The Thrilling Commencement of an MBA Cohort
As BITSoM welcomes its third batch of students on the campus, we are excited to share some interesting bytes from our Class of 2025.
FROM ARCHITECT TO MBA ASPIRANT
Life is a tapestry of unexpected twists and turns, and my journey from being an architect to aspiring for an MBA at BITSoM is a testament to the power of embracing new opportunities. As a person, I believe in creating an identity rather than ‘discovering’ one. Through out my educational phase and professional career, I have gained valuable experience collaborating with diverse teams, honing my leadership skills, and managing complex projects as an Architect and Project Management Executive.
I had been planning to pursue further education for quite a long time, but the realization of what my genuine interest is & the gaps I need to fill, came last year. One thing I was sure about was not to follow the traditional path and after a lot of research and brainstorming, I felt a desire to broaden my skill set beyond the realm of architecture and delve into the intricacies of business management.
The world of business intrigued me, and I saw it as an opportunity to complement my creative skills with strategic thinking, management expertise, and leadership abilities. As an architect with a passion for expanding horizons, I found myself drawn toward pursuing an MBA degree. With this goal in mind, preparing for the entrance exam was an intense and transformative experience, and choosing the right institution was even more critical. But BITSoM stood out among the plethora of options available.
The decision to choose BITSoM as my academic home was driven by its rigorous curriculum, versatile cohort, distinguished global faculties from some of the best Business Schools around the world & holistic development focus that resonated well with my aspirations.
I am confident that my professional and personal experiences will promote diversity and promote peer learning during classroom discussions and group work and through my tangible and intangible contributions, I hope to grow with the BITSoM MBA community. BITSoM offers me the ideal platform to shape my future as a business leader. Looking forward to this opportunity to push my limits and dive into this pool of new experiences. Ishita Sharma
EMBRACING TO THE BITS LEGACY
I am a graduate of BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, where I obtained a degree in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Finance. Motivated by my interest in finance and Risk Management, I commenced my professional journey in 2020 as a Global Markets Risk Analyst at Credit Suisse. During the initial phase of my career, while many of my friends were pursuing higher studies or applying for MBA programs, I had a different approach. I had mentally prepared myself to spend a minimum of two years in the corporate world, gaining valuable work experience and exposure before considering an MBA.
As I approached the end of my third year in the corporate sector, I carefully planned my next steps and began preparing for an MBA. Unlike others, I chose not to apply for multiple entrance exams, instead opting for the CAT (Common Admission Test) and placing my hope son its results. As a graduate of BITS, I was already familiar with BITSoM and its rising reputation. To be candid, I held a highly favorable impression of BITS. We BITSians often say, “BITS Pilani – Its Magic,” a sentiment I personally experienced during my undergraduate studies.
Consequently, I developed a keep interest in BITSoM. After conducting extensive research on its faculty, curriculum, teaching methodologies, and previous placement records, I decided to submit my application to BITSoM, although I did feel somewhat daunted by its rich culture and apprehensive about the shortlisting and interview stages. In early 2023, many IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management) released their shortlists, and I receive done from IIMK (Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode).
I was shortlisted for their interview round. However, just as the IIMK interview was scheduled, I received another email, this time marked as ‘shortlisted for BITSoM.’ At that time, I found myself torn between the two options (IIMK vs. BITSoM), even though I still had to go through both of their respective selection processes. The risk-reward ratio seemed relatively similar for both institutions. Putting aside all my thoughts, I gave my utmost during the IIMK interview. Meanwhile, I also received a shortlist for the BITSoM interview (luckily, I suppose). As mentioned earlier, I felt considerably anxious about the BITSoM interview, even more so than I did for the IIMK interview. However, once I faced the interview panel via Zoom, all my nervousness and concerns dissipated. It felt like one of the most engaging discussions I had ever had about my career. Rather than focusing on tricky questions typically associated with interviews, it felt more like a counseling session, with the interviewers encouraging me to share my career choices and aspirations.
Immediately after the interview, I had a strong intuition that I would be accepted into BITSoM, and that this was the path I should pursue. Within a week, I received the results from both IIMK and BITSoM. Unfortunately, I was rejected by IIMK, but I was accepted by BITSoM. This reaffirmed my belief in the magic of BITS, where personality is not judged solely based on scores but rather where they foresee our potential futures, which may not be apparent to us at the time. Having settled all my affairs, I embarked on my journey at BITSoM. Within a few days, I found my self overwhelmed by the support and guidance provided by the seniors and the management team. I felt perfectly at ease and in sync with the environment, which further bolstered my aspirations for my upcoming MBA plans.
My professional journey has been no less than an adventure, from taking up a course as unconventional as Fashion Technology from NIFT to moving to Jordan for my first job! But the idea todo an MBA occurred to me while doing projects with NGOs in my hometown, where I got a taste of entrepreneurship. Once the decision was made, I started my preparation for the entrance exams.
In the beginning, the process was daunting and I kept doubting myself if I am up for it. But as time passed, I realized what these exams are really testing, which was a candidate’s ability to face the real business world and its challenges. At this time, I came across BITS School of Management while surfing the web and was intrigued by this new-age B-school. Soon I filled up my application and carefully framed my essays and received my call for an interview. The interview in my opinion was the best part of the entire process. During the interview, it felt like the college wanted to know me as a person, and was almost like a fun conversation. Before finally deciding to accept my admission at BITSoM, I got in touch with a few people from the founding class and all of them were truly happy and satisfied with their experience and were eager to solve my doubts. The entire admission process was very smooth thanks to the warm and proactive seniors, including my student buddy, Astha.
As the commencement date approaches, I feel nervous, excited, and energetic about this new beginning. In this next adventure, I want to gain more knowledge, make new friends, and grow as a professional to become a part of the BITSoM legacy of future leaders.
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