Academics, Career, Interview

Young Leaders Programme, Indian School of Business: Shivani Gautam, Mechanical 2020

July 28, 2020 | Muskan Srivastava (B.Tech., CSE 2020)

“If you don’t know which way to go in the middle of a bridge, you better enjoy the bridge! Sometimes the solution comes only when you give up the future and enjoy the present!”     ― Mehmet Murat Ildan

Shivani Gautam, of the class of 2020, has made the most out of college life, living by this principle. From public speaking to poetry writing, dramatics to gnoTalks, mechanical engineering to organizing multiple events, she has proved her mettle in every field. Besides managing academics and extracurricular activities, she also succeeded in securing a seat in ISB’s Young Leaders Programme, one of the most coveted MBA programmes in India, in her final year of graduation itself.

Perspective got in touch with her to know more about her B-school journey. This is an exhaustive read but there is a lot to be gained from it. Spare a few minutes to access heaps of information, all you need to know about MBA entrance exams, colleges and more, all in one place.

Perspective: Beginning with the most cliche question, why MBA? What made you decide that MBA was the right career choice for you?

Shivani: So, contrary to what people in our college experience, MBA isn’t a deviation from the main career options. MBA is the conventional career option. My father had told me that even before I had joined MNNIT, so that was a start. In the following years, first and second,  two processes: Selection and Elimination, were happening simultaneously that made MBA the right career choice for me.

  1. Selection consisted of events/experiences that brought me closer to pursuing MBA and
  2. Elimination consisted of those that closed or reduced the probability of other options working out for me. 

Literary skills, namely public speaking, formal communication and writing ability were always my strong suite but college gave me tremendous exposure and opportunity to up my game. 

I loved participating in club activities, organizing events, taking responsibilities and managing teams. This was by far, the greatest experience that motivated me to pursue an MBA because these basic skills were what I had and enjoyed pursuing. This also made my B-school profile better.

I also kept in touch with my seniors from these clubs and all of them, at some point thought about pursuing or pursued an MBA. My inspiration was Rohan Agarwalla, from the Batch of 2016 who passed out of MBA-HRM at XLRI in 2018. These were “selection” reasons that started my MBA journey. Other people include Anant Ram Dubey (ISB PGP Co2021) and Ayushi Shanker (ISB YLP 2018). 

I was good with aptitude, logical reasoning and quantitative skills. It was easiest for me to prepare for any MBA entrance exams. So it didn’t matter if I gave CAT/GMAT/GRE/XAT or any other exam. I knew I had a greater success rate here than anywhere else.

I have attached a diagram that I made after first year when I was trying to find out what it is that I should do with my college life or pursue academically or professionally. These were the options I rolled out. The other things, as I recall, on the table were – pursuing IAS/UPSC, climate sciences, a full-time creative career, entrepreneurship etc. These are things that I am yet to make up mind about, and I’m in the process of learning about them, deciding and selecting/eliminating.
career

Other than that, some very not-so-bright-and-shiny but vital realities of my college experience made MBA the most suitable option for me. And I think it’s important for students/aspirants to know them because whenever we talk of someone doing something right or good, we tend to focus only on the positives or the hits that took them there, but in my opinion, the journey isn’t shaped by that. It is shaped more by the pit-falls and the misses. These reasons I call ‘elimination’ or why nothing else worked out for me.

  1. I couldn’t find time/interest to pursue technical projects or research work.
  2. I did not want to repeat the JEE experience by preparing for GATE/IES.
  3. It did not matter to me that my package or first salary should be at a certain level. So, I did not go the extra mile just for a higher package or to be placed in a software company or apply to multiple companies off-campus.
  4. Private companies in mechanical engineering offer the post of GET where they make you learn in depth about the industry/company for a very long time. I knew that I wasn’t ready to commit 2 years just to the post of a GET in one sector/company. 
  5. And lastly, I didn’t feel like I knew enough of my engineering to confidently pursue an internship in any field or branch – including Mechanical.

All the others were a matter of choice but this was a what I call an error in judgement. Nobody pursuing a B.Tech. knows enough, you do an internship to learn, to explore multiple industries/sectors/work etc. and you can/should not just do one internship but many right from first year, in any field you have an interest or opportunity. It helps build your profile for whatever you’re aiming for. It aids in career decision making. I would suggest everyone to intern right from the first summers; NGO experience, virtual internship experience, lateral skills, etc.

