Feeling nostalgic.... (Part -2 )

Working in Rome was a whole new experience. Facing the customer for the first time, language barrier, handling technical issues, staying alone, cooking (me being a pure vegetarian) and staying away from the home for the first time.... for me each of them was a big challenge in itself. I kept myself busy over weekends visiting as many places I could around Rome. I had to return back to India within 4 weeks since my visa could not be extended, thanks to my office travel desk which messed up my medical insurance cutting short my trip. That was really a blessing in disguise. You ask me why? Read on...

Once I arrived in India I was back to my usual routine. Around the same time SPJIMR was out with its short listed candidates and to my surprise I was one of them. Thankfully this is the only institute which provides equal weightage to CAT score, Work experience, extra curricular activities and past academic records. I think it was only because of my academics I was short listed for the interview. I had roughly around 15 days to prepare for my interview and was sent a questionnaire form which I had to complete before appearing for the interview. I thoroughly enjoyed the phase of preparing for the interview and completing the questionnaire form because I had to spend a lot of time introspecting about my past life, recalling the incidents in my life which shaped up my personality and also think of what I wanted out of my MBA degree. Believe me these are very tough questions to answer and even more difficult to defend during the interview.

I attended my first round of interview in Bangalore and panel had 3 members and 2 seniors. Interview went on well, I was lucky not be asked the traditional questions like why do you want to do MBA? Where do you want to see yourself 5 years from now? Etc. Instead discussion was around what shapes up one's personality, what is attitude, what is culture and what is the difference between them. Once the interview was over I had the gut feeling that I would clear my first round. As I had expected I was short listed to appear for 2nd round of interview in Mumbai.

Second round turned out to be a spoiler. I travelled all the way to Mumbai and the duration of my interview turned out to be just 10 mins. I was very disappointed with the numbers of questions that were asked and also the duration of the interview. I was really clueless what the panel was looking for and how they could decide up on a candidate after asking only two simple questions. Somewhere deep down my heart I felt that I had stumbled at this last hurdle. Again result turned out as I had expected and I was not part of final shortlist for the SPJIMR's 2 year program. I felt really really bad, rejected and also it did inspire me to take up CAT 2007 with lot more vengeance. As few days passed by I came out of this little depression that I had entered.

10 days later when I opened my inbox there was another twist to my story. I was offered an admission for SPJIMR's 1 year program. Apparently they thought that I was far more experienced to be put in their 2 year program and instead they had short listed me for their 1 year program. Then started my dilemma whether to join this 1 year program or to write CAT once again and join a 2 year MBA course. As I started to do research about 1 yr program, I felt it was not bad and in fact I realized that 1year program would work out better for me both personally and professionally and hence decided to accept the offer . CAT 2006 was a nice journey with lots of twists and turns which started with my aspiration to do a part time program, then my focus shifted to 2 year program and I finally ended up in a 1 year program.

My course will be starting from Jan-2008 and people please do wish me good luck!!!