Before you embark on your MBA journey get sufficient experience to look at problems from a managerial point of view

…says Raghuveer Reddy, a second year MBA student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In conversation with Reshma Majithia, he talks of his decision to do an MBA from the US.

What led you to do an MBA? Elaborate on your decision to pursue an MBA…
To be honest, I felt that my work experience would not help me in my career progression. So, I thought of going back to school to change my career path from the current software stream.

How did you shortlist schools for your MBA programme? Why did you choose to pursue your MBA Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
I was always looking for schools specifically in the US and near New York City. I was interested in pursuing finance as my career and New York City was the best place to learn about finance. So, I narrowed down my search to schools which were near New York.

I applied to schools like Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, William and Mary, Virginia Tech, Buffalo and University of Connecticut. I chose RPI because the school is known for its technological MBA. Additionally, I received good amount of scholarship from the school to support my studies. 

What was the toughest part of your application process? How did you overcome the obstacle?
The toughest part of my application was choosing between the schools I got admission to and also the Visa process. Firstly, I had my preference in choosing schools but was caught up by the rankings from US news and various other sources. I had to make a choice between a not so good ranked school and good ranked schools. Secondly, the Visa process was very tiresome and lengthy. IMS was very helpful in the first case and guided me well in choosing the right school.

How did you manage to finance your studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
I got a loan from SBI for my studies and adding to that with some personal savings I could manage my studies. SBI loan was enough to cover my tuition expenses.

What are your career goals post MBA?
I wanted to work in the finance field. I did land up with a job on Wall Street with one of the large Investment Banks.

Message for MBA aspirants…
An MBA is something which is very important step in your career. Many Indian students think that they can go for an MBA right out of college or with one year of experience. My personal feeling was that people with no or less experience could not contribute well in the class. They lack managerial skills and try to look at all the problems as if they have exact solutions. So, my message is that before you embark on your MBA journey get sufficient experience to look at problems from a managerial point of view.