“My two cents on placement season in B-schools: boy, it isn’t for the meek hearted!” says Mansi with a chuckle. She has recently bagged herself a plum job with the multinational professional services firm- E&Y. Even though the PGDM girl from Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow already had a pre-placement offer from the company she interned with- SMC Global Securities Ltd., she had her eyes fixed on joining a Fortune 500.

Mansi’s friends trust her easy. She says, “that’s may be because I have tried to be around for them, whenever needed and that is a quality my parents had taught me, very early in life.” In fact, not just her friends, even the hostel warden was disappointed when Mansi had decided to find herself a separate accommodation post her 1st year on the campus. “She wanted to put me in-charge of the hostel duties and it was then that I realized how what you give- comes back to you in more meaningful ways than you can ever imagine,” explains Mansi. She adds- “be it my mentors or my faculty or my guides, I have tried to live up to their expectations and it was only around February of 2018, when the placement season started, that I could feel things falling apart.”

It wasn’t a joy ride early 2018 for this brave, young and dynamic girl. Having put her best in academics and extra-curricular, she had her confidence soaring high by the time the first recruiter stepped on campus. “I was rejected. One company after the other,” says Mansi with a smile on her face. With the first recruiter, she couldn’t crack the Aptitude Round. She sat for the second one and she could crack the Aptitude Round but not the GD round. The third process was equally disappointing. And she knew all along her nemesis- the tragic flaw. “Over confidence! I was being over confident because I thought I knew it all.” By the time Mansi’s 23rd birthday arrived, all her friends were placed. With a heavy heart, Mansi sat down to reflect on the latest rejections.

“My mentor Prof. Abhay Kumar Srivastava knew how to spur me right. His exact words were- had I been wrong in thinking you were the best? And that was enough to do the wonders,” exclaims Mansi. She promised him that very moment- “I would be placed by the end of this month, you have my words.” She burnt the midnight lamp, focused and determined to achieve big. 21st March arrived and Mansi had a mail in her mailbox with the offer letter all the way from the E&Y office, stating- “You have been hired. Welcome onboard.” Imagine the joy after the entire struggle!

So what are the few things that Mansi’s PGDM journey of two years with Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow teach her? “If I have to list them down in order of importance, they would be- discipline, knowledge across domains, and the importance of being a good human being, no matter the situation or the circumstances,” concludes Mansi sipping the dreg from her coffee mug.

This wonderful go-getter joined E&Y on 9th of April and shall be back on campus to collect her diploma on the day of her Convocation.