IIMB EPGP : Statement of Purpose(Max 600 words)

A society's culture strongly influences how an individual approaches education and also determines how that society educates its citizens. This applies to the Indian middle class too, where education is considered most potent weapon to improve one’s living status. I too was brought up with the aim that I must study hard if I hope to earn a good livelihood once I grew up. The need of good education was reinforced when my family encountered a financial emergency, leading to a financial crunch and impacting our education. I had to take up a job immediately after finishing graduation, and give up my dream of earning a post-graduate. After more than a decade in the corporate world, I feel it is now the time to give wings to those dreams again and make them true.

Why MBA?

After having spent 11 years in the IT industry in various technical roles, I feel I am pigeon-holed in an overly technical role with limited exposure to the business side of things, and that is restricting my growth. Since I have worked in the IT industry all along, my exposure to other sectors is rather limited, and which I am keen to improve. Thus, before I get into a management role, it would be essential to go through a structured approach for learning right management skills and get a condensed yet wholesome look at different functions within the industry. This provides me the motivation to do an MBA at rather late stage in my career.

A management degree will not only augment my decade-long experience, but it will also provide me with tools to re-enter the industry with new perspectives which I may have been lacking earlier. It would enable me to gain cross-industry and cross-functional perspective from the diverse backgrounds of my peers.

Why IIMB EPGP?

IIMB has been a pioneer in in imparting world-class management education, creating global managers who are adept at handling the globally changing business scenarios. As for EPGP, elective courses such as product management and decision sciences are in line with my goals. Alumni connect programs like ‘Shikshu’ will give me opportunity of experiencing a day in a CEO’s office. The career development services and a rolling placement system are perfect for experienced individuals like me.

Post-MBA Goals?

Post MBA, I see myself working in either senior functional consultant role, a step up from my current role of techno-business analyst, or in business development role to help my employer acquire or retain large customers in best possible manner. In long term, I would like to head a business development division of an IT consulting firm focusing on ABC solutions in XYZ domain. I have been working on this domain for past 6 years, and would like to make use of this experience in bolstering my career.

What will I bring with me?

As a versatile IT professional, I have won several accolades for my performances in diverse roles and my leadership skills. What makes my profile different is unlike most IT professionals serving PPP customers, I have been working for ZZZ customers, and this has helped immensely in shaping up my competencies such as cross cultural communication and ownership of work. With significant international experience to my credit, adaptability in approach to work is another of my strength.

Other than these competencies, I will bring with me a keen enthusiasm to learn new things from other participants who may belong to different industries, different functions and different age groups.

I thank you for the opportunity provided to me and look forward to being a deserving ambassador for EPGP.

IIMC PGPEX : Statement of Purpose

This should include an objective and clear statement on why you want to join the PGPEX program? what qualities, experience and achievements do you have to justify your admission; what types of jobs and at what level do you expect after successful completion of PGPEX?

My 11 year stint in IT industry has enabled me to take on multiple challenges head-on, learn something new after each success and failure alike, and become a versatile IT professional. While these opportunities have taught me a lot from technical perspective, I feel stuck in an overly technical role with limited exposure to management aspects. I wish to gain a broader view of industry and market which can enable me to become a business partner for customers, not just a technology implementer. This is where an MBA fits in, enabling me to hone my management skills with new perspectives and ensuring that I am ready for next phase of my career.

IIMC has been a pioneer in creating managers adept at handling globally changing business scenarios. The PGPEX program has strong focus on analytical and problem-solving pedagogy, and includes participants with rich global experience and diverse domain knowledge in its cohort. PGPEX will help me transition for a senior management role in a better manner, by helping me leverage my versatility with a 360-degree business overview.

I have shown an early display of leadership throughout my career. I grabbed the opportunity to directly work at the customer premises in UK barely 8 months into my first job, and to mentor the 4-member offshore team after my return to India 4 months later. I led a 6-member team before completing 3 years of experience, and worked at customer premises in Australia for 7 months in the capacity of an Analyst, Designer, Developer and Tester, all combined, and impressed the customers with my multitasking skills.

In my current company, I have had 3 designations in just 4.5 years. I played a key role in scaling up the team size from initial 8 to a peak of 60+, by taking interviews, conducting trainings and helping management in restructuring the team. My various international trips to customer premises have enabled me to learn cross culture communication, which is a vital competency in any international business. My current position has given me proficiency in setting up and managing fairly big global teams.

Post MBA, I see myself in a leadership role of a multinational IT firm where I would offer business consulting combined with technical solutions to important players in forest industry. My 6 years of experience in handling various technical and functional challenges for customers from paper manufacturing domain would be valuable in achieving this goal.

In the long term, I see myself in a VP or director’s role, developing and implementing global strategic plans that include business development and technology modernization. I aim to provide thought leadership and industry knowledge by recommending apt solutions to pertinent business challenges. These goals require cross functional understanding of business, and I would combine my know-how from IT sector with PGPEX learnings to achieve them.

Overall, my organizational skills, leadership qualities and my desire to continue learning from the diverse peer group make me a right candidate for PGPEX.