Personal Question Answers

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Over-analyze

I tend to over-analyze situations and this leads to analysis paralysis which leads to a reduction in my productivity. For example, if I feel that a project I have been working on hasn’t been up to mark, I will try and dissect the whole situation and dig as deep as I can to arrive at the root cause for the problem. In times of tight deadlines and urgent deliverables , this trait might be an issue as the speed of getting work done takes a hit. In order to overcome this, I have been trying to focus on developing a mindset of focusing on the task at hand and not worrying about peripheral issues.

Unorganized

I am slightly unorganized on a personal level. I sometimes struggle to plan my day well and this leaves a lot of task remaining incomplete. However, after starting my professional career, owing to multiple projects, my personal hobbies and even things like CAT preparation, I have learnt to prioritize my objectives and this has helped me in approaching my tasks in an efficient manner.

Question 4:

Where do you see yourself in 3-5 years (short term) and 10-15 years (long term)?

Short Term (Finance/Consulting)

In the coming two years, I hope to make the most of my time at MDI. The various clubs, live projects and competitions that take place provide a great base for me to develop a sound business acumen. I would like to work on different kinds of projects and develop a well-rounded understanding of business situations and how a company achieves its objective in general. Post my MBA, I hope to see myself working for an investment bank/consulting firm and develop skills that would bring value to my organization and the clients I work for. I hope to be part of transactions /deals/consulting assignments across industries.

Short Term (Marketing)

In the coming two years, I hope to make the most of my time at MDI. The various clubs, live projects and competitions that take place provide a great base for me to develop a sound business acumen. I would like to work on different kinds of projects and develop a well-rounded understanding of business situations and how a company achieves its objective in general.

Post my MBA, I hope to get on-ground sales experience and understand the various methods a company uses to ensure that its products reach its target customer. Also, I believe a sales position is a great route to a management role as you get the opportunity to understand both product and the customer centric dynamics.

Long Term (Finance/Consulting)

In 15 years from now, I would like to develop strong industry knowledge about a sector and hopefully provide corporate finance/transactional advice/management consulting services to clients in the same sector as a seasoned investment banker/consultant. As far as the sector goes, I still remain unsure of the same but hope to discover the sector that excites me the most in the coming few years.

On a personal level, I hope be settled in life and continue playing the sport I love, which is tennis and regularly have the opportunity to play a few live music shows as well.

Long Term (Marketing)

In 15 years from now, I hope to have a managerial level position with complete P&L accountability at a leading organisation. The opportunity of launching new product lines/ businesses would be an exciting prospect as well.

On a personal level, I hope be settled in life and continue playing the sport I love, which is tennis and regularly have the opportunity to play a few live music shows as well.

Question 5:

Give an instance when you stepped in, took charge, mustered support, and influenced the outcome of a project/decision by assuming a leadership role.

During my stint in AIESEC Chennai, I was the Organizing Committee President for Project Footprints , an two-week project which aimed at giving underprivileged children a chance to express their creativity. The project ended with an event called ‘Balakalakar’ which is a painting activity for underprivileged children. More than 50 schools which included over 2000 children.

The project involved conducting sessions in various schools for the two weeks. I was in charge of coming up with the structure of the campaign and engaging volunteers through designing a volunteer campaign. I worked on the agenda for the entire two weeks and crafted a large-scale volunteer program which saw participation from 750+ participants over the two weeks.

Question 6:

What has been your greatest achievement till date? Why do you think this is your greatest achievement?

My greatest achievement till date has been receiving special recognition from my college for extra-curricular activities in multiple spheres.

I have been a part of the college band and represented the college at various music events. I had the unique distinction of co-founding of one of the first Tamil rock bands in Chennai. The band garnered a sizeable fan following within weeks of its debut show and received significant coverage in the press and social media.

I have also represented my college in various business competitions conducted by reputed colleges of the country. The competitions have primarily revolved around case studies, paper presentations and mock stock events. I also won the national level entrepreneurship competition conducted by St.Xavier’s College , Kolkata. I also came third in the Finance event of the same event.

In order to acknowledge my contribution to the college, based on the mentioned events, I received special recognition from my college.

Question 7:

What decision(s) do you regret the most? Why?

During my first year of college, I was heavily involved in music. I had the unique distinction of co-founding one of the first Tamil rock bands. I was also simultaneously playing for another studio project. As a band, we did manage to get a fair amount of success in the local circuit. We received significant press recognition, played lives shows at pubs, competitions and even weddings. Since this required a lot of time, my grades in my first year of graduation took a hit. I could only manage a 5.2