2007 came to an end and at the beginning of 2008, just after my return from London I flew to Delhi for a day for the ISB interview. Was initially horrified to find a strange response from the interviewers, "oh we thought you would not turn up for the interview". I think I had failed to communicate properly that I was going to appear for the interview in Delhi and not in Mumbai, my hometown for two years. MBA interviews, that is another chapter, I had four interviews and there was no similarity between them except for the fact that ISB and Yale were held in the office lobbys of hotels.
Interview done, got into my casuals and left straight for the airport, work had turned exciting by then so I was all looking forward to getting back to office to my desk. That lovely place right next to the windows facing the Hiranandani lake. Pity no-one thought of turning that place into a miniature queens necklace. When I finally got the call, I was not very happy. On achieving some things in life, if the happiness does not excite you enough, understand you do not actually want that thing anymore. Better let go off it and keep looking for what makes you really really happy. No words of wisdom from peers, family could lead me to ISB. Its an awesome place, but I wanted something else. An associate and a long time guide during my MBA application process, Priyadarshan sir had sent me an email that was in complete sync with what I thought. So yes, I did decide to wait for another year.
However, waiting does not change anything, simply putting off chores and taking them up later on does not imply one would perform better the next time. A mechanical approach to MBA applications does not help, that I firmly believe. So what actually changed since I had last applied? Everything at work actually!
The irony is - the more I liked my job, the more I used to put into my work and the easier it got for me to discover what I liked. Steve Jobs had talked about the connecting dots at Stanford, though I am still trying to get there, I completely believe in what he said. I was looking for a goal, a cause, I knew I had to do that "something" through which I could make a difference. My new found love for the area in which I was working gave me the direction. This time around when I applied to INSEAD and Yale, I knew what for what I wanted to do. It was so much more easier to frame those thoughts. I got through both of them, but must thank a senior from my Undergraduate for all the time and energy he spent on my essays.
When I started off, I asked him for his essays, he gave me a piece of advice which I thought was actually a way to shoo me off. Now, when I check essays I understand the relevance of his words. Initially when we start writing, we have a tendency to call up someone who has got through in the past and ask for his/her essays. We do not realize the harm in doing so, the human brain is easily influenced by what one sees and reads and listens to. Just while reading editorials and opinions of others, we are advised to digest the content with a pinch of salt. So, is the case with essays. In this case, it is much more easier to start adopting the writing style and the patterns without even realizing it just because expressing all those thoughts within the word limit is really not an easy task. This seemingly invincible task is made much easier if you have found what you would love to do.
