I learnt the importance of taking calculated risks: Prasad Arun Desai

As I wanted to pursue Mechanical Engineering, I chose Science stream which facilitated me to get into my aimed profession. After completion of my B.E. in Mechanical Engineering, I worked with Kirloskar Ferrous Industries Ltd. Koppal, Karnataka for 2 years as Senior Engineer-Purchase and as I found limited scope to work in Purchase, I thought to pursue my MBA in Marketing. I chose KLS Institute of Management Education & Research, Belgaum for the same and the reasons for selecting this institute are:

1. The institute is better known for good placement opportunities
2. It is one of the brand institutes in North Karnataka.
3. The positive word of mouth from alumni of the institute.
4. Better infrastructure with a well-equipped computer lab, Wi-Fi enabled campus, library, research centre, gym, Sandbox startup Lab, etc.
5. Other courses such as Advance Excel, English Proficiency-STEP, CII-SCM Chennai, EDII-Ahmedabad, MooC-IIMBX and many more are offered.
6. Many workshops are conducted to get an idea about startups and entrepreneurship, need of Intellectual Property Rights, HR connect, Digital Marketing, Content writing and so on.

The main reason to select marketing specialization as a course of study so as to excel myself in the career prospects of marketing and to learn as many possible subjects apart from academics through online/offline certification courses.

To get the admission in this institute I followed these steps:

1. I enquired in the institute with the faculties to understand the process of admission.
2. I did prior research about the college such as enquiring with the previous students of the institute.
3. I went through the college official website to get detailed information about the institute.
4. Various online sites produce published materials and mock-tests that helped me to incorporate into my preparation.
5. I practiced solving previous years question papers of Karnataka PGCET and KMAT to crack the examination.
6. I wrote KMAT examination by self-preparation as I was working previously.
7. I cracked KMAT exam securing 89.4 percentile which eased me to get admission in the institute.

As I was well versed with basic English, aptitude, numerical and logical reasoning and a bit of General Knowledge, it helped me to write KMAT examination without any coaching class. The decision of doing MBA was all of sudden so I missed out on the opportunity to write Karnataka PGCET exam but KMAT exam was the other way to get the admission.

I was initially looking out to join MBA college in Bangalore but I thought to join this college as I can complete my MBA staying at home with minimum expenses and by getting maximum benefits.

In college, I spend most of the time with my college faculty members discussing new/upcoming projects. The next priority is spending a precious amount of time with the placement officer to discuss various companies and their requirements. I like to attend various workshops conducted by our college. A minimal amount of time is spent in the canteen with college friends discussing more about innovative plans.

I actively participate in the events conducted by the college, be it sports, cultural events, management fests, or industrial visits. I like to attend classes of marketing subjects such as B2B Marketing, Retail Marketing, Customer Relationship Management, Advertising, Services Marketing, Consumer Behavior etc. Other than marketing, I like to attend classes of Production and Operations Management, Project Management, Entrepreneurship development, Business Research Methodology, Business Data Analytics etc.

If given a chance I would like to help the maximum number of students to get better placement opportunities and will also drive them to undertake industrial based learning as I feel more practically the students learn, better the students will get their career prospect as they will be industry ready.

My experience in college has given me a chance to sharpen my skills in my field of choice. There have been, and there will continue to be, many opportunities to learn more ways of improving my interpersonal skills and communication too as a result of my time in college, which I am truly thankful for. I learned to be confident and independent and also learned the importance of taking calculated risks. I got through many ups and downs which will definitely help me in future to deal with any situations. In addition to learning practical skills, being in college has also taught me a lot about social sciences such as social entrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibility. Finally, the institute helped me a lot to cater my required needs throughout my personal, social as well as professional life.

About the Author:

I am Prasad Arun Desai currently pursuing MBA in the marketing domain and heading as a student placement coordinator for my institute. I have done my schooling and pre-university education from Kolhapur, Maharashtra. I have pursued my Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering domain. I have work experience of 2 years in Purchase Department of Automotive Ancillary Manufacturing firm. I’m passionate to do research based projects and keen to explore innovative things. My hobbies are driving car, travelling, swimming, and listening to music.