In the next part of the series, ,”Believing is Seeing”, I am going to carry a few personal stories of youngsters who have realized their immediate dream, of securing their admissions in their dream institution. I asked each one of them to write a personal note on
a. What are the key factors that contributed to their success
b. In what ways has the personalized program benefited them
c. What would each like to share with the youngersters who aspire to get into these institutions
Here is the one from Shubham Bhatnagar
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However satisfying the destination may be, it’s always the journey that is the most fascinating. CAT has not just been a preparation but a journey towards realizing my potential as well a sense of clarity that will pave the path towards success in all the future endeavours. It all started an year ago with a thought of realizing my potential and fulfilling my interest in the field of management. I was not too satisfied with the job at hand and was eagerly getting more and more interested towards administering and managing things. What could have been a better way than to start preparing for CAT and other B-school entrance examinations.
I took up the Smart CAT Cracker Comprehensive package from Career Launcher and started preparing from the very basics. I started to realize in a very short span of time that the package was actually a Pandora box which had a multitude of well researched resources which aided me in my preparation. The comprehensive study material along with the video lectures by CL gurus helped a lot in laying the foundation towards realizing my dream. The Test Gym component added icing on the cake in giving the much needed confidence in solving the paper. The test series of CL is very close to the actual paper in terms of pattern and difficulty level and the mock analysis by CL gurus especially GP sir is something that should not be missed.
Talking about the post CAT scenario, I would like to point out that most of us think that cracking CAT is the only sufficient factor to get into a coveted B-school. But the real battle begins when we start appearing for the B-school interviews. No battle can be won without proper preparation, strategy building and goal clarity and cracking the B-school interviews is no exception. All these tools to ace the interview process were well presented in a very comprehensive manner through CL’s Personalized PDP program. I could personally say that this is not just a program to ace a B-school interview, it is a process which provided a conducive environment to know oneself better before knowing anyone else. Goal clarity towards life was the central theme and gradually everything started to seem relevant and in line. Sreeni sir’s opening session on goal clarity along with his insights on the minute shortcomings during mock interviews proved to be very beneficial in all my interviews. The knowledge sessions by Mehekka were one of a kind in terms of simplicity and technology use. The complex concepts were explained by her with such ease that it is difficult to forget her sessions. In the end I would like to comment that irrespective of the B-school I join, the journey has been a very mesmerizing one.
I am sure most of you have landed in one premium B-school or other. Of course, a few of you are thrilled and a few are a little disappointed. Nevertheless, the future is in front of you. I have time and again seen many of those who go to so called not-so-top-notch B-schools outperforming those who have been to, in their journey of careers and life. So just look ahead and give your best.
This is the time, friends and family are as excited as you are and you ended up throwing a party for all well wishers and then-on wait for the D-day to board your train or flight to reach the campus. Yes, you do go out shopping to buttress your wardrobe as much as for essentials for the next two years at the hostel.
We will soon meet for the PARTY. Apart from shaking your legs, you will meet your seniors as well as your co-travelers and may wish to get an insight into what happens at the B-School you are heading to and how to put your best foot forward. Not a bad idea, for sure.
“The ill-prepared are in for a SHOCKER at the end of the first term! And most of them will never recover in the next two years! Sigh!!
One question that should spring into your head is that – “Can I do a few things from now till the date of my journey that can have a positive impact at least on my first term, if not the next two years!!” Is this an important question to address? Yes, indeed.
You should be very keen that you gain maximum from your two years at B-School. Having been a facilitator to B-School aspirants over the last two decades and also as an alumnus of an IIM myself, I have a few things to ask you to work upon –
Working on your General Awareness, writing and presentation skills
It is very important that you work on your ability to think, organize and articulate your thoughts. Whether you are already good at it or you feel challenged, you need to work on it. I am sure you gained a lot during the last three months of PDP and interview process. No doubt, you can be even better. It needs a constant endeavour from each one of us every day.
Make reading your best friend. Kindly read a good newspaper – The Hindu / Indian Express / A Business daily every day, especially the features and editorial pages. Listen to 9pm news on DD and Day’s round up on one of the business channels every evening. Study the graphs and data to understand the situation depicted.
