Planning is an important thing, but the manner of execution, is critical -

… says Dhanwanthari Tej, Class 2012, DMS, IIT Delhi. According to him, persistence and confidence are the two most important things in life that one must have, to succeed. After working for about two years, a desire to be in the higher echelons of the corporate ladder pulled him towards an MBA. Always open to new learning, Dhanwanthari emphasises that he wants to give something back to society, in this conversation with Suman Priya Mendonca.

Tell us a little about your academic or professional background.
I did my Engineering in Electronics and Communications from SASTRA University, Thanjavur. After that I worked in TCS for two years before enrolling for an MBA at DMS, IIT Delhi.

You were working in TCS for two years before joining DMS. What made you take up MBA?
The major reason being my inherent desire to scale up the corporate ladder and achieve leadership position. I feel that an MBA equips one to handle situations in a precise manner without much ado.

When did you start preparing for JMET? What would you consider was your weakest area?
I started preparing for JMET from March 2009. I considered English – reading comprehension my weakest section. I subscribed for simulated tests conducted by IMS. They helped me a lot, especially to gauge my performance against my peers. I believe that reading Editorials not only helps in effective reading-comprehension, but also enhances knowledge. This helps to generate ideas in many situations like Group Discussions.

Tell us something about the GD/PI experience.
My GD Topic was quite a general one ‘Mobiles: Boon or Bane’. I made few entries with strong points. I think it is the content and confidence that matters in GD rather than the number of entries.

My PI was more about my work experience. Apart from the technical perspective, a business or managerial perspective, the impact of work with respect to a client is what the panelists expect from an MBA aspirant. I could very well quantify the work I did in the company I served. I think this helped me to crack the interview. Apart from work experience, the panel also questioned me on my hobbies and general knowledge.

What has been your greatest learning experience at DMS so far?
DMS has taught me that persistence and confidence are the two most important things that one must have to succeed in life. A good peer group is essential to grow in a mutually beneficial manner.

Did you find any particular aspect of your profession a hurdle or an edge?
Well, I strongly feel that my experience has really helped me understand many concepts, especially in the subjects that are related to Strategy and Human Resources. I feel that the corporate experience has helped me to relate to many things a professor explains in the class. But at times it becomes a hurdle, in the sense that it restricts my scope of thinking to a particular sector. But, after my summers experience in the manufacturing industry I started relating many things to that domain. On the whole, the level of understanding and grasping of the problems in case studies will definitely be in direct relation to one’s prior experiences.

What are your long-term ambitions in life?
My ambition is to open an NGO that can provide an interface between people who want to do something significant for the society and the ones who are deprived of basic things in life.

What has your institute given you, which no other school could have?
The main forte of DMS is the faculty. The rich experience of the faculty in research as well as industrial projects gives students a good mix of both academic and industry perspective, which I believe very few institutions in India, can offer. Ambience of IIT of course is an added advantage.

Apart from these two, I sincerely believe that moderate batch strength with engaging class discussions is rare in today’s B-schools; however DMS provides the perfect opportunity for both.

And last but not the least, as far as return on investment is concerned, DMS is one of the best B-Schools in India.

Message for MBA aspirants…
Planning is an important thing, but the manner of execution, is critical.