Rohit Raman, MBA/MSIS Candidate Class of 2022
“I want to be a Product Manager in Fintech Industry”- Source unknown.
Disclaimer: This is not my dream and frankly, when I was starting my MBA, I had no idea what either Product Manager or Fintech meant.
Before joining the Kelley family, I served in the Indian Navy for 10 years. I am second-generation Military personnel and military life is all I had experienced before. I had no idea what happened in the Corporate world, or what I wanted to do post completing my graduation. I thought two years was a long time to figure out what I enjoyed doing and then find a job that let me do that. During Me, Inc, the Cohort was split into smaller groups and then asked by a career coach what we wanted to do with our MBA. Everyone in the group except me was so sure what they wanted. Some wanted to be product managers in Fintech, others wanted to be consultants in technology or investment bankers. I freaked out and started to wonder what I had gotten myself into.
As to date, I have survived six months of the program and it has only been possible due to the collaboration of everyone involved with the program. Collaboration was evident even before we reached campus. The Class of 2022 started our MBAs during very uncertain times and the MBA office helped us get amended travel documents as many times as we required and supported us whenever we required any help. When I spoke to my second-year peer coach Evelyn Gill for the first time, what was supposed to be a short introductory call, lasted almost 2 hours in which she literally explained what various roles in corporate mean and where MBAs fit in the entire organization. My career coaches kept prodding me to dive in and figure out what I enjoyed most about my time in the military and kept nudging me in the right direction to figure out what kind of roles I will enjoy once I graduate. Second-year MBAs were always ready to review resumes, conduct mock interviews and case interviews, and guide us on how to be successful in the program. I dreaded networking, but after an initial few calls with alumni, I realized networking was not so bad when you have a great extended family of alumni. I spoke to several of them about what they did, what they enjoyed about their jobs, and what skills were required to be successful in their roles.
But most importantly, I am part of a Cohort with some great individuals. Most of my classmates, like me, would say that they had the best core team. Doesn’t this say a lot about the character of each and every individual in this cohort? Deciding to come back to school during a pandemic already speaks volumes about their determination and resilience. I was part of a diverse core team and we survived the grueling Core together. We supported each other through case competitions, group assignments, company presentations, etc. Everyone was always willing to help each other and go the extra mile if required to ensure we always remained on top of things.
In the past six months, I have come a long way, but am I sure about what I want to do post my MBA? Obviously NO, but at least now I know what I do not want to do and have narrowed down my options. I am sure my internship will give me another option to experiment and continue this journey of self-discovery. The beauty of an MBA program is that everyone had a different journey before deciding to come back to school and everyone will proceed to different destinations. What we all have in common is the desire to learn, the desire to help each other achieve our dreams, and the desire to create great memories during the time we all have together.
That’s an inspiring story. You nicely covered your MBA journey so far. I am sure with Kelley MBA, you can achieve greater heights. All the very best for your future endeavours Rohit!