Work on your ability to express
The moment you enter, you need to study, prepare and present on a variety of topics, participate in case discussions etc. Better work on it right away.
Make sure you write an article every day – If you have not created a blog already, kindly do, to express yourself (you can check my website http://www.sreeni.org for any ideas). Alternatively, take a topic and speak in front of the mirror while recording it using your mobile. Play it to listen and introspect – where you got stuck and why? How can you overcome the shortcomings? Take action to be better.
Watch the best speakers on Youtube, TED and see how they work on their ideas and present crisply in front of the public.
Build your fundamentals before you reach the campus
Three subjects that would form the core for any business education and thereby your performance during the MBA programme are – quanititative ability (statistics), economics and accounting; I strongly urge you to pick a basic book on these to familiarize yourself even before you reach your campus for the pre-term / first term. The best place to start is CBSE Class XI and XII books.
Disruptions galore, future shall throw surprises – Are you ready?
During the PDP process, I always shared with you to look at the future. The next ten years disruptive technologies will impact every industry. Automation can lay off over 50% of the employed. Industries may metamorphose; else they may be on the verge of vanishing. I am sure quite a few of you have worked on it to respond to the question, “Why MBA?” If you have, then keep reading more and more that shall help you to refine or adapt to the shifts. Those who have not, quickly start reading. Go to twitter and follow the accounts of bets of newspapers, periodical, journals, thinkers, world leaders, technologists, CEOs etc. Follow religiously, read the write ups, articles; So much to gain from doing so.
A couple of short predictive, disruptive timelines…. just indicative!
First figure out what you really want to do in life. I suggest you spend some time to introspect about this question ‘What I would be remembered for when I leave this world?’
Kindly read the article that I wrote on IKIGAI – purpose and meaning of life!
A few questions to help you start off –
What do you really enjoy doing? What are you good at? Which industry or company will benefit maximum from your passion.
Once you short list the company / industry, start reading about them through various available data and feature sources
Are there any personalities you admire and why? Is there and values they espouse or abilities that they have that you want to inculcate? Work on them consciously.
Once you are able to write this note for yourself, I am sure you will get to know what you need to do from now on to achieve your ultimate goals, and how you would like to make maximum of your next two years at the B-School of your choice. Put all these in a note for yourself. I hope this will be a great exercise for your journey.
What more can I do in the next two months?
I sincerely advise everyone to take time off before you head to the business school. A few of the working kind rush to the business school the very next week after their last day at the office. You will be lacking energy to take off! You should have done a lot of things in a relaxed way in the previous four to six weeks that you should be fresh and eager on the first day of the business school.
A few ideas…..
Travel. Travel….. Travel is the best enabler. Add adventure trails, even better. Get hold of a few of your friends from the past, or even those who are heading to the same business school with you and plan the trip. Do it now!!
Contribute to any cause close to your heart. I have been hearing from many of you that there are causes very dear to you. Why not associate with an organization or a movement that espouses a cause very close to your heart for a few weeks and contribute there. This will help you understand a whole lot about yourself, working of an organization and also can give ideas about what all you could do during your two years of B-School and after.
Start learning something that you have been longing for – playing a guitar, tap-dance, salsa….
Get yourself physically fit – get going on your bicycle, hit the gym… etc.
A few movements that I have been involved actively are as follows and in the next two months there are amazing opportunities to explore, if you are really interested in. Click on the links and discover–
NIF and its Shodhyatras at www.sristi.org – Kindly check this site for the next shodhyatra 39th in Odisha scheduled this MAY, that will open your eyes to grassroot-innovation
SPICMACAY’s (http://www.spicmacay.com) promotion of culture and art forms among youth etc – Kindly do a quick registration for the international convention scheduled for June 05-11 at IIT Delhi. Last date for registration is April 15th.
ITIHAAS – a movement to acquaint children and youth with the heritage of India.(http://www.itihaas.net)
Working with a few young entrepreneurs and their start ups
Of course mentoring or doing workshops for teachers and students.
