I am the Architect of My Life: Subodh Avhad

I had a work experience of 13 years in the service industry. I had worked at KLM Airlines and GVK-Mumbai International Airport Pvt. Ltd. The reasons why I chose the course of Master of Business Administration (Supply Chain and Operations) are-

First, I strongly felt the desire to go for management studies so as to gain specific business skills, such as leadership or strategic thinking, which would be advantageous for me when applying for senior management-level positions or in promotion.

Then, I had an engineering degree which gave me knowledge of the selected engineering field. But in order to broaden my knowledge in management, I chose MBA as that would help me in shifting from one industry to other easily.

I also wanted to broaden the career options for me in my selected field of interest. Since all the operations in firms are getting automated these days, I felt that computer engineering with a combination of management studies could give me good opportunities in the service industry. I wanted to stay in this industry as the service industry in India contributes to 66% of the GDP. 

To get admission in this college for Executive MBA, I had to submit my qualification and experience certificates. There was also a minimum qualification criterion to be fulfilled regarding work experience.

Balancing studies and work life was the biggest challenge. But I found that the simplest solution for it is ‘Time Management.’

• For good time management, one should plan his schedule and strictly follow it.
• The focus should be on taking one activity at a time and completing it within the chosen time frame.
• In certain circumstances, family commitments should be given priority over studies and vice versa.
• We must also make use of modern technology for studying anywhere at any time, like scanning the notes and storing it on phone or tablet so that they can be referred to during free time in the office, or watching online videos of study material.
• The most important thing is we must do is exercise every day to keep ourselves fit, as all the above-mentioned things can be achieved only when we are strong physically and mentally.

Learnings from the current job– Working in the public sector, I observed that here, man management and communication etiquette are most important to get your job done on time. So, it is more fruitful to be a leader than a manager.

Selection of right career– After almost 15 years of experience in Port Services industry, it would be difficult for me to compare it with the career options which I had not selected, however, I feel I would have been a good doctor or a hotelier.

Mistakes and learnings– After completing BE, I should have done some value addition courses in the same field so that I could have got myself placed in an appropriate firm rather than searching for a job after completion of engineering. But due to lack of guidance, I did not do it at that time.

Then, after taking up a job in the aviation industry, I should have taken up the Executive MBA program after 2 years rather than waiting for 13 years as that would have enhanced my career to a much greater extent by now.

What worked for me– The continuous desire for learning new things and upgrading myself, and consistently reading books helped me a lot to stay in the competition.

Help from college education in my career– My college helped me do things in a better and organized way, upgrade my skills, and taught me management tools and techniques to do things in a better way.

Career selection– One should analyze his or her area of interest before taking up a career. There are certain institutes which take analysis tests for you. Then, depending upon your score, they help you identify your area of interest.

You may want to do a job for money, however, when you do a job you like, you may do interesting things just because you like it. It would further reduce your stress and give you a feeling of satisfaction. For example, Mr. Sachin Tendulkar pursued a career in cricket and look at how successful he became!

About the Author:

I am Subodh Sadanand Avhad. I'm currently pursuing MBA Supply Chain and Operations from ITM EEC, Mumbai. I did my graduation in BE (Computer Science) from Mumbai University. My hobbies include painting and cooking. Other than that, my interest lies in fitness and reading books about Medicines and Treatments and Current Affairs. I follow the principle “I am the architect of my life.”

Apart from my UG and PG degrees, I have done the following courses-

• Diploma In International Airline and Travel Management
• Diploma In IATA/UFTAA Foundation & EBT Course, Montreal
• Diploma In IATA/FIATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, Montreal
• Internal Quality Auditor Assurance ( LRQA Training Services)