The opportunities when you enter an IIM are endless, but what matters is how you utilise them -

…says Yateesh Shetty, a PGP – PGDCM student at IIM –Calcutta. He did his B.E in Electronics and Telecommunications from D.J. Sanghvi College of Engineering. He has worked with Oracle Financial Services for 18 months as an Associate Consultant. In conversation with Reshma Majithia, he talks of his decision to do an MBA from IIM- Calcutta

Tell our readers a bit about yourself, tracing your journey from being B E in (EXTC) electronics and telecommunication from D.J. Sanghvi College of Engg to an MBA student at IIM-C.

Well, I graduated in 2007 from D. J. Sanghvi college of Engineering and was placed in Amdocs, Pune. I had given CAT in my final year but without much preparation so once I got placed at Amdocs I decided I wanted to understand corporate life for a couple of years before I decide to do an MBA. I however continued to give the CAT exam each year just to stay in touch with the whole process. Due to family reasons I had to shift back to Mumbai and join Oracle Financial services where I worked for 18 months. Towards the end of it, I had started preparing diligently for CAT. At that time I was presented with the opportunity to work as a Sales Executive at a private firm and I took it up gladly as a chance to know what the job of Sales and Marketing entails before I do an MBA. That was a very enriching experience and helped me learn a lot about the “customer”. Finally when CAT results came out I had all the major 6 IIM calls and once I knew I had got into the Finance campus of the country there were no second thoughts.

What led you to do an MBA and why did you choose IIM-C?

I think early on during my Engineering I had spoken to people who had done an MBA to understand what it was all about and if it suited with my aspirations and my qualities which had an important bearing on my decision to do an MBA. During Engineering it became clear to me that I wanted to get into the business side of things. An MBA was important to understand and improve on my skills and knowledge. MBA offered the perfect chance to bond and learn with like-minded people. Choosing IIM Calcutta was a no- brainer. It is the best and oldest IIM in the country. The quality of faculty, students and alumni from IIM Calcutta is good. I think it is the perfect platform for students wanting to pursue an MBA that gives you a holistic development.

You have worked with Oracle Financial Services Software Ltd for a year and a half. How has your experience working with them been?

Oracle Financial Services Software (OFSS) was one of the best phases I had in my life in terms of learning. No matter how much you try and learn at College and school the real learning, as everyone knows, comes in the corporate world. At Oracle I was a part of the Software Quality and Assurance team where I was involved in reviewing and auditing projects and deliverables for CMMi Level 5 compliance. I got to understand the concepts of Project Management, Project planning, root cause analysis, etc which are so relevant for any work especially if you are planning to do an MBA. And I must add I had wonderful people (both seniors and peers) to work with who played a significant role in me improving by leaps and bounds at OFSS. I honestly feel what I learnt in those 18 months would have otherwise taken me 36 months or more.

What were the weakest areas when you started for CAT? How did you work on them?

Well it was Data Interpretation. I used to excel in Quantative Analysis and Verbal but would mess up DI. Fortunately for me, the people who mentored me all felt DI was the easiest to improve on through practice and hard work. Hence once I was sure I was ready to an MBA, I focused a lot of effort on doing DI cases and problems. I used to distribute my study schedule in such a way that I did DI whenever I was feeling the best both physically and mentally. Studying for CAT after coming back from office is a big task. And so I kept my best section, Quant, for that time and focused on Verbal and DI during the weekends. Thanks to the hard work from me and the classes like IMS and CPLC that I was associated with, that effort started to pay-off. Once I had the confidence that I could do well in DI then it was just about doing my best on D- Day.

Tell us about your selection experience at IIM-C highlighting the structure and the way the process is conducted?

The best thing I liked about IIM C was GD and the Interview process. It was so well-planned, efficient and simple. They had marked out 5 days for the interview process, finished them all on time as per schedule and declared their results earlier than others. That itself showed the importance and dedication they put in to the process. In terms of the actual process on the GD-Interview day, IIM C had divided us into various panels and we were made to sit in a room and asked to wait for our panels to call us for the GD or Interview process. A member from the panel would then call out the names in the same panel and take us to our respective GD rooms. I think the panel consisted of two faculties and one IIM C Alumni. They gave us the GD topic and then let us discuss the topic for around 20 minutes. At the end of it they also allowed each one to summarize or add any extra points that we may have not covered. This ensured even those who could not participate in the GD got a chance to air their views. Immediately after the GD we were asked to wait outside the room and one by one we were called for our Interviews. The Interview tried to cover various aspects of our knowledge and being the Finance campus of the country they had simple but tricky Quant questions for us too. I think they were more interested in our approach to solving the question rather than the final answer. The interviews lasted anywhere between 20-40 minutes.

How was your experience with the GD and interview? What were the most valuable lessons that you learnt from that experience?

It is expected to be a tense time with an IIM seat at stake. However, I was pretty happy with the fact that most panels made sure I was comfortable during the interview. The panels were genuinely friendly and wanted to know me better. This was the case with all students in my panels. I think the interview preparation process helped me know myself better and that was the most valuable lesson for me. And another thing is that the panel is genuinely there to select you and not reject you. Hence the more you treat it as a general discussion the better the interview gets (ofcourse it doesn’t mean being too friendly!). It’s easier said than done but it’s what one should aspire to do. During my interview I was asked a quant question which I tried to solve but couldn’t. But I made sure they knew what thought process I was using to solve the problem. During the interview I also quoted examples from real life scenarios which was primarily because the interview became a discussion for me.

What is the course structure and pedagogy followed at IIM-C?

IIM Calcutta follows a mixed pedagogy, imbibing both theory and cases in the curriculum. The whole idea is that some theory is necessary for students to understand the basic concepts which can then be applied/ debated/ discussed and verified through the various cases that form part of the curriculum. With the crème-de la crème studying at IIM Calcutta it is natural that the case discussions and lectures reach an altogether new level. This kind of peer learning guided by the faculty allows us to explore many different ideas and view-points allowing for a more holistic development which is the aim of all MBA programmes. The live projects, assignments and special guest lectures allow us to get the “on the ground industry” perspective which completes the learning in class. A point to note is the “Management Centre for Human Values” at IIM Calcutta which focuses on the Ethics and Values part while doing business to develop responsible managers and leaders of the future.

 What would you like to tell all MBA aspirants who probably yearn to be in your shoes?

Well, I would like to firstly wish them all the best for their preparations and hope to see some of them here at IIM Calcutta. Secondly I would advise them to not give up at any stage of their preparations. Have a source of inspiration that drives you on and remember it when you feel low at any point during the course of your preparations/mock tests. Use it to motivate yourself and continue giving your best. The rest will take care of itself.

Anything that they need to know and be prepared for when it comes to an MBA programme…

Well, the two years of MBA are a lot more hectic then what we are used to. So, it could be a little overwhelming in the beginning. But it’s also one of the best times of our lives in terms of knowledge and growth. So the hard work doesn’t stop at obtaining a good CAT score and getting into one of the IIMs. The bigger test awaits once you are into the programme. But that doesn’t mean it is not fun. The opportunities when you enter an IIM are endless, but what matters is how you utilize them. So whether it be an IIM or another B-School be prepared to get loads of opportunities to learn and showcase your skills and make the best possible use.