Sunstone's MBA Gave My Career the Right Direction: Sai Mahesh

Another alumnus of Sunstone, Sai Mahesh shares his MBA journey. Sai hails from Andhra Pradesh and is fond of chess. He did his schooling from Sadhana Residential public school, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh and passed class 12th with 75% marks. He then pursued graduation in Bachelor of Commerce from Acharya Nagarjuna University, where he obtained 60% marks. During his Bachelors, he realized that he had a keen interest in understanding the business aspects more than the technical aspects of the organization. His inclination towards management grew when he was working with a private company at a junior level. He worked there for about two years and that’s when he decided to pursue post-graduation in management in order to have professional growth. People aspiring to pursue an MBA must read this conversation to draw an idea as to how a management course can give your career the much-needed direction and wings.

Sunstone: What inspired you to pursue management?

Sai: My main motivation for pursuing management was to have a career growth in terms of better job opportunities and also to switch from a technical to a more functional role.

Sunstone: Why you chose PGDM and not MBA?

Sai: Like every other student, even I was confused initially which one to pick. I spent a lot of time researching about PGDM and MBA over the internet and then I came to know about the benefits of PGDM. I realized and understood the scope of PGDM compared to MBA in terms of updated curriculum and deep industry connect. I was sure that PGDM could help me achieve my career goals and could give me the opportunity to understand the cross-functional level complexities of an enterprise.

Sunstone: Is PGDM helping you achieve your career goals and do well in life?

Sai: Like I said, PGDM helped me understand the different functions of a business and their challenges. It also gave me the insight into the common mistakes that companies make and how can a management professional then step in to rectify such mistakes. I am doing well in my career and applying all the learning, expertise and management skills learnt during the course in handling the business affairs of my company. PGDM has given me the confidence to independently take business decisions and help my company in achieving its goals.

Sunstone: Which all management entrance exams did you take and how did you prepare for them?

Sai: I took CAT, MAT & ATMA and obtained an average score in these exams. I strongly believe that self-study is of prime importance to get good results. I prepared on my own for these entrance tests. I purchased good study material, rigorously practiced problems pertaining to my weak areas and took a lot of mock tests. Besides this, I also prepared for CAT over Facebook. I joined a lot of social media groups for CAT preparation where I used to try and solve the problems posted by others.

Sunstone: How did you come across Sunstone and how it became your choice for pursuing PGDM?

Sai: I was looking for affordable management courses over the internet and there I came across Sunstone. I filled the query form and got a call from their admission counsellor, who enlightened me about the PGDM program. Since I don’t really come from an affluent background, the pay after placement concept was like a magic wand for me. Also, the admission counsellor helped me understanding the instruction mode, curriculum, industry interactions, internship opportunities that I could get and also the placement records. I was satisfied with every aspect of the Sunstone’s PGDM and was sure that this course would give my career the much-needed wings.

Sunstone: How was your Personal Interview experience at Sunstone?

Sai: My selection was made on the basis of various factors such as my MAT score, past academic record and a personal interview. On the day of the interview, I was very nervous, but the interview experience was a learning one. Many questions in PI were based on general awareness and since I had a good habit of reading newspapers daily that helped me a lot during the interview. I was also asked to analyze a case study and answer some questions based on the analysis. The questions were aimed to check my technical knowledge, logical thinking ability and the presence of mind. Few of the questions also went along in the direction of my interest and participation in extra-curricular activities in my graduation and school level.

Sunstone: How were the classroom lectures and college environment at Sunstone campus?

Sai: The classes, interactions with classmates and the exposure I got at Sunstone is hugely rewarding. I was fortunate to be at a place where knowledge was valued and shared. The faculty had a practical approach to things which was more relevant in the sense of giving a long-term stable approach to one’s career. From the multiple projects we did throughout our academic journey, to guest lectures by industry stalwarts and events conducted on campus, Sunstone ensured that we had constructive and productive two-year journey so that we could add value to any organization we join in the future.

Sunstone: From where did you do your PGDM Internship and what all did you learn during that tenure?

Sai: I did my internship with Rivigo, worked in the Operations department. It’s a technology-enabled logistics company and there I learnt about the transportation procedure, onboarding trucks & technology installation, inventory management, driver management, last mile delivery, team management etc.

Sunstone: How was the placement at Sunstone? Were you benefited with the pay after placement model?

Sai: As promised, Sunstone got me placed with Rivigo at the pay package of 4 lakh per annum. And yes, like I said before I was very much benefited by the pay after placement model as I was able to fund my PGDM myself, without being dependent on my parents.

Sunstone: Where are you currently working and drawing what salary?

Sai: Currently I am working with DHL Smartrucking as a Team Lead and my current package is 7.25 lakh per annum.