I am sure you too can identify a cause and contribute during your free time to gain something that can be significant for your journey of life.
Before winding up, I would like to just say that, at the B-school –
Kindly be hungry for learning, devour magazines, journals and books;
Do not hesitate to interact with professors beyond your class requirements,
Plunge into all activities that are happening around you,
Take additional responsibilities on the campus that can build your personality.
Create great bonds and thought alignments. Who knows, you may find your co-founders for a killer business happening there. We did for CL Educate !
I am sure you would have got enough ideas to build upon whatever I have stated here that can be invaluable for your journey ahead.
Wishing you the very best. Enjoy your B-school life.
Most of us, in our youth, are enamored of the world around us that is always enticing with its glitters and sparkles. We have so much within! We hardly invest time to think about our self, not to talk of action. It is time each one of us starts doing.
We are all powerful. We can be winners. We can impact big time. We have enough examples around us – from the Prime Minister of the country to very many inspiring people from all walks of life, who are in a continuous pursuit of realizing their purpose, chasing every goal of theirs, passionately. Each one of us can be one such. The last article, ‘Ikigai’, initiates the exercise of finding our purpose and meaning of life. In this article, I am going to share about building our ‘Self’, while contributing to the context we are in, which in turn enriches our profile.
Let us look at the Abraham Maslow’s seminal work on ‘self’, hierarchy of needs. John Antonio brought it into social media context. I am creating a framework that is built upon these.
Every being goes through these phases, termed as hierarchy of human needs –
Physiological needs – Oxygen(air), sleep, quenching thirst and hunger, clothing
Safety and Security needs – Shelter, Protection from vagaries of weather, to safety and stability in life
Belonging – love, affection, relationships and family provide the emotional needs
Esteem – Enhancing and demonstrating Capabilities that builds self-esteem, reputation and status
Self-actualization – Personal fulfillment, in the process contributing to larger good
Physiological and Safety needs are termed as basic needs – that of survival; while the needs of Belonging, Esteem and Self-actualization are termed as social needs. As one quenches the lower level needs, one starts thinking about the next higher level need. The journey is un-ending while it is incredibly enriching too. We grow in the process, while we keep pushing our boundaries, discovering our unknown self. More we push, greater is the realization and impact we cause and higher is the enrichment.
Each one of us, educated, is fortunate to have our basic needs – especially the physiological needs and to a great extent, the safety needs, fulfilled by our family and well wishers. Yes, with self-doubts that question our own capabilities, we may fall short on career or emotional stability. We can equip ourselves to overcome these shortcomings with positivity. Believe in our own selves, have confidence in our abilities and have conviction in our actions. We need to work on our state of mind, constantly, to be positive and purposeful.
Cycle of Excellence
Our thoughts are all powerful. Our positive thoughts influence the language, the words we use. Repeated use of the energizing words brings about the compelling action. Compelling actions will result in impactful outcomes, which reinforce the confidence and positive frame of mind. This cycle of excellence is unending. It is transformational. This fuels our journey to realize the infinite potential within.
[In this frame of positivity, it makes imminent sense to establish our profile in the social space – social media – the presence in the virtual space of this ever evolving connected world. Most of us are present in a few of these destinations like Facebook or Instagram to name a few, for fun mostly by sharing some interesting happenings in the form of stories or photos or videos. It is time we think of being in each of these spaces, with all the purposefulness that shall add to our ever evolving self, to aid our realization of the larger picture and public good ]
Once we get on to the cycle of excellence, fuelled by our purposefulness, the social context that we are in, can add that much more. Our family, friends and relationships can give the strength and confidence to head towards our larger vision. In this pursuit, we can connect with people or groups, bodies who work in our space of interest. The engaging conversations with people who share our beliefs and passions builds our community affiliations, that can further reinforce our purposeful and our journey. List out our passions and interests, and look out for people or bodies with whom we can engage to build your journey. Stretch yourselves and reach out, get involved. We need to consciously build these connects and affiliations.