So these are things that really shaped my choices and my journey. I hope it helps bring clarity to others too.

 

Perspective: How is GMAT different from CAT in terms of preparation and scope?

Shivani: So GMAT and CAT have similarities in terms of syllabus and what basic qualities they’re judging in the test taker. But apart from that, the major differences are –

  1. GMAT is conducted by GMAC, CAT by NTA in India. With GMAT you can apply to international B-schools. With CAT, you can apply to all IIMS, IITs and other B-schools. GMAT scores remain valid for 5 years, CAT scores for only one. GMAT is computer adaptive, CAT is not. GMAT is way more expensive and customizable (in terms of choosing order of sections and cancelling scores, etc.) than CAT. 
  2. GMAT is a more logical test with very standard and well defined question types. CAT is a more diverse test in terms of syllabus, pattern and section requirements.
  3. In GMAT, Quant(out of 51) and Verbal(out of 51) scores are used to calculate your final test score(out of 800) and the Analytical Writing Section and Integrated Reasoning are their own tests (not computer adaptive). AWA and IR take 30 mins each and 4/12 questions in IR are unmarked which we don’t know. You can’t skip questions in Quant or Verbal but you can navigate in IR.
  4. In CAT, each section is 1 hour long with fixed number of questions. Verbal is increasingly dominated by Reading Comprehensions that are longer than GMAT passages but easier in their logical complexity. DI-LR of CAT is way more exhaustive, lengthy and methodical and Quant is also more difficult.
  5. A test-taker with proper idea of the two tests and good strategies will find different sort of complexity associated with each test. Universally it is said that Verbal of GMAT >> Verbal of CAT but Quant, DI-LR of CAT >> Quant, IR of GMAT. I don’t think it’s necessarily true. If you’re logically intelligent, then your comprehension of unfamiliar writing material is good and GMAT is easier across all sections. CAT is easier if you’re good at remembering techniques, fast calculations and reading and comprehending passages fast.
  6. You don’t have caste based reservation in GMAT, but CAT and IIMs have that which can alternatively favour you or reduce your selection possibility.

So, these are differences between GMAT and CAT. Preparation more or less overlaps as far as resources and time and skill requirements are considered. What differs is the strategy of tackling questions and sections.

 

Perspective: What made you choose ISB over other B-schools? What is the Young Leaders Program (YLP-ISB)?

Shivani: When I was in the process of preparing for GMAT, I realized that MBA is more of a practical course. It isn’t just like any other Masters. The way the curriculum is designed, having professional experience is mandatory for a successful post-MBA career. Having said that, I was also aware that my choice was to do an early MBA and overcome the obstacle of applying to colleges as soon as possible. This is where deferred MBA popped up.

Deffered MBAs are offered by top-schools in the US, India and Europe to final year college seniors where they require an admission letter and a seat booked is in advance if the candidature is found suitable. The candidate can choose to join the program after two/three years. A number of programs like HBS 2+2, Chicago Booth, Stanford GSB, Yale, Draden FYS, and ISB YLP offer such flexibility.

ISB still had a unique value proposition because their program was a one year MBA equivalent. So it really meant saving time, getting a head-start in the post MBA career, earning more and losing less time off the job market. And with selection, also comes elimination. I understand that the class profile of a top IIM is very similar to an IIT/NIT crowd. Average experience there, is less than 2 years and people are also from similar background.

I wanted a slightly more experienced class profile to shape my learning at the B-school. I was also well aware that for the post-MBA careers I might want to pursue, IIM–A, B and C and ISB are almost at par with the network, brand value, alumni, and placements. (This time placement matters.) As far as financing the MBA degree was concerned, ISB was a little more than these top IIMs, but in any case I knew that I had to take a loan and I had to re-pay it on my own, so the difference didn’t matter as long as I knew I could pay back well in both cases.

The ‘MBA abroad’ option is still on my cards. Due to COVID’19 and the general uncertainty prevailing in the atmosphere related to business cycle, economic depression, immigration and cost factors, I chose not to apply in this cycle. Also these programs are very competitive and to some extent, I didn’t know if I was there yet. I am at the moment also exploring specialized Masters or Masters in Management and other related courses. So the ‘MBA journey’ is still in the works.

Coming to YLP, it stands for Young Leaders Program where you can apply in the ultimate or penultimate year (3rd or final year) of your under-graduation degree and join whenever (2-4 yrs) after completing a minimum of 20 months of full-time work experience.

