This is GOOD STUFF!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
ISB
Wow .. I have read almost every famous - and some not so famous - blogs about getting into the ISB, life @ ISB, placements @ ISB, partying at ISB and what not. I finally get to write about my ADMIT to the school of my dreams - But why ISB? WHY .. ISB? Why is it the school of dreams for so many of us? If you have read quite a few blogs about the journey to the ISB you will realise the passion with which an admit to the ISB is pursued. Years are spent introspecting and finding the right answer for "Why MBA" , "What after MBA" and so on. Some people have their AHA! moment during the interview and yet get rejected - who gets into the ISB ? Why does a person gets accepted ? I believe the answer to this is simple - How badly do you want to get into the ISB .
Think about it - do not create that negative to this theory saying "If this is what gets someone an admit then I would have got it last year". I am sure if you look at how much effort you put in regarding reading about ISB, improving your "profile" etc - you will realise that you wanted ISB and you worked towards it. And that is why you know this blog exists.
My journey -I was just sitting at the Browsing Center in RVCE and looking for arbit MBA crap. I first came across the ISB when I read Nitin Pulyani's blog :). I was like - "yeh kaun si college hai" ? Then I went on to their website and started exploring the school - they had those navigable images and I explored what I now know is the LRC. I read about the campus , saw the pictures - and fell in love. I went on to read about the admission requirements and fees. Two heartbreaks - 1 - 13 lac as fees. 2 - minimum 2 years of work ex preferred. (I graduated in 2006) Hmmm.. :( So I lay low for the first year at work - realising that 2 years of work ex is essential for any good B-school. I worked hard and got the Best New College Grad award. When I told Dad about this award this is what I said " Aaj Applied Materials ne mujhe ISB mein admission de diya". I had no college achievements - a meagre 71%. So this was my big ticket to ISB - and that is why this award meant so much. I have lost the trophy - but I have the certificate :).
Then I took the GMAT - 3rd October - 670 with a week's preparation. Nah not good enough and I knew it. 2nd attempt - 6th November--- 740!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh I am so going to the ISB!
But it was not to be - I grossly underestimated the quality of applications at ISB. Interview bhi nahi kiya :(
Then came June 1st 2008 - midnight. I opened the website in the middle of a bachelor party at my house and saw the application for 2009-10 was up. Well that was the end of all the drinking for that night :) By morning I had written the Zumba essay!! Life went on and I could only submit my APP on 14th September - waited and waited and waited.
I was sitting with my boss - yeah - and decided to F5 my Inbox on GPRS.
"ISB Admission Offer" -> BLURRRRR -> 7 long seconds to open the mail -- 3 reads of the admission offer -- -- a couple of calls trying to control my emotions -- and moving around for an hour like I had a hangar in my mouth later --- it started to sink in. I am going to the ISB. The place of dreams.
Oh yes about the shortcut to ISB!
Well once you get to the interview stage..
What do Menon and Hema and the alums look for? Is it destiny - nah. I believe that once a person is shortlisted they look for a) Achievements at work b) Opinions about world events and stuff in general c) Family background d) Ability to take heat
Obviously this is true for younger applicants.
Think about it - do not create that negative to this theory saying "If this is what gets someone an admit then I would have got it last year". I am sure if you look at how much effort you put in regarding reading about ISB, improving your "profile" etc - you will realise that you wanted ISB and you worked towards it. And that is why you know this blog exists.
My journey -I was just sitting at the Browsing Center in RVCE and looking for arbit MBA crap. I first came across the ISB when I read Nitin Pulyani's blog :). I was like - "yeh kaun si college hai" ? Then I went on to their website and started exploring the school - they had those navigable images and I explored what I now know is the LRC. I read about the campus , saw the pictures - and fell in love. I went on to read about the admission requirements and fees. Two heartbreaks - 1 - 13 lac as fees. 2 - minimum 2 years of work ex preferred. (I graduated in 2006) Hmmm.. :( So I lay low for the first year at work - realising that 2 years of work ex is essential for any good B-school. I worked hard and got the Best New College Grad award. When I told Dad about this award this is what I said " Aaj Applied Materials ne mujhe ISB mein admission de diya". I had no college achievements - a meagre 71%. So this was my big ticket to ISB - and that is why this award meant so much. I have lost the trophy - but I have the certificate :).
