My MBA story: how a rocket scientist changed trajectory
In my former lifetime, I was a rocket scientist in India’s place programme. I was element of the staff that constructed satellite-start autos, or rockets, and made some of the telemetry modules that assisted carry India’s place probe to Mars in 2014. It was an remarkable lifetime and in the course of my 7 several years at the Indian Place Study Organisation I labored with some of India’s brightest minds.
Then in 2016 I grew to become a mother and decided to spend my year’s maternity leave in Australia, exactly where my husband labored. It’s possible it was motherhood or the break from my outdated lifetime, but I grew to become quite intrigued in understanding new matters. My daughter was a very good sleeper and I begun looking through a large amount. But in its place of science, I started understanding about politics, business enterprise and economics, and realised I was missing out on a large amount of matters. That was my “aha” second.
By the time my daughter was about eight months outdated, I experienced decided to get the plunge and go to business enterprise university. I desired to settle in Australia, and the Australian Graduate Faculty of Management (AGSM) in Sydney is the greatest university in this article, with a quite sturdy [alumni] network. On best of that I gained a very good scholarship that included seventy five for every cent of my charges, with no which I would not have been capable to do an MBA.
The class lasted 18 months and there were being about 55 students from some twenty nations. The alumni network is wonderful. Anytime I am in need to have, there is someone who can assistance me out. We also experienced the prospect to do internships, which was super helpful, as I experienced not labored in a company atmosphere right before. Then there is the knowledge that I attained from marketplace gurus who came to instruct our lessons.
My 1st prepare was to come across a position in investment decision banking, since I believed my quant background would be of very good use. I adore numbers and my electives were being all maths-large subjects such as company finance. But I realised immediately after a when that a transition into banking would be complicated with no a background in finance, so when the world-wide enterprise funds firm Antler came to AGSM, I jumped at the prospect to construct my own start-up.
I was lucky to turn out to be element of Antler’s 1st Sydney cohort of business people that it trains and supports. Collectively with a partner, I started creating a organization in the electrical power sector. It was a wonderful thought, but the business enterprise did not get off as we experienced prepared. We unsuccessful.
I realised I did not have the appropriate skills or adequately deep knowledge about Australian industries. To flip the circumstance about, I decided to transfer in the direction of a vocation in consulting, exactly where I would be capable to fill this expertise hole within a shorter time. At AGSM I cherished fixing the scenario studies that were being element of our job interview training for consultancy jobs, and I experienced currently thought of it as a pragmatic route to doing some thing I get pleasure from.
In March, I joined Kearney, the consulting firm, as an associate. I really relished creating my own organization, although — every early morning was so remarkable — and in 5 or 7 several years I hope to start my own organization again . . . and be prosperous. Working your own business enterprise is addictive.
The alumni network at AGSM is nevertheless beneficial. It is a sturdy base that I can normally flip to for assistance. When I experienced to put together my start-up pitch, for case in point, I gained assistance from alumni in the power sector and in enterprise funds, which was really awesome.
I often miss my outdated lifetime as a scientist, but I have moved on. I relished it, I attained some thing, but I was in my comfort and ease zone. Picking business enterprise university was a turning level in my lifetime. Correct now I am outside my comfort and ease zone in a hard and intense atmosphere — I have really experienced to action up my game, which I get pleasure from a large amount.
