I believe in the adage "If it's got to be, it is up to me". It means that a high level of both ownership & accountability is key to success - be it personal or professional. This is a trait I seek to imbibe in the mentees I work with. The approach, therefore, is to help them own their future; and consequently, their actions leading up to it. It includes the "fundas" they abide by, or the thoughts they believe in.
I'd call the first meeting with my mentor, magical. I realized that, before PDPP, I had been preparing very superficially for the WAT-GD-PI rounds of the colleges, while sugar-coating my profile. Gopi sir made me realize the importance of introspection and being honest. I was spellbound how Gopi sir would patiently listen to my achievements, and all that I had done till date; and structure them in a manner that would make an impression on the interviewer. He would patiently listen to all my doubts; and promptly reply to them.
PDPP fills the gap of quality mentorship that every serious CAT candidate looks for.
My first impression of my mentor was that he was a person with a lot of experience; and from him I can-and should-learn as much as I can. Gopi sir is well-aware and informed about things in general. He has this ability to make up questions on the spot; and provide a perspective, which helps in preparing oneself for unexpected questions on D-Day.
PDP Personalised is a good program, as the mentors provided are highly experienced. Hearing supportive words from them adds to your confidence and performance, thus enabling you to be more confident and better prepared for the interviews.
The sessions with Gopi sir were extremely interactive. Whether it was a doubt session or mock PI, every aspect of preparation was taken care of by him, and every minute detail observed. He highlighted all those areas in which improvement was needed; and suggested the right way to do it. It helped me in personality development and confidence building. He guided me a lot in content development too. The PDP Personalised program is an effective tool to prepare for an interview. It helped me think in a different way; and gave me confidence, which is the most important aspect of one's personality.
Right from the day when I was assigned to Gopi sir, he has been affable and easy to approach. His remarks on the forms filled for SPJIMR gave me a lot of confidence. He did not restrict his relationship to that between a mentor and mentee; instead, he comforted me by talking about the career options, paths, and steps to be taken to build my career. His knowledge of almost everything we spoke about was extraordinary. I was fortunate enough to have such a wise and supportive mentor to guide me in my journey.
The PDP Personalised program is truly a unique one; and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is aiming to get into a top B-school.
I love connecting with people, and seeing things as if I were in their shoes. This helps me approach a solution with empathy. An understanding of the other's POV helps me represent their case in a very strong way; and take decisions in a compassionate, win-win fashion.
I love discussions on abstract topics, like philosophy, eschatology, and comparative religion. This might suggest that if a topic interests me, I can get very deep into it.
Additionally, it has helped me handle ambiguity over a period. When I started out, ambiguous situations used to really make me nervous. Now, due to conscious efforts, I have been able to sort that out.
My next fear to overcome is to cross the bridge of too-much-detail. Once I get out of this obsession with trivia, I really would love to gain some semblance of control over my being an emotional person.
"Mr. 'Optimistic'"
"The Best Teacher"
"The Best Motivator"
"Catalyst to progress"
A versatile Tamil poet, whose poems ranged from social, national, religious, personal topics, but each with words incredibly deep in meaning & extremely moving in rendition. Precis writing has never been my forte. And I admire him for being somebody who managed to pack so much in every poem of his.
It sounds cliched, but my mother remains my role model. I know the struggles she has had to undergo; but the fighter in her has been firing her up till date to live life to the fullest. I wonder if I can show even half of her determination & zest; and if I do, I would be making serious progress on many fronts in my life.
Tennis excites him; he is an ardent fan of both Roger Federer & Novak Djokovic
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Loves Asterix from the French comics series 'The Adventures of Asterix'
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The topics of philosophy, eschatology, and comparative religion interets him a lot
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Keenly enjoys Tamil historical fiction and books on anthropology, consumer behavior
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Finish reading The Bhagavad Gita, The Bible, and the Tamil classic 'Tirumurai'
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Loves dogs; has two of them. Also takes care of four strays: two near his office, & two his home
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