From Civil Engineering to MBA: My Path to Success

My name is Sachin Kumar Singh, and I am currently pursuing my Masters of Business Administration (MBA) at KIIT School of Management, KIIT University, located in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha.  

After completing my bachelor's in Civil Engineering in 2019, I worked in the construction and consulting sector with Simplex Infrastructures Limited and Ernst and Young LLP for 32 months. While I was working, I realized that pursuing an MBA from a good institute would help me reach a good position with a decent package in the sectors I have worked. As we know that India is a developing country, and the amount of investment in the infrastructure sector has increased significantly as compared to previous times. And nowadays, there is a demand for techno managers.

So, I started searching for institutes that could offer me a good learning experience and good placement opportunities. Also, long conversations with seniors and professors from my graduation college helped me to a greater extent in deciding the college. Some of the recommended private institutes were BIMTECH Noida, Amity University, Delhi, KIIT, Bhubaneswar, etc. Shiksha also helped me a lot while comparing these institutes in terms of ROI, facilities, faculties, etc. Reviews at Shiksha about various business schools also helped me to get insights from students' points of view. As I was working in Bhubaneswar, it was easier for me to know more about the KIIT School of Management in detail. Being an alum of KIIT University, I was familiar with the processes and its infrastructure. And finally, I decided to appear for the entrance test at KIIT. The selection process was composed of three steps: a written test, a group discussion, and a personal interview. And within a week the results were announced after a personal interview.

KIIT has been ranked among the top private universities in the country. KSOM campus is one of the greenest campuses of the university and the entire campus is spread across an area of 35 acres. KSOM is known for its quality education and innovative curriculum. Most of the faculties are from reputed institutes such as IIT, IIM, XLRI, etc. They are very helpful and supportive, they always encourage us to take part in various activities and events which take place around the year at KSOM and other business schools. Also, KIIT has been named an Institute of Eminence, among the top 20 in India. I have enrolled myself in a Two-Year Full-Time residential MBA programme at KIIT School of Management for the academic session 2022-24. The regular classes commenced on July 04, 2022, and currently, I am in my second semester. For me, it was exciting to again indulge in various classroom activities after a gap of three years and make new friends. 

I have also received an internship opportunity from Saint-Gobain for my Summer Internship Program (SIP) which is scheduled to start on 15th May 2022. My prior experience at Simplex and E&Y helped me a lot to bag the internship. My interview was mainly about my area of work and what I have learned working in such organizations. For SIPs, there is a particular procedure we all have to go through the selection procedure as set by various industries and organizations coming for the internship program. Almost all the SIPs are paid, but the stipend amount varies from organization to organization. Mine will be a two-month field internship based in Varanasi. The internship can sometimes also be completed online, depending on the job role.

At the end of the first year, we would be selecting our specialization depending on our goals and interests. Apart from general specialization, KSOM offers two-year specialization courses in Business Analytics, Healthcare Management, Supply Chain Management, and Construction Management. I will be taking Marketing and Business Analytics as my two major specializations. Because analytics nowadays is applicable to all fields and sectors. All organizations are using analytics to efficiently utilize their resources and for optimum results.

I would also like to share how extra-curricular activities and national-level conferences at KSOM have helped me in building my confidence and interpersonal skills. When I joined KSOM, I was too shy to share my thoughts with other people, but as time is passing I think I have evolved into a much better individual. I am also a member of the Student Placement Committee (SPC) of my batch, which gives me an opportunity to work closely with the placement cell and learn new skills. Recently, on the 6th and 7th of February, 2023, we had our annual mega B school fest, Kolosseum and Kuriocity 2023, which was a 2-day long event with 34 events including cultural, sports, and fun events. Some of the events included Fincross, Koncept Konnect, Sage Guide, etc. The fest provides a platform for various graduate and postgraduate students to compete in various activities and develop their skills. I too participated in two events and I got to learn too many things.

Overall, I am happy with my decision of choosing KSOM for my MBA.

About the Author

Sachin Singh is a Civil Engineer with proven experience in site management, sub-contractors billing, and liquid waste management.