Then I took the GMAT - 3rd October - 670 with a week's preparation. Nah not good enough and I knew it. 2nd attempt - 6th November--- 740!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh I am so going to the ISB!
But it was not to be - I grossly underestimated the quality of applications at ISB. Interview bhi nahi kiya :(
Then came June 1st 2008 - midnight. I opened the website in the middle of a bachelor party at my house and saw the application for 2009-10 was up. Well that was the end of all the drinking for that night :) By morning I had written the Zumba essay!! Life went on and I could only submit my APP on 14th September - waited and waited and waited.
I was sitting with my boss - yeah - and decided to F5 my Inbox on GPRS.
"ISB Admission Offer" -> BLURRRRR -> 7 long seconds to open the mail -- 3 reads of the admission offer -- -- a couple of calls trying to control my emotions -- and moving around for an hour like I had a hangar in my mouth later --- it started to sink in. I am going to the ISB. The place of dreams.
Oh yes about the shortcut to ISB!
Well once you get to the interview stage..
What do Menon and Hema and the alums look for? Is it destiny - nah. I believe that once a person is shortlisted they look for a) Achievements at work b) Opinions about world events and stuff in general c) Family background d) Ability to take heat
Obviously this is true for younger applicants.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Have the "Writers" always had it wrong?
Have the "Writers" always had it wrong?
Do we like to read more about "ourselves" than say, about Angels and Daemons? or even about Romeo and Juliet?
This thought is inspired by the increasing popularity of blogs as well as that of writers like Chetan Bhagat, Karan Bajaj and TheDeviantCynic :) . Maybe it is a passing phase, maybe it is here to stay..
Do we like to read more about "ourselves" than say, about Angels and Daemons? or even about Romeo and Juliet?
This thought is inspired by the increasing popularity of blogs as well as that of writers like Chetan Bhagat, Karan Bajaj and TheDeviantCynic :) . Maybe it is a passing phase, maybe it is here to stay..
Saturday, April 19, 2008
What is it that makes us watch CRICKET?
Kabhi Kabhi mere dil mein khayaal aata hai.....What is it about cricket that keeps us glued to the TV? Why are cricket scores given preference over virtually any other news? I am tempted to quit writing this and just get back to my IPL match between DELHI and RAJASTHAN, but I really want to understand why it is that I want to watch them? IT is not even the INDIAN team that is playing ..
Does the IPL deserve to be a success in INDIA?
Does the IPL deserve to be a success in INDIA?
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Sorry baby, I guess my blog just had to be in black !
Do I actually still like this colour? There was a time when all (ALL) my clothes were black. I guess it happens to every average looking guy. Well it happened to me.
No I did not create ths blog to write this ! So wait, do not run away
First let me tell you about my dilemma , it goes by the name of "job-or-mba". Is it a disease? Is it infectious? Do people tend to spread this at their homes( read : OFFICES ) .. In Chetan Bhagat's (he sure can write) words - If it is infectious, I am the perfect example of this infection.
It has been around 4 years (since my 3rd year at CSE , RVCE ) that I am trying to find a solution to this infection (pun - ).
Been working at Applied Materials for around 2 years now and probably figure in the top 10% of my class ( by salary ) & yet TRYING_MBA
typedef TRYING_MBA "write CAT , XAT , GMAT every now and then"
Let me try representing my problem in C++
----------LIFE STARTS HERE---------
ENGINEERING_SKILLS = 0; // class 12
do
{
if(! ENGINEERING_SKILLS)
ENGINEERING( & ENGINEERING_SKILLS); // did my engineering
if(ENGINEERING_SKILLS>1)
-- ENGINEERING_SKILLS ; //u know what I am talking - right?
keep TRYING_MBA; //TRYING is typedef'ed above
} while ( ! MBA_HAPPENS)
--------
I wonder when my MBA will happen - I have a 740 @ GMAT and 96 %-ile @ CAT - and I do hope that either NUS or NTU would want me to make their average students look better.
Meanwhile (haha , there is always a meanwhile loop in bangalore - aint it?) I am trying for a few positions which look beyond my reach, viz MICROSOFT, YAHOO, AMAZON.
Now - what if I had to choose between a)MICROSOFT / YAHOO and b) NTU MBA in TECHNOLOGY ?
If I were given such an option , what would I do?
I would take a 15 day vacation,cherish the moments - and toss a coin at the end of the 15th day.
I dont think any ENGINEER - MBA knows where he would have performed better. I mean, how can you? You only lead one life ! I guess everyone reaches their highest level of competency after they start freaking out and start saying things like "money is not that important in life"
I think I have spent so much time trying to figure out what to do , that I might actually be losing out on doing what I am supposed to do ( remember I have a pretty good job at AMAT - RefleXion LK ). Now let me tell you why I am losing interest here.
Consider a knowledge stack of APPLIED MATERIALS TOOLS and one of PROGRAMMING SKILLS. I am scared I have a diminishing (hairline and) PROGRAMMING SKILLS stack while I add to my AMAT TOOLS knowledge.
This is my reason of switching jobs , if i were to NOT DO AN MBA.
Meanwhile, i went to see this play with Sonam (and her friends). An adaptation of "5 . someone" @ ranga shankara and put together by EVAM and MADRAS PERFORMERS(or something similar) .It was good, not brilliant.
Incidentally, today is when 3.2 lac victims appeared for the IIT-JEE. Am I lucky not to have gone to IIT?
No I did not create ths blog to write this ! So wait, do not run away
First let me tell you about my dilemma , it goes by the name of "job-or-mba". Is it a disease? Is it infectious? Do people tend to spread this at their homes( read : OFFICES ) .. In Chetan Bhagat's (he sure can write) words - If it is infectious, I am the perfect example of this infection.
It has been around 4 years (since my 3rd year at CSE , RVCE ) that I am trying to find a solution to this infection (pun - ).
Been working at Applied Materials for around 2 years now and probably figure in the top 10% of my class ( by salary ) & yet TRYING_MBA
typedef TRYING_MBA "write CAT , XAT , GMAT every now and then"
Let me try representing my problem in C++
----------LIFE STARTS HERE---------
ENGINEERING_SKILLS = 0; // class 12
do
{
if(! ENGINEERING_SKILLS)
ENGINEERING( & ENGINEERING_SKILLS); // did my engineering
if(ENGINEERING_SKILLS>1)
-- ENGINEERING_SKILLS ; //u know what I am talking - right?
keep TRYING_MBA; //TRYING is typedef'ed above
} while ( ! MBA_HAPPENS)
--------
I wonder when my MBA will happen - I have a 740 @ GMAT and 96 %-ile @ CAT - and I do hope that either NUS or NTU would want me to make their average students look better.
Meanwhile (haha , there is always a meanwhile loop in bangalore - aint it?) I am trying for a few positions which look beyond my reach, viz MICROSOFT, YAHOO, AMAZON.
Now - what if I had to choose between a)MICROSOFT / YAHOO and b) NTU MBA in TECHNOLOGY ?
If I were given such an option , what would I do?
I would take a 15 day vacation,cherish the moments - and toss a coin at the end of the 15th day.
I dont think any ENGINEER - MBA knows where he would have performed better. I mean, how can you? You only lead one life ! I guess everyone reaches their highest level of competency after they start freaking out and start saying things like "money is not that important in life"
I think I have spent so much time trying to figure out what to do , that I might actually be losing out on doing what I am supposed to do ( remember I have a pretty good job at AMAT - RefleXion LK ). Now let me tell you why I am losing interest here.
Consider a knowledge stack of APPLIED MATERIALS TOOLS and one of PROGRAMMING SKILLS. I am scared I have a diminishing (hairline and) PROGRAMMING SKILLS stack while I add to my AMAT TOOLS knowledge.
This is my reason of switching jobs , if i were to NOT DO AN MBA.
Meanwhile, i went to see this play with Sonam (and her friends). An adaptation of "5 . someone" @ ranga shankara and put together by EVAM and MADRAS PERFORMERS(or something similar) .It was good, not brilliant.
Incidentally, today is when 3.2 lac victims appeared for the IIT-JEE. Am I lucky not to have gone to IIT?
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