Set your GOAL and be prepared to work hard -

… says Udit Chopra, class of 2012 at Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi. Udit is a B Tech holder from IIT Delhi. After working for over a year in FFIS as derivatives Trader, Udit feels MBA is the perfect launch pad for his career. He also likes quizzing, debating and enjoys reading books too. Looking forward to a great career in finance, Udit speaks to Suman Priya Mendonca about test preparations and his experiences at FMS.

Tell us a little about yourself.
I was brought up in an environment where education was given a lot of importance. That has gone a long way in shaping me as a person and it is because of this that I developed an inquisitive nature and a keen desire to learn new things and I believe that is the reason for whatever success I have achieved thus far in my life. I did my schooling in Noida at Delhi Public School. Post that I completed by B.Tech in Civil Engineering from IIT Delhi. After Graduation I worked for 15 months as a Derivatives Trader in Futures First Info Services (FFIS) which is a proprietary trading firm. My hobbies include quizzing, debating, watching movies and I take a keen interest in reading books as well.

Who inspired you to take up MBA?
I made the decision to pursue an MBA while working. It was because I felt that in order to grow professionally as well as personally and in order to gain a diverse knowledge of the business world an MBA was essential and it could provide the perfect platform for me to assure an accelerated career growth for me. There was no one in particular who inspired me to take this decision. I myself felt that after working for some time, an MBA would be the perfect value addition for me. I felt that an MBA from one of the top B-schools of the country would help in my personal and professional development and would be the perfect launch pad for my career.

Has your work experience been a boon or bane for your present endeavour?
I have a work experience of 15 months as a Derivatives Trader. Personally, my experience has been a great boon for my endeavor firstly because I believe that work experience makes you a lot more mature and confident as a person. It helps you give a lot more focus to your professional life as well. Also the fact that my experience was in the financial services sector has helped me gain a lot of knowledge about the sector and I have been able to use that quite often in my present endeavor. However at FMS, there is a healthy mix of both freshers and people with work experience.

When did you start preparing for the entrance test? What would you consider was your weakest area?
I started preparing around a year in advance. FMS has the reputation of being one of the toughest exams to clear. Almost 50,000 students fight it out for just about 100 seats. The preparation methods I used were more focused on giving as many mock tests as possible as compared to looking at concepts from a micro level. I wouldn’t say I was weak in a particular area but curiously for an engineer I was much better in the Verbal Section compared to the other two.

Tell us about your GD and PI experience.
The GD experience was quite good. We had a discussion about how cricket is the only sport which is important in the country. I did not try to dominate the discussion but came in whenever I could and I believe I made 3 or 4 relevant and new points and thus was given a good score in the GD. Besides the GD we had an extempore which is a unique feature of the FMS selection procedure in which we have to instantly speak on a topic for a minute. I believe the extempore is used to evaluate communication skills and the ability to think on one’s feet. The topic given to me was ‘Indian Middle Class’.

Finally, the interview was a great experience interacting with the esteemed professors of the institution. They made sure I was comfortable. The questions asked were about my motivation for pursuing an MBA. They also asked me why I had taken a job which was not related to my field of graduation and how I coped with that. Besides that some personal questions and some specific information regarding the work I did because one of the professors was an expert in that field. The interview was a great experience and I always felt that the professors were really interested in knowing you better rather than what all you know.

Apart from FMS test did you appear for any other entrance exams?
Apart from the FMS exam, I also did the CAT. I had always dreamt of making it to any of the four colleges – IIM A, IIM B, IIM C and FMS. It was a dream come true for me when I converted the FMS admission.

What is the USP of FMS?
FMS is very distinct from the other B-schools as it is part of the Delhi University, the best university in the country. The ROI at FMS is probably unmatched by any MBA college in the world. The annual fee at FMS is only Rs 10,000 while its placements are some of the best in the country.

FMS also boasts of being the oldest B-school in the country with a fantastic legacy and a strong alumni network. We also have excellent faculty, with almost all faculty being PhD holders.

Another distinct feature at FMS is the diversity around, not only within FMS but in the university. FMS is located at the centre of Delhi University and is surrounded by a number of colleges. On days I walk over to the Delhi School of Economics for lunch and get to interact with economic students. I also meet and interact with students from SRCC, St Stephens, Hindu, Hansraj daily on my Metro ride! Being in Delhi also offers a tremendous advantage to FMS, be it corporate exposure or exposure to cultural, sporting or economic activities, the recently concluded CWG games being an example.

What has been your greatest learning experience at FMS so far?
It is difficult to single out one learning. I have been at FMS for six months now and I feel I have gained tremendously in various aspects. Our faculty is excellent and I have gained a lot of knowledge from the lectures. FMS also boasts of excellent diversity and a healthy mix of students from various backgrounds. The company of such an excellent and diverse peer group in itself provides great learning and inspiration. After being surrounded by engineers for four years in my under graduation, my friend circle now consists of a Doctor, a CA and a Commerce graduate.

FMS also has a very active student body. Learning is not just confined to our classrooms. A lot of guest lectures, debates, conclaves, competitions are organised and this provides great exposure and learning. The past six months at FMS has provided not only professional growth, but has also enabled personal development.

What kind of recruitment/placement are you looking at after the completion of the course?
FMS boasts of one of the best placements in the country. We just witnessed a record summer placement for our entire batch A plethora of opportunities is available in not only traditional fields like finance, marketing, operations in organisations etc but also in diverse fields such as media, entrepreneurship etc. However with my background in Finance, and having been selected in one of the top banks for my summer internship, I am inclined towards a career in finance. I am considering various options such as corporate banking, private equity firms, derivatives trading, etc.

Message for MBA aspirants…
Set your Goals and be prepared to work hard for them. Even though the competition is tough, do not lose hope but work hard. I would also advise students to do proper research before taking admission to any B-school. I feel that joining the right B-school is essential. The past six months at FMS have been a great learning experience and I am glad I put in all that effort and hard work.