The college also offers a whole spectrum of certifications to prepare students for the corporate world, says Sakshi

For my Class 11 and 12, like the majority of Indian kids, I opted for science – to keep my ‘options open’. Then I juggled my career options for UG – Engineering or Medical? Neither of these two seemed like a good fit for me. So, after a lot more research, I came across this fairly new course – Bachelor of Commerce in Computer Applications (BCCA). The course is a perfectly balanced combination of the three major commerce/management courses – Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA), and Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA). The curriculum has subjects from Management, Commerce, and Computer Applications.

During my UG, I did an eight-month internship with Value Kreation – a start-up back in my hometown. It is an international training organisation that conducts entrepreneurship skills and soft skills training for students and faculty. I worked with them as a content writer and as a Sales and Marketing intern. I also got the opportunity to organise multiple events with them – CEO in the 20s, Start-up Bus, etc – all centred around entrepreneurship. I also pursued my own start-up for website design and development. The start-up didn’t particularly work out well and I realised it was because I didn’t have a structured management education.

I’d learned that I had an inclination towards business and entrepreneurship and that I wanted to pursue management studies further. So, I began preparing for MBA entrance exams.

I appeared for several entrance exams – CAT, SNAP, NMAT, IBSAT, XAT, and Maharashtra CET. I cracked them all and received calls from multiple colleges including Welingkar Bangalore, IBS Hyderabad, NMIMS – to name a few. However, having worked for eight months and having pursued my own start-up as well, I realised I wanted something more than just two years of classroom education. That’s when a friend recommended Lexicon Management Institute of Leadership and Excellence.

Immediately after I took a look at their curriculum, two things stood out and that’s when I knew this is where I wanted to pursue my PGDM from. Dual specialisation and a long-term internship. Unlike the majority of B-schools that offered a single specialisation and short three-month internships, Lexicon MILE not only offered dual specialisation but also a long-term 9 to 11 months of internship. A full-fledged paid internship for a minimum of nine months. That kind of corporate exposure was something no other college was offering – and that too before my placements. So, I applied through my CET score (89 percentile), appeared and cracked the interview, and secured admission at Lexicon MILE’s PGDM program. I also received a scholarship worth Rs 1 Lakh.

Unlike the majority of B-schools that offered a single specialisation and short three-month internships, Lexicon MILE not only offered dual specialisation but also a long-term 9 to 11 months of internship. A full-fledged paid internship for a minimum of nine months.

I’d like to add here that not a whole lot of weightage is given to your entrance exam score. The institute doesn’t believe in a scorecard being the sole parameter of your worth.

To be honest the internship was the single major reason why I opted for Lexicon MILE. But little did I know the college had a lot more to offer than what I’d anticipated. Immediately after my admission formalities were completed, I was assigned a mentor to assist and guide me throughout the duration of the course.

The college is also offering a whole spectrum of certifications to groom and prepare their students for the corporate world – everything ranging from corporate and dining etiquettes to supply chain management. And what’s more – in case a student wishes to learn anything other than the offered courses, we can reach out to the college management and they’d facilitate the same. This is actually another thing that stood out to me – the channels of communication right up to the top-level management are as open as can be. The management is always available and open to suggestions and to address any grievances that we may have. There are also a wide range of student committees – placements, media and marketing, sports, events, and safety and security.

The college is also offering a whole spectrum of certifications to groom and prepare their students for the corporate world – everything ranging from corporate and dining etiquettes to supply chain management.

By the time we completed our admission formalities, Covid had already brought everything to a screeching halt and the world was now suddenly working online. Somewhere deep down I’d started giving up hopes of having an enriching college and learning experience. But to my surprise, the college management did not let even a full-fledged pandemic dampen their spirits. During the first phase of the lockdown, along with our academic classes, we also got to attend multiple webinars with many industry leaders. After the situation had considerably improved, the college took us for a 10-day outdoor induction – in Goa! We were obviously not allowed to leave the hotel due to Covid but it was a unique induction for sure. Our days were packed with exercise sessions, guest lectures, corporate interactions, ice-breaking activities, presentations, and a lot more. It was the best amalgamation of fun and learning.

Once we returned from Goa and educational institutes were still not allowed to open, regular online classes started. The faculty at Lexicon MILE is so supportive and simply great at what they do. They made online classes engaging and fun. The management made the most effective use of out of the supposedly tiresome online classes and brought international faculty onboard.

Then the lockdown eased, industries slowly opened up and people started going back to work. While the rest of the B-schools could only conduct online classes – thanks to the pandemic – we at Lexicon MILE had started our internships. The management modified the curriculum, broke the 9-month internship into two chunks of 3+6. So now we could get corporate exposure with not just one but two companies.

Talk about turning crisis into opportunity!

Currently, all of us have already completed a short-term internship and will sit for our long-term internship placements post completing the current trimester. Quite a few students have secured Pre-Placement Offers (PPOs) already – even before completing their first year!

I am glad I chose the Lexicon Management Institute of Leadership and Excellence. The college stands true to its name – an institute where you are trained to lead and excel.

I wish to pursue a career in Human Resources, so post completing the long-term internship I hope I can perform well and secure a PPO and then go into my final placements – to convert the best out of the plethora of opportunities that are presented to us here at the Lexicon MILE.

About the author

Sakshi Vairagade is a PGDM student at Lexicon Management Institute of Leadership and Excellence. She is a BCCA graduate. She likes to read and is a keen learner. Always eager to learn and adapt to new environments.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha