“Look at the MBA as an input for an entire career…” -

-Yatharth Bhuwalka, Class of 2009, Praxis Business School

Here is Yatharth Bhuwalka, Consultant, PwC, discussing how he took this most important decision of his career.

Could you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I was born and brought up in Kolkata. I graduated in B Com from St. Xavier's college Kolkata. During my college days I worked with Kotak Mahindra wealth management division as a sales executive and then went on to the retail front and helped open a stationary retail chain. I also started my own travel solution desk. This is the stage where I decided to persue management education. I joined Praxis Business School for 2007-2009 batch. During campus placement process I was selected by Pricewaterhouse Coopers as
a consultant in their advisory line of service. I enjoy doing new and challenging things. I dream of setting up something of my own in future.

How did you decide on the MBA programme of Praxis business school? Tell us about the uniqueness of the post graduate programme in business from Praxis?
I was very selective about my applications to B-schools. While exploring opportunities, I learned about Praxis. It impressed me on two counts – the rich pedigree of its faculty team and its industry alignment. I had my share of doubts since it was a new b-school and not too many knew about it. But, all my doubts were dispelled on my interaction with the faculty and other students. Yes…It was a calculated risk and it has paid off really well for me.
If I were to pin point one aspect, it would be the program’s relevance in the industry. This could have been made possible because of the contemporary curriculum and a faculty team that has a rich industry experience. These aspects created a near job like environment on campus, with students always trying to push their limits to match the high expectations of the program. Two years of this academic rigor is helping me to keep up with the work culture that an organization like PwC demands.

Could you share with our readers a little about your GD/PI experience and what were the most valuable lessons that you learnt from those experiences?
Our group comprised 15 candidates. We selected current affairs as the domain and were subsequently given a topic related to the Virginia Tech shoot-out. I made some relevant points but I spoke more than I should have. At a point, the moderator actually intervened and asked a few of us to allow the others to make their points! So, my advice to aspirants would be to contribute meaningfully while giving others a chance. Listening is as important as speaking in any communication, including GDs. The reason why I still made it was because I knew the topic well.
My interview on the other hand went off very well and in our case the interviewer's panel comprised of the same people who were also part of the GD panel. During the interview I was asked about my academic performance, personal background and activities I have been involved in. The questions related to academics were directed to assess my understanding of the concepts and their applicability in the real life situations. What is interesting is, these are the concepts that we all learn during our school and college days. Further on, I was asked about the disparity between my school and graduation scores. And whenever I encountered questions where I did not know the answer I was honest about it with the panel.
This was another important lesson that I learnt about PI. If you do not know it, simply say so. Trying to cook up an answer then and there may not work. This I'm sure holds true for most interviews.

Tell us about your experience of being a part of the initial batch of Praxis.
Being a part of a new institute, my experience with it has been similar to that of a start up. Our Dean, Prof. Govindrajan often said that the first few batches have the strongest bonding with the institute. We experienced this saying during our two years.
Our level of involvement in the making of Praxis was very high. We worked very closely with the management to give our inputs be it in decisions regarding the menu at the mess, books at the library, or even the subjects that we would want to be taught. We had the unique privilege of shaping the Praxis culture – ranging from forming committees, organizing management and cultural events, undertaking social work, in short, setting the general tone of conduct both on and off campus, for the batches to follow.
The down side that we faced was on counts of infrastructure. Although currently we have fully function campus with single occupancy rooms, it did take time for the establishment of the same.
All in all, when I reflect back upon the whole experience, the pros far outweigh the cons.

Tell us more about the kind of practical learning or industry interface that you got during the MBA programme.
The program at Praxis facilitates an intense interaction with industry at multiple touch points. Courses at Praxis are co created and co delivered with the industry. We had visiting faculty from organizations like Hewlett Packard, Tata Steel, IBM, Spencer’s. As a part of every course, we had to work on case studies and projects. We even have our own social network – Kollaborative Klassroom, which provides a digital platform to industry, faculty and students to share, learn and discover. Summer internships are an integral part of the course. My internship with Saint Gobain, in Bangkok gave me an insight in to international processes and honed my cross cultural skills.

What according to you would be the best take away from your MBA days at Praxis? And something that you would want to share with budding aspirants.
Frankly, pointing at one take away would be difficult. I feel I have gained both professionally and personally. Professionally, handling stress, maintaining sanctity of deadlines, working in teams, maintaining data discipline, being quality conscious have been a few take away. Personally, I would say the strong bonds with peers and faculty – lifelong of camaraderie is what I have earnt.
I would advice all the aspirants to look at the MBA as an input for an entire career. Choose a program that will give you the education that will arm you for not only getting a good job, but also performing it with credit. And lastly, this may well be the last lap of your academic career. Make the most of it and do not forget to have fun!