I wish to be a dynamic professional - Aanchal Jain, Class of 2012, IMI Delhi

A commerce graduate from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi, Aanchal Jain is currently pursuing her management degree from IMI Delhi. Armed with a goal to specialise in the field of finance and aiming for a successful career in international banking, she claims to be a strong believer in teamwork, in this conversation with Suman Priya Mendonca.  

Academic and professional background…
Dreams of taking up a management course were just seeping in by the time I finished my schooling from Welham Girl’s School, Dehradun. This dream became my goal during my graduation in commerce. When I was in the final year, I knew where I wanted to be. Accordingly, I started preparing for entrance exams from the third year of graduation; and I wrote the CAT that year. It was my first attempt and I knew I could do better. Around the same time I got an opportunity to work with Vardhaman Textiles Ltd as Senior Assistant in the Finance Department. I also have the experience of working in the production and logistics department. I thought it was a good opportunity to explore further and expected this exposure to help in my MBA candidacy as well.

My interests…
Participating in various group discussions and events has been a big boost for my confidence level. Other than class work, I like reading books, playing tennis; do meditation and even traveling. 

CAT Experience
This year my CAT percentile was 95.15. While working I was able to dedicate 2-3 hours in a day for the CAT preparation. I did attend the CAT coaching classes during graduation, but after graduation I decided to study on my own. Various CAT tests also helped in my endeavour. I was more confident about quant and DI than English and I must say that I focused more on my stronger points. I tried to excel in the quant and DI sections but did not neglect English. Around one and half months before the test I stopped working and concentrated completely on my CAT preparations.

Reason for choosing IMI-Delhi
This year apart from the CAT, I also attempted various entrance exams like MAT, XAT, SNAP and NMAT. I also got an interview call from IMT Ghaziabad. But after a lot of research, I found the IMI faculty was great. I also got positive feedback from friends and seniors about IMI, Thus I am here.

GD experience
This year at the IMI GD we were asked to speak on corruption and development. There were eight people in our group. The GD went on for 10 minutes. We also had essay writing as part of the GD.

PI experience
Personal Interview was for 15 minutes. The panelists mostly asked questions regarding my educational background. Some technical questions about the subject were also asked. As I had some work experience they also wanted some insights on my responsibilities at work. Overall it was a stress-free interview and was a nice experience.

What after MBA?
As I am interested in the financial field, I would like to work in the banking sector after my MBA. I would be happy to work especially in the investment-banking sector. I would wish to join a company, which has a professional outlook, goal orientation, and career plans for its employees.