Very often, the choice of a course or  an institute is the determining factor for success in one’s career. Aims and aspirations apart, what you study and where you study make a world of  difference. Nikita Thomas, who hails from Jodhpur and did her graduation in biotechnology, chemistry and botany, is a first-year PGDBM student at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur. After her graduation, she faced the same challenge when the usual question cropped up – ‘What next?’ However, her dilemma was  soon resolved when a friend advised her to join Jaipuria Jaipur, as it enjoyed a good reputation for having excellent faculty, infrastructure and facilities.

She did, and she is enjoying every moment of it as a part of the Media Relations Club and as a member of PRAGATI (PARIVARTAN, a CSR initiative), in which the institute has adopted a village and provides free-of-cost education to underprivileged students. “I am also an active member of the E-cell. I enjoy being the campus journalist the most, because I love writing and sharing my thoughts,” says Nikita, who promotes and publishes the activities happening in the campus through this club. Her most memorable achievement is being part of the first national inter-college sports meet conducted by Jaipuria Jaipur. “It was so nice to see the whole college working together for a common goal  to make the event a success without any blemishless. We learnt about team spirit and cooperation and most importantly, how to manage a large crowd and be hospitable at the same time,” gushes Nikita. She believes that  it was a great learning experience; besides, the event helped to create a bond between many colleges.

Initially, Nikita was apprehensive and unsure of herself when she joined the institution, but the understanding and helpful attitude of senior students and faculty helped allay her fears and made her comfortable. She vividly remembers the fershers’ party, which helped break the ice between freshers and seniors and helped her make a lot of friends. “Whether it is sickness or personal problems, the seniors are always ready to help us,” says Nikita, who now finds Jaipuria Jaipur a home away from home. She finds the faculty very understanding and helpful too. “They are not only our teachers but our guides, mentors and friends as well. It’s like we can share all our problems with them any time of the day and they are always ready to help,” she adds. She is all praise particularly for ‘Nair Sir, Anvay sir, Sheenu Maam and Swati Maam’, who helped her with the business subjects in the first year, since she has a non-commerce background. Faculty apart, even the Director, Dr. Rajiv R. Thakur, connects very well with the students “and comes and speaks personally to the students about their problems,” says Nikita. She adds that in case of any emergency, he is just a call away.

Nikita, who sees herself working in a good company like ITC two years from now, is very confident that Jaipuria Jaipur will help her become a good manager. “I am very sure that the institute will be very successful in the future, as it connects with the students and understands the students’ point of view,” says Nikita, who is proud to be a student of Jaipuria Jaipur.

“It was on 23rd March 2012 that I got a job with TTK Prestige Ltd. as a Territory Sales Executive. After a tough selection process, just two of us got through, one from Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur and the other from Jaipuria Noida. I was lucky to have made it through,” recalls Abhishek Soni, a student of the batch of 2010-2012.

After failing to clear the Group Discussion (GD) for his preferred company, Neuearth Pvt. Ltd., Soni had to put his best into the second interview. Soni remembers, “It was a hectic day and I was under pressure to perform. I did not want to fail. We started the day with the presentations at 7:30 in the morning followed by an aptitude test. Out of 45 students, only two of us made it to the post of Territory Sales Executive.”

He believes that he could not have got the job if his faculty had not helped him crack the interview. “My teachers helped me identify and hone my marketing skills to be able to make it to the retail industry,” says Soni.

Today, Soni is a confident and competent professional who has started making a mark through his hard work. He proudly remarks, “Out of a target of starting 5 franchise stores by March 2013, I have already confirmed 4. My aim now is open at least 6 by the end of December 2012.” Soni has been able to implement all the tricks of the trade he was taught at Jaipuria Jaipur.

Soni is responsible for the complete retail management of 12 stores in the Rajasthan region of north India. “My job is to explore new markets and find clients for setting up new franchise stores in the region,” explains Soni. He is constantly researching and developing new leads to identify a client. Soni also develops negotiating strategies and positions, by studying the integration of new franchise with company strategies and operations, and by examining risks and potentials.

The most challenging part of his job is to ensure that all special events, visual merchandising and branding of the stores are executed in tandem with the plan laid down by the Head Office. He also looks after POP management and vendor management. Soni explains, “Since the business is new, I cannot make a mistake. I ensure that the staff in the stores is trained, coached, mentored and provided with a good working environment. After all, they are the interface between the client and the company.” From formulating online and offline marketing strategy to revenue generation, he has tokeep a tab on all elements. Soni then has to do store visit the stores to check on whether the agreed terms and conditions are being followed.

While Soni is passionate about what he does, he has a word of caution. “We have learned in systematic way but in the real world, we have to accept some chaos. It’s like the days when we prepared for our presentations at the last moment.” He adds, “Its chaotic, but worth the challenge. I like what I do and that’s why I have been able to achieve more than was expected.”

Sagar Agarwal belongs to the city of Bikaner, from where he also did his BBA. He appeared for the MAT and CAT exams. In his CAT exams, he scored a percentage of 94. 57% (scored good percentiles in both), which opened up opportunities for him after graduation. He applied for MBA admission to Jaipuria Institute of Management for clear reasons like its brand name, faculty, infrastructure, MBA course fees, and placements. He was also looking for value for his investment. His initial queries and research into top MBA colleges in India brought him to Jaipuria Jaipur and he considers himself fortunate for getting selected.

Sagar is a fun-loving guy who likes interacting with people. He is glad about the extra-curricular opportunities Jaipuria provides. He is happiest being a part of skits during college events, anchoring shows, and coordinating activities like the college annual sports meet. He also represented the college in ‘Chanakya’, an event organized by AIMA. His favorite, however, remains anchoring and he is looking forward to more events. “I have enjoyed academics and co-curricular activities equally, but anchoring was the most enjoyable experience for me so far”, said a well-satisfied Sagar. He thinks the sports meet and national workshop were the most memorable events of his academic life in Jaipuria owing to the learning and rapport building they facilitated. Academics mean a lot more than a degree and classroom learning for Sagar. He is working on his personality at this point of time and says, “My expectation is more for grooming and of course, learning the basic concepts of Management. I want to learn about industry expectations from a PGDM course.” A very optimistic Sagar is convinced that the institute’s brand will help him create a place for himself and give him an edge over others. In the few months that he has spent at Jaipuria, Sagar claims he has evolved as a person and a professional. He doesn’t hesitate anymore in taking his place in front of an audience and is holding his own. “I feel grateful to the people who advised me to join the best management institute”, says Sagar.

Sagar shares his wonderful experience with his seniors, saying, “I have found a new respect for the seniors I have met here. Not only have they guided us from day one but have also involved us and encouraged us to be a part of all college activities!” He thinks this cooperation and motivation are very helpful in getting a fresh student to settle down and find his way around.

The faculty support has also impressed him and he is all praise for the innovative teaching methods being leveraged by them to help clarify concepts. His basic satisfaction comes from the fact the faculty enables a clear understanding of industry concepts and their implementation by bringing industry interaction into the classroom.