It's better to chase your dreams....!!!!!!!

The winds were blowing fast, whole campus was mum but the vibrancy that prevailed in Conference Room suggested something else there. Elated in joyousness and relieved by securing a place in Ujjivan Finance, Sushil Vijayvargiya had the last laugh in the day of cut-throat competition.

Carrying on a lot of experience over the years’ helped him manage situations, his smart moves made the way for him and his unruffled attitude towards a testing situation is admirable. Having missed a chance in CSC and S&P Capital IQ, he focused to live in the present and cracked the best place to work in the industry. His pragmatic approach and carefree nature is an asset. Fond of poetry, he is planning to publish his works of poetry in the years to come.

I talked him up about his journey so far and how everything went on that day. Here are the excerpts:

So, it started out with Bangalore and would restart again at Bangalore. How was the journey in between?

Yeah the journey began with Bangalore when I worked with an MNC after completing my Engineering. The job was not so typical but I was not satisfied with it because I felt that I have some internal fire which I need to feed at first place. In that 10 months period, something was pinching me internally which prompted me to leave the job and prepare for Civil Services examination.

I talked to my family and established a target of two attempts for the exam and if things won’t work out, I thought of doing an MBA. I focused and channelized every possible resource into Civil Services. I did fairly well in both attempts but unfortunately could not make it to the position I was aspiring for. In between, I worked as a faculty at an Indore-based Engineering college which I left before joining IMS.

The journey doesn’t end here but it will restart from Bangalore again and this time I hope to have a good experience with the organization I would be working for.

“It is good to chase your dream than living the whole life thinking about chasing it……….”

Share your GD experience and what are the key points to ensure success in a Group Discussion?

When we entered into GD room, we were assigned a badge number which was our identity. The topic given to us was “Whether MBA is necessary to be a Manager”. I took the initiative and started the discussion. They were basically checking the clarity in points, communication skills and how you adjust yourself and put your points in a group. Once I took the initiative, my subconscious mind was pushing me again and again to put more points and I did so with a cautious approach. Out of 7 students, 3 students were selected from our group.

Key points to ensure success in a Group Discussion are:

Take initiatives. It shows your leadership skills. But you must have an understanding of the topic and points related to the same. If you are short of points, wait for others to speak and steal points from their views.

Best method to prepare for a group discussion is to remain updated with current affairs and talk to good people around you. If there are people around you with whom you talk very often, then have a talk with them firstly. It will groom your skills and personality.

Listen to others’ viewpoints very carefully as listening is an essential ingredient of a group discussion. With that, flawless communication skills ensure your success.

“Remember, Group discussion is a balanced mix of Communication, content and cohesiveness.”

Throw some light on interview and how you overcome stressful situations?

Interview started very easily with formal introduction but once it progressed, they tried to take us on a stress ride by countering our view points or giving a case study. Similarly, they gave me a case about how they can diversify their business in Indore. I had read everything in detail about the company and took a smart move. The thorough reading came to rescue as I understood their strategy of how they captured urban cities across the nation.

Winning is the way.......Never give up....!!!!!

I managed the whole case pragmatically by feeding every possible data about Indore and what are the key areas we can focus on. I also faced stress when they told me that you seem to be a diplomatic person and we need a straight forward personality for the job. 

My presence of mind benefitted me and I candidly told them that their views might be true but I don’t lie. Diplomacy is necessary at times and I become diplomatic in certain situations but it doesn’t mean I lie to a customer and lure him/her.

Key points for an interview:

You must have self-confidence which will help you in overcoming peer pressure and self-doubts.

Second thing is presence of mind. No matter how many questions you read and prepare, there would be a question in the lot which can only be answered by a good presence of mind.

Focus on your strengths more than your weaknesses. For weakness, you must have an answer which should state that you are working on it. Show zeal towards the job, stay positive and don’t try to fake a company.

Relate your strengths with the profile and include only those strengths in the resume which can be justified. For example: there is a bank visiting for the recruitment, you can mention the strength “honesty” as it is a key factor in banking industry.

“Have positive thoughts in your mind during an interview…what you think internally shows up on your face..!!”

What should be kept in mind to prepare for a good company?

Whenever you get the news about company, devote time about understanding the in-depth business of the company. It doesn’t mean mugging up the “About Us” page; it means that you should be able to tell something which gives you an extra edge over others. The technical and aptitude aspect must be prepared in advance so as to avoid hustle-bustle in preparations. Prepare key questions very smartly and in detail. Try to give mock interviews or talk to yourself at a silent place and assess the answer accordingly.

For Example if you were asked to tell something about yourself. Rather than writing it down, assume yourself to be interviewer and give answers to yourself. The answer comes out naturally and doesn't seem to be a crammed one. Apart from that, you must have a sound understanding about profile offered by the company so that you can relate your answers according to their requirements.

“Remember, cracking a company is not an achievement, the kind of company you crack is an achievement.”

What you want to communicate to juniors?

Identify your Dream Company and target for the same. You should have an idea of the sector you would prefer to go into. Have an aptitude for learning. Don’t ever think about the returns and the consequences before putting in your money.  Don’t overrate yourself. If you do that, a stumbling block would demotivate you. Although you know your value but don’t try to rate it exaggeratedly. Also, when you enter into corporate world, there are certain responsibilities that you would be expected to carry on. At that time, the experience gained from the opportunities would help you. Broaden your perspective. Don’t get into messy business of others and develop a professional attitude.

I would end up with a poem which motivates me a lot:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, when the road you trudge seems all uphill….

Don’t give up though the place seems to slow, you may succeed with another blow.

When care is pressing you down a bit, rest if you must but don’t you quit….!!!!!!

Success is a failure turned inside down, the silver tint in the clouds of doubt.

And you can never tell how close you are; it might be near when it seems afar,

So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit…..it’s when things seem worst that you must not quit…..!!!

BY-ANKIT VANI