Random Snippets- Vi...

Its painful to stay away from my blog for so long, but at last I am back. The fourth term is perhaps the most taxing in terms of the schedule. Classes happen six days a week, since we have a long term break after this term , assignments and class preparations take most of the remaining time away. Last two weeks I have been engaged in the Leadership Development Program (LDP) during the weekends. For the uninitiated LDP is a program which focuses various aspects of effective leadership and goes on in stages during the terms. So far we have had sessions on feedbacks from previous workplace and its analysis as well as workshops on presentation skills, group dynamics etc.. Today we attended a workshop on problem solving conducted by Mckinsey. Mckinsey has been closely involved with the development of the school since its inception and this program further cements the relationship. The workshop dealt with developing a structured approach to problem solving using several tools employed by the consultants.
AT Kearney came to campus yesterday, this was third in the series of introductory talks by the consulting firms, BCG and Mckinsey came in the earlier weeks. ATK still seems to have the touch of a small organisation which is commendable given that the organisation has grown in size, they were eager to reach out to the students and know our reactions. The interaction did create a buzz and heightened the interest in consulting, something pretty similar to the reaction after the BCG and Mckinsey sessions. Consulting firms never fail to impress the audience and the way they handle the presentations could be a big take away even for those who are not looking at consulting as a career option.

first knocks from the placement season...

The placement season might start early this year Goldman Sachs, Novartis, Macquaire Bank and Deutsche Bank have confirmed their visits for oct-nov. These are all international positions in finance, so there would be a tradeoff and we would have to make clear choices since these interviews (and possibly offers…) would take place a good two-three months before the placement week. But that’s how life is….

Have started working on my resume which seems to be the most important part since when at times more then 100 people apply for a position getting shortlisted can be a challenge in itself, moreover the resume defines one’s first impression on the recruiters. Most recruiters do not have time to go beyond a page during the initial short listing process so the resume should not exceed a page. As they say if your resume goes beyond a page you are probably the president of the united states. So its important to create a crisp at the same time comprehensive resume that can highlight all the relevant skills for a job. However its easier said then done as I am discovering first hand….

Term-3 ....

Another 6 weeks and another term fly’s-by . But term-3 was special for the two subjects that left a mark on every one. Entrepreneurship was the first, unlike what people initially expected the course was not about developing a business plan, infect we did not even talk about a business plan, instead we dealt with a number of cases trying to explore the mindset of entrepreneurs and the different forms entrepreneurship can take under different circumstances . Both the instructors, prof.Venkatraman and prof.Valamuri were outstanding; they definitely managed to get everyone thinking and changed a lot of perspectives.

The course on Corporate Finance deserves more then a mere mention, Prof. Suren Mansinka handled an intricate and at times complicated subject in a very succinct manner. He is amongst the best professors I have ever met. After his last lecture one of the students went upto him and said “I do not have a finance background and before the course I was a bit terrified of finance, but now I love it “ … I feel the comment says it all.