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“As a fresher landing a well-paid job amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, is a big milestone for me,” says Nimisha Agarwal, MBA Class of 2021 at FLAME University. The new Business Development Associate with Scaler Academy, a leading Ed-Tech company, has learned to work around limitations and build them into her strengths. While many found online learning tedious, she used it to her advantage by doing different things and learning new skills with her MBA. The lack of pre-MBA work experience wasn’t going to detract her either. She decided to make up for it by opting for multiple internships. Her internships with Nestle and Patanjali gave her the edge for her placement. “My role at Scaler Academy is similar to what I did in both my internships combined,” she says looking forward to her foray into the corporate world. We retrace her steps and follow her journey of transformation.

The pandemic posed unique challenges for this year’s placement season. Did you have plans to counter the difficulties and stress?

I was very anxious; the idea of giving your best to your MBA and not getting the results can be nerve-wracking. While I was prepared for the worst, I was also doing everything to upskill myself. Online learning gave me the space to do different things with my MBA. I tried to cover for my lack of work experience with multiple internships. It had the desired impact on my CV, and when companies started coming for placements I felt confident and positive.

Can you tell us about the emotions you experienced leading up to your placement? What did you do to stay calm and motivate yourself?

The pressure for placements kept building each passing day. I could see how everyone was gearing up for placements, which  inspired me to push myself harder. Weekly aptitude tests and training sessions were instrumental in my preparations. But I have to say, what helped me ace my selection process was our mock interview training. It allowed me to tackle any kind of situation I would face during the interviews.

According to you, what made you stand out with your employers and helped you bag the placement?

Scaler Academy came for campus recruitment towards the end, and around 15 people had applied for the job. There was a GD round followed by three interviews before the final one. It’s interesting that initially I wasn’t convinced about working with Ed-Tech companies, but the job profile appealed to me. I was the only one picked for the role from my university and I am sure it has a lot to do with my internship experiences which fit the job profile to the T.

Can you elaborate and shed more light on your internship experience?

As a Marketing Major with no prior experience, I couldn’t have asked for better internships because they offered insights into diverse spectrums of the domain. With Patanjali, I did a completely on-field job - developing and implementing a sales model for a new product. At Nestle, my role involved backend research, working with Big Data, and developing sales strategies. I even received a letter of appreciation from Patanjali, but the overall experience of both internships worked in my favor during the placement interview.

And now as you are set to pursue your corporate dreams, how do you look back on your overall MBA experience? 

It was everyday learning from peers and in classrooms and networking. It gave me a broader perspective on different industries. If I had jumped directly into the corporate world I would have probably been stuck in one industry. The liberal arts education at FLAME University has enhanced my critical thinking, decision-making, and time management skills. From studying in high-tech classrooms to learning to play golf, I have been groomed by every single experience.