[These affiliations and connects can be further fuelled by being alive and kicking on the social media, in the current context. The social media has the power to make connects in an unimaginable way. It is a double edged sword, and certainly depends on how we put it to use. If used wisely, it can make a big difference to our journey, in the process enriching our profile.
Think of building your own website or a blog on one of the platforms like wordpress, which is very easy to handle. Be on Linkedin that enables you to connect with professionals in your area of work. Get onto Twitter to follow people, institutions and journals of eminence while sharing your thoughts too. Start engaging and interacting with the connects in a purposeful way. Slowly build your web presence that can build your community and affiliations.]
As you become active in various spaces, engaging with people and involved in activities, voicing your thoughts and opinions while helping others also to grow in the process of your growing, the journey will start becoming more meaningful. This brings more opportunities, more doors open to push your boundaries and to realize greater possibilities and potentials. In the process, knowingly or unknowingly, your brand building is happening.
[Continue to share your learning on your website or blog as a regular process of self-growth. In the connected world, you will be surprised how you create new connections with strangers and friends, who are on their path of excellence; who feel that you resonate with their thoughts and journey. It adds the domino effect to your growth, evolution and excellence. Many an entrepreneurial journey thus began]
As you continue on this journey, you will reach new heights, of course not without a lot of struggles. The struggles are part of every success story. As someone said, “Overnight success is a result of twenty years of slogging.” The struggles actually help you realize that you are more capable and you are on the path to realize the higher goals that you have set for yourself, the big picture will continue to refine itself. Your mission of realizing your potential and goals, will certainly be aided by the profile that you have been building on the social media in more ways than you had ever imagined.
4P FRAMEWORK for showcasing your PROFILE
I shall wind up this article with my 4P framework to share your profile. Kindly dig deep and explore on each of these dimensions to give insights into who you are and will be. Work towards enriching each of these dimensions, by creating opportunities or taking advantage of one. Identify the leadership roles and activities that you have done in each of these dimensions to highlight.
Purpose
Sharing of your larger vision and purpose conveys your outlook towards life. It conveys the direction you are heading and how your past or present connects to the future.
· Institutions, employers and employees alike will enjoy seeing what goals a person has. Let these goals be both career oriented and personally oriented, such as scuba dive, rock climbing, music or blogging, shayari…
Professional
· Learning/knowledge – Share the schools that you have attended and every degree or certification that you may have; other courses that you might have pursued beyond your graduation or academic requirements
· Skills are important because they show Institutions / Employers and networking connections why they should connect with you. They showcase why you would be an asset to the institution/company and to the person. Skills can include leadership, management, organization, communication, hard work and interpersonal skills.
Passions
· Interests and passions give people a feel of who you are as an individual. This makes people connect to you as a person on a personal level.
· This also shows you being a keen learner who is not afraid of exploring the unknown;
· As a very balanced individual with avenues to reduce stress and rejuvenate oneself to be on the path of purposefulness.
Public Good
This is an opportunity for you to stand apart from other candidates because many people overlook this dimension.
Share personally meaningful values, important ones – such as innovation, health, fitness, responsibility, success, challenges or intellect, and share instances of demonstration
· List your experience and contribution to any form charity work or public good.
Believe in yourselves. Build your profile. Enjoy the journey of realizing your larger purpose.
The EMPOWERMENT TO EXCELLENCE Programme by CL Educate at Dibrugarh University has been a big learning experience for every active participant of the programme, including me in some sense. The impact in the four days has been no less than ‘transformational’, as most students shared. Of course, a 2-day outbound program preceding this would have been even more impactful and life-changing.
‘Empowerment to Excellence’ at Dibrugarh University was a four-day intense, interactive programme to initiate and facilitate every student of Engineering and Management faculty to –
Understand one-self
Create a vision for oneself, for one’s career and life
write a “Statement of Purpose” : Set Long term and Short term goals
Realize the elements of personal effectiveness, and plan to work on self
Understand the secrets of an effective communicator
Identify ones strengths and areas of concern for improvement
Be a good participant and contributor in group discussions and group activities
Be an effective presenter and communicator
Reflect, introspect and realize areas for action, from ones participation in the program
set an agenda and action plan for personal growth
Commitment to one’s own development and also development of the entire group
The program schedule, session plan and process were as per the agreed frame work. We adhered to the schedule given, to a great extent. The session plan for GD / Communication underwent a little change due to change in the number of participants.
