For Sidharth Rai, life at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida has been too good to be true. The teaching methodology at Jaipuria Institute of Management was truly unique. His professors believed that every student had his or her own strengths and they would spend much effort trying to identify these strong points , encourage them, and teach them accordingly. Sidharth believes that had it not been for his interest in Politics – which was encouraged and mentored at Jaipuria Institute of Mangement – he would not have cracked the prized profile of a Probationary Officer with Federal Bank.

“I was targetting the Banking industry and Federal Bank was one of my top preferences. During the Federal Bank on-campus recruitment process at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, I did fairly well in the aptitude rounds. I am quite good at Group Discussions, but so are many others. Luckily, the topic of my GD group turned out to be on the subject of politics, which is my favourite topic. At Jaipuria Institute of Management, I’ve been provided with numerous platforms to speak on a variety of political subjects. Therefore, my confidence was sky high.”

Sidharth cleared the GD with flying colours. The final round was an interview with the senior managers of Federal Bank.

“Before the placement season, we were taken through the recruitment process of all the participating companies, which was very helpful. Also, we were groomed intensely on interviewing techniques, during special sessions at Jaipuria Noida. I knew exactly what to expect, and knew that trying to be something that I was not would not work in front of these seasoned professionals. I was asked numerous questions concerning my background, and some questions about Banking. Very interestingly, I was also asked some more questions about the political issues and challenges facing the country. I realised the strong connect between the GD and interview and how the entire interviewing process is actually connected. I answered the questions as best as I could and in a pretty straightforward manner.”

Sidharth counts his placement as a Probationary Officer with Federal Bank as his greatest achievement till date. He believes that this is just the kind of beginning to his career that he was looking for.

“The placement season teaches you more about life than any other experience.Facing stern-faced interviewers, being asked uncomfortable questions, rapid fire questioning, standing out in a GD with peers, etc., is all a learning. The biggest lesson I learnt is that one must never loose patience; you are the right fit for some job and industry, and if you simply believe in yourself, that opportunity will come to you. Thanks to the grooming at Jaipuria Institute of Management, when the time and opportunity did come, I was absolutely ready for it!”