Alumni Interview Series -1

As a new initiative of IMI Bytes Committee of IMI Bhubaneswar, we have started interviewing our esteemed alumnus and discuss about their experience. This time we got an opportunity to talk to Mr. Saquib Nafis who has completed his PGDM from IMI Bhubaneswar in 2022 and we are sharing that wonderful conversation below.

Q. What was the SIP process like and what should we keep in mind?
A: I did my internship in RBI and I went through the fundamental basics of what RBI does, what is repo rate, and other basics. I also went through what the other interns who have worked in RBI had to say about their experience and I got to know that you have to mention an area in which you are interested in doing your research. I don’t remember what area I mentioned in the interview but I did my research in regional rural banks. So, the thing I’ll tell you is to do proper research about the company and the role you want to apply for and prepare yourself accordingly.

Q. Does the summer internship impact the final placement?
A: I am not going to play with words and I’ll be honest that your Internship does have a big impact on your final placement. For some companies, it does not matter but you as a student should believe that my internship would have a strong impact on my final placement and should keep your vision straight.

Q. What was the final placement process like and what will you suggest us?
A: Be very well versed with your resume because at times the interviewer will look at your resume and shoot the questions from there. Be prepared for questions related to courses that you’ve mentioned in your resume and the minute details about your research and other things because you don’t want to get stuck at questions from your own resume. Brushing up soft skills will help a lot because I’ve seen people who are not good with their hard skills and falter at questions but very good with their soft skills getting good job offers so it's not only about your bookish knowledge. Also, be clear about your vision and mission and try to align your answers with that vision and mission.

Q. What should we keep in mind before entering into the corporate world?
A: Don’t be rigid about the role you are going to be doing. I have done my major in marketing and minor in analytics but the role I was offered was of corporate banking and got to know how big the world of finance is. The transition is not going to be easy so give yourself some time. Be mentally and physically prepared that it’s going be a rollercoaster ride and you’ve to be ready to face challenges.