A Salesforce Developer’s Journey to a Top Business School
Chilly winters were coming!
For me the winter of 2021 not only brought the tooth-piercing breeze, but also a reason to get up from my slumber on winter mornings.
In November, 2021 I geared up to travel on the road often taken nowadays by engineers. Little did I know that the path I had chosen to proceed in would not be an easy one.
I was headed on my way to prepare for MBA entrance exams.
For anyone who is planning to do MBA, ponder upon the following before you start your journey:
- Clarify your goals
Understand why you want to do an MBA. It could be exponential growth in terms of money, switching career paths, spending time with some great minds which would trigger your brain cells to work harder and achieve more or for an all round development.
2. Research on MBA programs
Based on your work experience,decide if you want to opt for the 2 year course,1 year program or the executive courses. I, being an engineer, opted for the 2 year course as I felt the 1 year program would be fast paced for me and an extra year of studying won’t hurt me much.
3. Networking and socializing
Start building connections with individuals who have pursued an MBA.Use online platforms like linkedin to connect with professionals who can provide insights into the industry and share their experiences. This would also help you to understand which program would complement your prior skills.
4. Develop interpersonal skills
Most people get cold feet at the thought of going to the stage and speaking.Soft skills such as communication, teamwork are crucial for success in an MBA program and in the business world. Look for opportunities to enhance these skills. Join a forum such as Toastmasters, which would help you get over this angst. This would instill confidence in you along with preparing you for your MBA journey.
- No Play and all work makes Jack a dull boy! Set some time aside everyday for your hobbies or develop one if you don’t have any.This would keep you sane in this demanding preparation.In the meanwhile, interviewers also look for interesting candidates who enjoy something that could save the student from getting overwhelmed in the hectic B-school life.
- Do I only need a business school experience or this experience from certain colleges?
We have heard of the phrase “What’s in a name!”. However, the name of a college defines its legacy. For some people , college matters and for some it does not. You can decide on this based on your preferences.
And lastly, Am I ready for slogging till the exams arrive? Especially, if you are preparing along with a full time job.
Scroll down below to delve into the preparation guide I have curated based on my experience!
Preparation Guide
1. Give your first mock today with whatever preparation or no prep you have done so far. You can start with the most recent previous year CAT question paper or choose among tons of free mocks available online. Don’t get disheartened with your scores. Taking the first step is the most onerous and things will only get better now.
2. Analyze the solutions of the first mock you gave. This will give you an idea of your standing on each topic. Maintain a notebook for Quants (Quantitative Aptitude: Arithmetic, Algebra, Geometry and Advanced/Modern Mathematics), one for LRDI (Logical Reasoning and Data Interpretation) and one for grammar and vocabulary. Along with this divide a notebook into two parts namely quants and LRDI. Make a note of the solutions for the questions which you had answered incorrectly in the mock. In the index of this notebook, mention the name of the mock and the question number in case you feel that you might need to revisit the process used for a question or see the video solution provided repeatedly. Revise the Quants, LRDI and the quants+LRDI combined notebook before every mock test. Go through the Grammar and vocabulary daily.
3. Based on your mock scores, decide if you would need to join a coaching. In my case, I felt that coaching would help me to introduce a habit of studying daily in my schedule. I had joined T.I.M.E, Jamshedpur. In case you are opting for self prep, find someone whom you can rely upon for getting your doubts resolved.
4. I would highly advise you to enroll in a test series, even if you are opting for self prep. Writing mocks and analyzing them served as a catalyst for my performance. Since I was a student of T.I.M.E, I was enrolled for its test series and opted for IMS test Series additionally.
5. Start with attempting and analyzing one mock test a week. Increase the frequency to twice a week after a couple of weeks and so on. Try giving one mock everyday or every alternate day at the least in November as the exams come closer. Simultaneously, focus on practicing at least five LR and two DI sets daily in such a way that the syllabus for LRDI and Quants is complete by August Mid latest.
Pro Tip: You can try your hands on games like puzzles ,sudoku etc. These are not mentally taxing and increase your problem solving ability, which would prove beneficial while solving LRDI sets.
No Matter how much I deny it, but being an Engineer I have been through their pain…
The harsh truth is that Engineers do require a higher percentile in these exams in order for them to grab a seat in the esteemed B-Schools. But, do not let this thought discourage you. Engineers are accustomed to finding logical solutions to complex problems. These problem solving skills would serve as an asset in your journey towards a B-School. Your ability to work with diverse teams would add to your advantage.
That being said, it is equally difficult for someone with a non-engineering background to ace the exam, as they have their own battles to fight. Quants and LRDI are a nightmare for some non-Engineers!
The following preparation materials helped me in my journey:
- Arun Sharma LOD-1 and LOD-2 for quants
- AIMCATS and T.I.M.E sectional tests
- IMS Test Series-SIMCAT Plus
- T.I.M.E material for Quants, LRDI
- AEON essays
- The Times of India/The Hindu for VARC as well as GDPI Prep
Key Takeaways
- Cultivate a habit of reading by reading novels, newspapers, AEON essays or Mint daily.
- Mastering RCs takes time. Keep practicing and analyze the solutions till you are convinced with the correct answer. (Apart from a couple of times where the points stated in the comprehension oppose the correct marked answer)
- Do not give heed to the analysis of the slots prior to yours on the D-day. This escalates the panic!
- Fill the forms of various entrance exams. I couldn’t fare well in CAT’2022 , but my performance in XAT’23 helped me grab a seat in XLRI Jamshedpur.
- Spend a good amount of time analyzing mocks. The number of mocks won’t make a difference but a detailed analysis of the mocks would!
- Try not to leave your job for the prep.
Hope this article will be your one stop to gear up on your journey to your dream B-School .
Keep up the motivation!
Additional Resources
Written By…