My reflections at the end of the programme –
“Awakening”: Managed to infuse energy and purposefulness among the participants
Every participant has been shaken, active ones have woken up to his or her potential and the possibilities; they are charged to push themselves to give their best
Many have started working on their “Statement of Purpose”; the dialogue is on regularly in the whatsapp groups
The barriers between the departments have been broken; For the first time they got to know about the students from other departments as they worked in cross-functional teams in various sessions. By the end of the programme they gelled as if they all are one.
The realization among the students that the campus has enough resources within to create productive interactions and activities to sharpen their skills; They have promised to engage themselves at least once a month
The participants realized how they can effectively use the social media platforms to further their career goals; They shared about these as the sessions progressed
At the end of this program, and with my experience at IWSB and other universities, I am convinced that –
“Empowerment to Excellence” programme should be preceded by an outbound program, where the participants have to challenge themselves in many situations, mostly physical or strategic in nature; that helps every student push boundaries and realize his or her immense capabilities.
“Empowerment to Excellence” should be integral to every university programme, especially every university that we are facilitating. All our other programmes will be immensely effective if we take student through this programme.
This program should be in the second year of the four-year undergraduate program (like BE/BTech) and in the first year of Post-grad programme; We should have this before the academic year commences. And must be a compulsory programme, as it is beyond imagination of any student, how it can really impact.
With such a series of initiatives, students will become very purposeful and it will become integral to every students thoughts and actions. This could make a huge difference to their journey in the university, with student working towards his/her goal, empowering oneself with all that he or she needs to excel in career and life.
Student’s Presentations, Reflections and Feedback
A. Kindly watch the videos of a few presentations and reflections of the participants at the end of the programme, uploaded on the youtube channel of CL Educate, under
Dibrugarh University : Empowerment to Excellence playlist –
Presentation sample – Most of them were presenting for the first time ever in front of a couple of hundred audience from across the departments of the University
Reflection of learning – Sample –
These set of videos also showcase the effectiveness and impact of the programme through
– The reflections of shifts made by the participants and
– Commitment of participants for their own future and that of the group
Delighted to see the feedback of students on SURVEYMONKEYt –
– Over 80% of the students have rated the conceptual sessions ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very good’
– Over 70% have rated the Drills / Group Activities / Presentations sessions ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very good’. We made sure that every one got a couple of drills, still that is not enough. More and more practice needed here. Unfortunately we had time constraint. I have asked the students to do their own drills. Shall continue to push them through Whatsapp.
– Over 90% have rated the facilitators ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very good’
Of course we can always be better than what we are. Hope we will continue on that path.
In another post, I shall share part of the PDF with detailed feedback that a few students shared. Their delight in their personal growth through the four days comes through these sharing.
I am just pasting this article from the HT CITY website…SPANDAN in HT CITY
Suhail Bhan, a Bharatnatyam dancer, during performance.
Get ready for an evening of dance as Spandan — the month-long photo exhibition and dance festival in the Capital culminates with the World Dance Evening.
The event, which celebrates performing arts, aims at encouraging young talent. Talking about the event, R. Sreenivasan, the founder, says, “Spandan is all about enabling youngsters to realise their potential to make their dreams come true. While this year’s theme is celebration of iconic institutions, gurus and artists who help individuals to realise their talent and contribute to the field of arts, world dance evening celebrates the future of an artist.”
Some of the artists performing at the evening will include Arushi Mudgal — an Odissi dancer, Suhail Bhan — a Bharatnatyam dancer, Irina Biryukova — a Russian Kathak dancer and Nitisha Nanda — an Odissi danseuse and belly dancer.
