To put things in perspective, I have been walking this planet for a quarter of a century and have been born, brought up, educated and worked in a city called Pune in India. My pillars of support, my family and friends, were always in close proximity. My professional skills were challenged each day while working within a dynamic organization, ICICI Bank, as their youngest Branch Manager. I was in a city that I knew and a city that knew me. Personally I was content and happy in the environment I was in.
At the back of my mind, I knew that this Utopia shouldn’t come to me so soon and at such a young age. I needed to challenge myself and move myself out of this comfort zone. I viewed the economic fabric of the world being woven into one piece. I had experienced life and the professional work culture in an emerging country, and I knew that if I wanted to make it big in the world it would be important for me to understand the way business is done in the developed world.
With the rich work experience that I had gained with the Bank in a short period of three and a half years, an MBA program stood out to me as a natural progression.
No doubt, India has some of the best post graduate business programs that the world has to offer, and it would have made financial sense to pursue a program in the country, however I saw the MBA program as a learning experience beyond the academics. It was a chance to test myself in unfamiliar waters, to build my network in a country where I knew no one and on a lighter note, a chance for a person who has never had to enter a kitchen to test his culinary skills (which if I may add has been an utter disaster!).
I am sure many of you who are considering an MBA would be wondering if it is worthwhile moving oneself out off their familiar surroundings and pressing the ‘re-start’ button on life. Based on my experiences that I have had in the last eight months, which I will be sharing with you through future blogs, I have the following words “Go ahead, embrace change and take that leap of faith.”