During the waiting time, before I got an offer from Clear Capital, I decided to make some good use of my time. Appeared for GMAT, got a score of 710, not the best score but I think it was a wise decision to not to think of retaking the GMAT. Finally it is a personal choice but I think the time spent in preparing and re-appearing for GMAT can be better spent in writing the essays.
Again there was a huge gap between the time I took my GMAT to my admission in INSEAD in 2009. I started the process in late 2007 so that I could apply for the session starting in 2008. My portfolio included ISB, Harvard Business School, Carnegie Mellon and not to forget London Business School. Was dinged (you got to know this word before getting into any school) by all but ISB, was happy to move into the interview round held in Delhi. I did convert this into a call (IIM lingo) but finally decided to reject the offer. A huge gamble, more so because things were not perfect on the work front. However, this decision had much lower risks attached to it when compared to what I did when I was in Schlumberger. I just said quits one fine day and packed my bags and left for home. What followed was fun, excitement and at times disappointment. Living out of a suitcase, if you want to phrase it.
I had spent almost a month at home after resigning from Schlumberger, no offers that appealed to me. Who says recession is the only time when unemployment prevails! This is a perfect example of structural unemployment (wiki for more). Some interviews were lined up, I went on to the last round for a consultancy firm offering services to the maritime industry. Consulting always fascinated me, so I decided to take this offer when it finally arrived. This was towards the end of December. Mumbai was my next destination, what followed was fifteen days of supercharged drama! I had some obligation towards my theatrical interests :).
Whatever, I resigned from that firm within two weeks and became a gypsy until I received the final offer from Clear Capital for the position of an Oil and Gas Analyst. Must say this kind of career change would not be possible today with the kind of skill sets I had. I must thank Gunjan, my IIT Roorkee batchie and Schlumberger colleague for passing me the advert for this position. Thanks buddy, see when you are jobless don't shy away. Rather spread the word and let everyone around you know that you are looking for a new direction in life.
The idea of an MBA became strong during the end of my first year in Clear Capital. There were some structural changes, the oil and gas team was no longer functional. I decided I should start planning for my future, MBA seemed to be the best option. However, my applications for 2008 were an outcome of my loss of interest in work. That shows my selection of colleges.
If one closely looks, there is no underlying common theme. I had randomly picked up four schools, the probability of getting into each school was different from that of the other. Diversification was the way to go! For example, I was very optimistic about the ISB call, LBS came next on the list as I was working in finance for a firm based out of London. Then there was HBS and Carnegie Mellon. INSEAD was always on my list, but I felt I was lacking the job experience required to apply to INSEAD. Had I been in Schlumberger for three years, I would have done so.
I did not put in a lot of thought into my essays, writing essays is not the biggest issue, its about framing your thoughts. I felt these questions were comparable to the essays we wrote in our exams in high school. I did not understand the purpose of these questions. Ok, they are used to evaluate a student's eligibility to sit in the classroom but is it not a mere play of words? Someone who has good presentation skills and is a master in essay writing should get through. Is it that simple or there is more to the question, "Where do you see yourself five years from now?"
