understand the viewpoint of everyone in my team and makes each member feel valued.I believe this characteristic was developed due to my own experiences while being a member of one such team. When the head of our team never listened to our views, I realized how undervalued and disinterested I felt being in that team. Thus, I decided that I would never become a person who refuses to listen. Though this characteristic does not stop at my professional life. I am always the go-to guy for all my friends to share their issues and feel better about things. This bond with my peers is something I would cherish forever.
In your opinion, what skills or qualities does a successful manager possess?
In my opinion, one needs to be a guide first, and a manager after. As a member of a team, any employee looks up to their manager in terms of learning, expanding industry knowledge, recognition and appreciation. Thus, if a manager acts as a guide to their subordinates, it would not only help increase employee satisfaction but also decrease the attrition rate significantly. I had such an experience during my Consulting Internship at Avasant. Being a very daunting industry, there was a steep learning curve to understand structural thinking and deliverable. But I was never nervous on any day since my manager acted as a guide throughout my journey. He helped me navigate through projects, suggested 1-on-1 brainstorming calls, and also taught me about the Tech Industry for our client.Having gone through this experience, I havent just learnt how valuable research and consulting skills. But I also learnt how to be a good manager.
Tell us about an ethical dilemma that you may have faced, and how you resolved it.
Since Bachelors in Management Studies (BMS) was a newly introduced course at our college, there was a dearth of placements for the students of BBE and BMS. A lot of regular recruiters had not added BMS or BBE to their course list yet. Being a part of the Central Placement-Cell of the college, I had fully realized that the Seniors in the Cell weren't willing to go beyond their current work to convince the recruiters and get placements for these new courses. Neither were they trying to approach new firms for specific job roles for BBE and BMS.Moreover, there was anxiety amongst my classmates regarding being unplaced. So, the President of the Cell asked me to lie to my classmates as a representative of the Placement Cell and give them false hope of upcoming companies which infuriated me further. I knew refusing to do so would destroy my chances of holding the office position next year. Also, complaining to the Placement-Cell Convenor would earn me the title of a tattle; however, I decided to not indulge in unethical practices.To resolve this dilemma, I decided to go the enterprising way. I talked to the Head of Department for our courses about this issue. After the discussion, I proposed the plan to initiate an Internal Placement Cell solely focussed on BMS and BBE, in collaboration with the Central Placement-Cell.At the end of the year, after having led a team of 15 coordinators and members, we were successful in changing the scenario of our placements. The college saw a 100%+ increase in the placement offers for the students of BMS and BBE. We were also successful in getting Bain and Co. to hire from our college for the first time. Passing on the baton to my juniors, I have no doubts that the students of BMS and BBE would never feel underconfident.
If you were the CEO of any company of your choosing, which company would you choose and what would your first action be as CEO?
If I could be the CEO of any company, it would be Zomato. The reasons would be 2-fold-1. Being a Unicorn start-up with a proven growth trajectory, Zomato would be an ideal choice for structured strategic advancements being in the middle of a successful start-up and an established company. 2. My love for food and my creative bent would ensure that I generate the best processes and ideas for the company to increase our growth structure. My first action as the CEO would be to leverage the covid situation and introduce a new range of products under the Ready To Eat meals section.This will help the company move from only a delivery service platform to a product-centric platform as well. And during this time of the pandemic, a lot of people prefer ready-to-eat meals with simple cooking instructions to avoid food from outside thus generating an additional revenue scheme during this recessionary phase.
***
Check The List Of InsideIIM’s 50 Most Promising Incoming Students 2021 Here!
For the Class Of 2022, we are back with the 8th season of InsideIIM's Best 50 - India's Most Employable MBA Graduates - Class Of 2022! If you're graduating from a B-School in 2022, you're eligible to take part in this competition! Grab the chance to bring out your best side and impress your recruiters and peers. Take the opportunity to show the world why you are special, on your own terms.
If you're using a web browser (Mozilla or Google Chrome), then you can take part through this link. Otherwise, please download the Kampus App (Android | iOS), and head over to Competitions.
Chat
Comments