Suhail Bhan, on his performance, says, “I will start with Pushpanjali, which is an offering of flowers, followed by Ashtapati that portrays Jai Deva Rasleela of Krishna, Radha and his Gopis. My last piece will be based on Raga Mandari. There aren’t enough people who encourage art and culture. This event contributes a lot in that way.”
Irina Biryukova, a Kathak dancer from Russia, will present a solo performance at the event.
International dancers performing on Indian classical dance forms will be another highlight. Irina Biryukova, Kathak dancer from Russia, says, “One of my performance is solo, while in another, I am performing with Nasiba Miravazkhonova, who is from Tadjikistan.” Nitisha Nanda, who will be presenting a folk fusion act, says, “I have been associated with Spandan since 2013. My show will be a fusion of different Indian dance forms.”
Danseuse Nitisha Nanda will present a fusion of folk, Odissi and belly dancing.
Nitisha Nanda, who will be presenting a folk fusion act, says, “I have been associated with Spandan since 2013. This is a very intriguing concept that involves a mélange of different dance styles. My performance will be an interesting fusion of folk dance, Odissi, there will be a tinge of Rajasthani and Gujarati dance, and belly dancing.”
It was a pleasure facilitating both teachers and families in separate sessions at DPS Patna. Each session was of over two hours, though short, were very invigorating and inspiring.
Can we enable ourselves, our children, our families and communities to be –
a. Eager learners,
b. Have courage to push the boundaries, not worried about “failing” and
c. Be humble whatever we achieve
If we are able to instill these three values, then our job is done…
Glad to have parents getting out of car on their way back when they spotted me by the drive way to say, “I came with a very different intention to talk to the Principal about future of my son, I am going away completely transformed. I will make sure that I invest at home and also with the parents work with school to make all the difference to every child”
One of the teachers said, “I have been struggling with a challenge for the last six months, I found the reason and solution to it in these two hours. Thanks”
It was one of those days where I had to touch down at 8am and take off at 3pm, for I had another session with art world in Delhi, as my baby SPANDAN festival of Performing Arts has been underway at India Habitat Centre, with large format exhibition paying tribute to Iconic Institutions, movements and Gurus.
Thanks to Anup and Ragini of Career Launcher Patna, for facilitating and inspiring families in Patna to EXCEL.
I keep abreast with the happenings around the world, through every day reading. It is a passion; you may even call it addiction. Even during my days at IIM Bangalore, when the whole class was busy with accumulating grades, I use to gorge on magazines that dished out exciting stories and happenings, including from business world.
This is the crunch time of the year for every B-School aspirant. Most of those who landed with IIM and other B-School calls, have woken up to the fact that they will be questioned are asked to write about issues that are relevant and current. To make their life a little easy, I am collating the resources of Information, Analysis and Features that I usually go through. Hope this compendium will be of value for each to prepare for Interviews, Written Ability Test, Analytical Writing, Group Discussions etc.
Here is the list of OUSTANDING MAGAZINES and NEWSPAPERs that featured a variety of issues of relevance. You can access the archives of past fifty years and beyond in most of these cases.
Kindly brows the twitter for accounts that cover your area of interest and follow. Check your twitter stream for updates, a few times every day. You will be surprised to find very interesting articles. I do it all the time.
I advise each one of you to buy a ream of A4 sheets (500 pack), file it in a box file, assign a few pages for every issue of relevance – say
a. Indian Economy,
b. World Economy
c. Indian Industry,
d. Business Houses,
e. Financial Markets
f. CEOs
g. Technology
h. NDA’s various schemes unveiled etc.
i. Indo-Pak Relationship
j. Indo-China
k. Judicial Activism – Indian Issues of significance
l. Politics
m. ….
n. ….
o. My Area of Interest
Operations
Finance
HR
Marketing
Systems
….
As you read, make sure that you pick the salient points and quickly scribble in the corresponding section of this file. In a couple of weeks this will become invaluable source that you can refer to before every selection process.
If this article is of value to you, kindly share with friends who will also get benefited. Let us be good humans first.
administering and managing things. What could have been a better way than to start preparing for CAT and other B-school entrance examinations.
