As I graduate today ..

One of the many reasons I wanted to MBA was to find out what the fuss was about. Well others, more important ones included learning to make more rational decisions and not feeling handicapped when someone threw the words like NPV or marketing mix!

To some extent, I did figure out what the fuss was about. The fuss is different for different people. For some, it was an opportunity to be a kid again and party in a university town, for some others, it was the time to invest in one self. For me, it was to afford a luxury of choice -making an informed choice after seeing a world of possibilities.

As I started the program, many career paths – industries and functions – looked attractive to me. Whole world was my oyster and that world of possibilities was overwhelming to say the least, when not knowing which one to pick.  That’s when my aunt Mary came to my rescue, “I know what you want to do – you want to sell stories. You talk about movies and TV and stories all the time.” That was indeed an epiphany moment. Boeing Engines or hedge funds did not excite me as much as the drama and stories did.

It was easier said than done though. Hollywood was a big world and I did not know where to start. I started the art of networking using my most important asset – telling and selling stories. One thing led to another and I ended up in the heart of Hollywood – NBC Universal – it was indeed one in a million success story  -  from a small part of New Delhi to the entertainment capital of world. Doing market research for the primetime shows was very engaging and learning experience. In fact, to make up for my lack of experience in the industry, I did two unpaid internships – the only MBA student from my class to do that. And serendipities kept happening and upon the end of summer, Matt Farber, the founder of MTV Logo wrote to me, “I am looking for a business development intern for my new venture GWIST TV. Can you suggest someone?”. My reply was, “Look no further!”.   This school year internship gave me ample opportunities to learn and contribute heavily. I effectively used my computer science back ground, my data analytics skills, my passion for technology and my love for content to increase the audience engagement.

As I stand today at the cross roads of past and future, I can’t feel more excited to launch a career at the intersection of technology and content, which is where I believe the growth is. Even if I have some more miles to walk before finding the right job, my business degree has given me the confidence to make the choice of waiting. Till then, I will stay hungry and stay foolish. Cheers class of 2013.