The course was perfect for me as eventually I was able to achieve what I set out for, says Sachit

The pandemic made me realise that I really need to upskill myself and not continue my usual work as a Lead Engineer. We know that coding is now being taught in schools so the upcoming generation will be well-equipped to take on the corporate world, making it difficult for senior engineers to justify their high pay scale. I wanted to transition myself more towards business requirements and my dream role was of a Technical Product Manager. I wanted to utilize my engineering background to bridge the gaps between Business and Technical requirements and I knew that MBA would be the best degree to align myself in that direction.

I came across SP Jain School of Global Management for its Tri-City MBA course which really intrigued me. Having travelled to multiple countries, I am a believer that in today’s time a manager should have a Global perspective and this course gave the perfect opportunity for me to do my post-graduation while soaking in the cultural nuances of different regions. Moreover, the Global MBA course is of only 12 months and with my 8 years of experience, I wanted to get back to the industry as early as possible, giving me a great Return on Investment without any compromise on the learnings. The fee for the course is also very less as compared to any other International B-School and they even provide placement support.

Prior to the course, I was working as a Lead Engineer for Deutsche Telekom Digital Labs (DTDL) handling a team of QA engineers. I was amongst the very first recruits in the organisation when the company was being setup to cater to the European Business of Deutsche Telekom. I had a great relationship with the leadership team, and they valued my contributions to the company. It was a very difficult decision for me to take but I left the organization to upgrade my skills and transform myself for a new role.

In the initial few months of the course, one is more focused on studies and extra-curricular activities. It’s only towards the last few months when the pressure to get an offer grips you. So, 3 months before completion of my MBA, I saw a LinkedIn post of an opening in Deutsche Telekom, Germany for the Product Manager Role. I reached out to my company, and they were happy to interview me for the role.

In the initial few months of the course, one is more focused on studies and extra-curricular activities. It’s only towards the last few months when the pressure to get an offer grips you.

SP Jain’s Professional Readiness Program had prepared me well as I had given a lot of mock interviews. I confidently sat through the interview process and eventually landed my dream role.

It felt exhilarating to join back Deutsche Telekom and work with past colleagues. After joining the organization, I can now understand how the business decisions are thought through and what it takes to translate those requirements to the Engineering team so that we can create digital solutions to solve complex problems.

The course was perfect for me as eventually I was able to achieve what I set out for, however there is always scope for improvement. If I were given a chance to do the course again then I would surely participate more in extra-curricular events such as Inter-college competitions and cultural events. I feel I was way more focused on getting good grades than to participate in various opportunities that we got during our course. It took time for me to open up so I was not able to network with a lot of people.

Throughout my journey, I tried to challenge myself by throwing myself out of my comfort zone because I knew that this is an opportunity to be better prepared for the corporate world. I could never have imagined my shy and nervous demeanor to radically transform into a bold and confident one because of the exposure to so many presentations and peer interactions. It was a roller coaster ride with a lot of ups and downs, I tasted success when I made it to the Top 11 of the HACKcellence, an International Entrepreneurial competition, and getting featured in National Media but also faced hardship when I got infected with a severe health condition that put me on bed rest for weeks. During the pandemic there was a lot of uncertainty around our travel as there were so many restrictions and guidelines used to change so frequently. All these experiences at SP Jain helped me get accustomed to the VUCA world, I am more resilient and patient with dealing with such scenarios. Surely, the Global MBA course, which is designed for one to identify one’s limits helped me to push mine further.

If I were given a chance to do the course again then I would surely participate more in extra-curricular events such as Inter-college competitions and cultural events. I feel I was way more focused on getting good grades than to participate in various opportunities that we got during our course.

To make the best of this program is to mentally prepare oneself that throughout the course, what is being taught is just one part of the complete development process. One needs to utilize the remaining time to network, build relations, participate in competitions, and learn many more things on their own. This level of dedication will transform one personally to become a better version of themselves. Like a sponge, one should keep on absorbing every information and experience that is thrown at them. Not even for a moment should they become complacent about any assignment submissions, be it small or big. The course gives you a playground to fail and learn. Observe carefully on what went wrong and ponder on how you can do it better. Also, one should not hesitate to ask for help from the brilliant faculty at SP Jain as they are always there to support us throughout the journey.

My outlook towards various aspects of a business has broadened, for example, I used to dread the financial statements but now I truly enjoy reading the annual reports. The sheer number of presentations and peer interactions that we do through the course has helped me hone my soft skills. I am more confident in creating and giving formal presentations within strict deadlines. I have been able to manage tasks and time more efficiently and these are precious skills that are valued in the corporate journey. I am much more empathetic and understand what it takes to be a good leader with plenty of opportunities that came along my way to prove myself as a true leader.

Our program was able to teach us the evergreen MBA frameworks in a manner that we could not just theoretically understand them but were able to apply them practically while solving real world corporate projects. MBA has truly given me wings to fly high and once you gain that knowledge it can be a great stepping-stone to various kinds of jobs. My batchmates have all been able to secure jobs from different fields and roles simply because MBA allows you to expand your horizon.

About the author

Sachit Swaroop is currently working as a Product Manager with Deutsche Telekom, Germany. He has worked with various companies such as Accenture, InfoEdge India Ltd., Stryker Corporation. As a Computer Science Engineer, he love the complexity involved in creating Digital Products.

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