“It's not important to know everything and no one expects you to, either” -

Diwakar Kaushik is an Information and Communication Technology engineer from DA-IICT, Gandhinagar and is currently pursuing his PG in PM&IR from XLRI, Jamshedpur. Prior to doing his MBA, he worked in the IT sector for three years in Bangalore, Mumbai and Gurgaon. He shares his MBA journey with Reshma Majithia.

What led you to do an MBA and why did you choose XLRI?
I intend to start a social venture in the educational domain in the future. As a build up to that, I need to acquire the basic skills required to effectively operate an organization and also work in the industry for a few years to understand the whole scheme of things. XLRI being one of the best business schools in the country gives me that opportunity to work on these essentials; it also offers the business map of the country. XLRI, I believe, provides the right launching pad for an individual like me by virtue of its esteemed faculty (and one of the highest student-faculty ratio in the country), structured and relevant academia, bright peers and good infrastructure.

The PM&IR course with its emphasis on HR seems an unlikely choice for an engineer who has been working in the IT sector…how will this course help you to leverage your background?
The PM&IR course at XLRI provides a holistic perspective of the management realm, in spite of being perceived as a specialized course. I studied about the kind of subjects that are taught in this course and the kind of opportunity it offers to an individual. I was convinced that the PM&IR course is much more than the generic corporate HR that we see in our brief work experience, and I was also convinced that this would be the right place for me to achieve my goals. And one year down the line I do not regret this decision a bit.

Engineering provides a basis to my thought process and helps me to think in a logical and rational manner, which in turn helps me become an effective individual performer. The PM&IR will help me move out of the bounds and understand the business aspect of things, which is imperative from a growth perspective. I can now go on to make an attempt to use my technical skills merged with the managerial skills to reach new heights for the benefit of the greater good.

Certainly these are different courses and different domains, but this is analogous to our senses. We have different senses executing independent of each other and each sense is apparently indifferent to the other. However, to make 'sense' out of these senses the brain connects the inputs from each of them and a logical relevance is met. Same is the case with these two. I intend to exploit the strength of ICT to make sustainable solutions for the underprivileged. This act would need both the ICT skills and the PM&IR skills. Also, being here in this programme puts me with similar minded people and the synergy amongst us is certainly going to be a booster for all of us.

How was your experience at XAT? Where did your weaknesses lie when you started preparing and how did you overcome that?
XAT was the best exam in the season (I would have stuck to this statement even if I had not cleared it), the most logical and intellectually stimulating exam of them all. I always managed a decent speed in the mock tests and I knew that I had to work on the accuracy bit to ensure success. That came about through continuous evaluation through tests and practice. I also involved my peers in the same, so that all of us could benefit from the mutual help.

How challenging was it to prepare for your MBA entrance as a working professional?
I was working in an IT firm during the tough times of recession and there wasn't much time we used to get for preparation. My mode or strategy of preparation was working on mock-exams and then analyzing them. I had joined two different test series and both these helped me immensely. Though it is difficult to manage work and studies simultaneously, the 5-day week culture definitely helps us and the weekend is good enough time for one to prepare for these exams.

Tell us about your GD/PI experience. What were the most valuable lessons that you learnt from that experience?
The GD/PI preparation actually helps you to know yourself a lot better. On a lighter note, a lot of you might have the route of your life decided while you prepare the answer to questions for the PI. My GD and PI were smooth; I was confident and honest and that helped for the most part. The most important thing that one learns from these experiences is that it's not important to know everything and no one actually expects you to, either. But it's important to at least know your strong and weak points and be able to work it to your advantage. During an interview, just be totally honest and remember that it's not the end of the world.

Tell us about your experience at XLRI. Is there any special, unforgettable experience that you faced or enjoyed and which shaped your life?
XLRI has been a remarkable experience for me so far. The opportunity to learn is immense; it also gives you tremendous potential to interact with the right kind of people. The exposure to various stalwarts from various fields and the opportunity to be in the top circuit is a great feeling. As mentioned above, I have an inclination towards social entrepreneurship and I got a chance to be part of the national social entrepreneurship conference at XLRI where I could interact with a lot of amazing people working in the field. That, for me, was my best moment at XLRI. And with the kind of dynamic environment XLRI provides, one is always on his feet doing something or another. And it's been a year, but it certainly feels like yesterday.

What kind of life and career do you foresee for yourself after an MBA degree?
As discussed above, I would like a career that would help me find 'meaning' in the hullabaloo of this fast paced world. However, I believe that to find 'meaning' one has to run at an even faster pace. As of now, I intend to concentrate on my work and current responsibilities, keeping my long-term goals in mind, irrespective of the challenges and outcomes.

Anything inspirational that you would like to share with future aspirants?
I have generally noticed that until one gets through to a premier B-school, most of the aspirants are not too confident about their chances. I would just say that there is a very thin line between being outside XLRI and being inside XLRI and most aspirants have that ability to be inside. However, the toughest part is to see this thin line and understand that the stakes are not that high.

I am no guru and everyone reading this is a mature and intelligent individual. But to all aspirants, I would say, be confident, relaxed and respect what you have in life. If you respect what you have, you will get much more than you ever expect. Everyone can be groomed to be a better manager, but a person cannot be complete unless he/she grooms himself/herself into being a better person. I wish all of you a great future on behalf of the student fraternity at XLRI.