The first step of my career

When I am asked about what has changed in my life since I joined Vivekanand Business School, Mumbai for PGDM in Finance, Batch 2023-25, I don't mention any particular event. I believe it's a pattern. Every term was an addition to the previous one and when I graduated I was a different type of professional than the one who walked in

Learning Knowledge that is Applicable to the Business World

I currently work as a Credit manager at IndusInd Bank. I didn't get here by chance. It resulted from a curriculum that remained true to how the finance industry functions, experiential learning that helped me relate concepts to real business situations, faculty who challenged me to go beyond textbook solutions, and a placement process that made the connection between what I learned in the classroom and a real paycheck more quickly than I had anticipated. I am grateful for what I learned at VBS.

The encouragement to consider a topic from multiple perspectives was something I really appreciated. In finance, it is difficult to find a single piece of information that can

be used to explain the situation completely. Rather than looking for the right answer, the discussions and case-based learning at VBS helped me to feel more comfortable analysing data, asking questions and making my own decisions.

 


 

Mentorship that influenced my perspective

It wasn't one class or one professor that made the difference. It was faculty who made mentorship a part of the learning experience. When you're beginning your management career, you do not really understand what everything will be like, and having somebody outside of your peers to assist you can make a huge difference.

We had professional faculty, many of them with years of academic and industry experience, including PhD holders, who provided experiences beyond the classroom. Prof. K.V. Ramakrishnan and Dr. Anju Vaswani Ma'am played a special role in this. Their teaching was more than just concepts. They challenged my thoughts in multiple ways, questioned my assumptions, and supported my ideas. Taking it further, I always challenge myself when reviewing a loan application, particularly when reviewing the creditworthiness and risk of a loan, I still do that.

The turning point of the ROI.

The last thing that matters more than most realize when selecting a B-school. The benefit of getting enrolled for the PGDM at VBS began to materialize during my summer internship as a Credit Intern at Ayekart Fintech. I was performing credit evaluation and risk assessment on real cases, something that is very similar to what I'm doing now.

It evolved into a Pre-Placement Offer and I came into my final year knowing where my career was going. This helped to reduce my placement anxiety. I believe a good PGDM ROI is when an educational investment leads to industry experience, skills that are relevant, a PPO and a fantastic job opportunity.

From Management student to Finance Professional

I would say that VBS bridged the gap between "management student" and "employed finance professional" The learning, exposure, and opportunities I received during those two years helped me understand what it really means to work in the finance industry, beyond what I had learned in the classroom.

The PPO route meant that I didn't have to wait several months to find a job after I graduated. During that time, I worked on improving my actual job skills, understand my responsibilities better, and gradually build confidence in my role. For me, that made the transition from being a student to becoming a working professional much smoother.

A perspective for future Aspirants

For those who are considering business schools at this time, my guidance would be to not get caught up in the brochure and to ask yourself what is it that you gain from from the time you get into the B-school until you receive your first paycheck. For me, a

placement pipeline that truly worked, faculty that genuinely invested in us, and actual industry exposure filled that gap. All three were met by Vivekanand Business School and I continue to gain from it.