It’s a three stage process.

  1. The first stage, starting in January-March, requires basic academic and co-curricular information, along with an essay to profile you.
  2. The second stage, April-August, requires a GMAT score, a professional evaluation, passport and your resume, along with another essay.
  3. The third is the personal interview round (Sep-Oct) and the results are out by October 31st. You pay a non-refundable amount as your acceptance token and you pay the rest of your fees, just before you’re about to join. There are interactions and engagement trips throughout your deferred period. You get advantage of early networking and campus exposure.

 

Perspective: What tips do you have for students preparing for MBA entrance examinations while pursuing graduation?

Shivani:

    1. Engineering and Management aren’t two mutually exhaustive skill sets. One builds on the other. Prepare for management by preparing for engineering and don’t compromise either with your internships or placements or projects or learning activities. This will help you build your CV and profile even for an MBA.
    2. Research about the suitable program type for you and your career goals. Don’t just run after it because nothing else works or because of the money in it. Attend webinars and career workshops which are free, most of the time, and make use of online resources to get updated. Some key topics I’d suggest for research are – MiM, MEM, Specialized Masters, Business Analytics etc. And some resources are Study Buzz, MBA Crystal Ball, MiM essay etc.
    3. Intern in multiple companies/profiles. Don’t be shy to intern for smaller digital companies, start-ups or NGOs etc. The money doesn’t matter, the experience and the learning matters.
    4. Read more often, regularly and not just books but also news resources like McKinsey Insights, Harvard Business Review, World Economic Forum, The Hindu etc. Read blogs, subscribe to the Youtube channels or social media pages of these forums so that without conscious efforts also, you keep coming in contact with relevant happenings.
    5. Work on your reason to do an MBA and your post MBA goals.
    6. Keep in touch with your aptitude test practice. Because semester examinations, club activities and day to day life can definitely consume a lot of time. But if you plan well, you will observe that between all these bursts of high attention and time demanding periods in college, you get relief time to re-engage with your preparation. Be it CAT or GMAT, consistent practice till the test day is important. You don’t have a lot of syllabus, you only have to improve your speed, accuracy and logic over time.
    7. If your English is terminally weak, reconsider MBA. Or if you’re passionate enough, give 1-2 years with dedication into it. English or verbal ability is not something that one can build in 6 months. You can learn how to answer passages or rules of grammar, but your accuracy with speed constraint will be very difficult to achieve.  

 

Perspective: What role does college life play in personality development of students?

Shivani: College life plays a very important role in personality development. In my experience, it is transforming in emotional, mental, professional and physical ways. In the MBA context, team learning, team work, leadership, responsibility etc. are skills one gets to experience and craft here in any club or activity they’re associated with. Also, the hostel life or college life in itself makes you an independent adult, helping in personal and professional grooming and in general, prepares you for the highs and lows of professional life.

But other than that, our mistakes and our wins in college life make us the person we are. What you enjoy doing signals what you might professionally want to do. Whether it’s sitting in the library, reading books from authors on advanced topics or participating in hackathons, the experiences in college life are important because they come at a brink of time, where we are willing to step out of our comfort zones. Like it is said, people are experimenting with themselves in college. The broader picture is, everything you do here, it helps you make a choice about your future, based on what you enjoyed or what you were good at.

 

Perspective: If you could go back in time, what advice would you give to the first year version of yourself?

Shivani: I would tell myself a lot of things. But what’s more relevant to everyone else is-:

  1. Don’t worry too much about what is going to happen. Fear of future in the young adult college life can get to you. But as long as you’re doing something that’s adding value to you personally and you’re enjoying it, be present in that experience and use it to build your choices later
  2. Don’t be scared of internships or jobs. I used to think when I know everything college has taught me 100%, only then I’m eligible for internships, otherwise I will make a fool of myself on my job. It’s not true. Nobody knows 100% of what’s taught in college, not even the professors themselves. Internships should be done like summer projects and trainings, just for themselves – fun, experience, learning etc. It doesn’t have to necessarily result in a job offer or PPO. Internships help you build professional skills that you never knew you needed.
  3. Prioritize. This I’ve learnt after first year and I followed it in the subsequent years too.

So that’s all the gyaan I had to give. Thank you Perspective for giving me the opportunity to do so. And great luck to you for future!

Team Perspective wishes Shivani a bright future ahead. May she continue excelling in every field and achieve miraculous heights of success. 

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