An Interview with Jalaj Mishra, PGDM Alumnus of SPJIMR Mumbai

Established in 1981. SPJIMR Mumbai is a private university offering postgraduate courses in the field of business administration and management. SPJIMR Mumbai admissions are given based on the merit a candidate obtains in the previous qualifying examination.

Careers360 brings you an interaction with Jalaj, who is an alumnus of SPJIMR Mumbai campus. In his interview with Careers360, Jalaj shares his experience studying at the institution. Read the complete interview to know more about campus life at SPJIMR Mumbai from the perspective of a PGDM student.

Careers360: Tell us something about yourself.

Jalaj: I have lived in Delhi for 26 years and this is the first time I have moved out of home to pursue MBA in the city of dreams. Professionally, I have a sales and marketing background with close to 3 years of work experience. Personally, I'm a very talkative individual and like to interact with new people. I like to sing, play sports and hit the gym!

Careers360: What were the factors that made you choose SPJIMR?

Jalaj: The culture at SPJIMR was the key motivation for me to be a part of this school. The value system of influencing without authority aligns to a great extent with my personal value system. Moreover, SPJIMR is a legacy business school and a pioneer in the family business course (CFBE) and social sensitive leadership (Abhyudaya) which provides a unique learning opportunity as I get to learn from the faculty who are handling such courses.

Careers360: What was the first thing that you noticed about the campus and life at SPJIMR?

Jalaj: The lush green area around the Bhavan's lake and the wildlife which lives there. I was fascinated by it the very first day when I was doing a campus tour.

Careers360: What were the initial challenges faced by you at the campus?

Jalaj: Figuring out what is where on campus!

Careers360: What do you think are unique facilities that are offered at SPJIMR?

Jalaj: For me the recreation center is a state of the art facility with a gym, rooftop turf and many other sports amenities.

Careers360: Give us a glimpse of the daily routine followed by you at the SPJIMR Campus.

Jalaj: I generally get up at 8 AM for my 9 AM class. The class venue is 10 minutes walk from my hostel so I leave by quarter to 8. On my way, I enjoy the nature trail. Upon reaching the academic block, I attend my classes which are 70 minutes long. I go to a Bistro between classes to have a quick bite. At 1:20 PM, we have a lunch break of 70 minutes. After lunch, I attend classes if any, otherwise I head back to my room and run some errands and then I work on my assignments and do my preparation for the next day's classes. At around 7 PM, I go to the gym at the recreation center. By 9 PM, I have my dinner after which I walk with friends or call my family and talk to them. By 11 PM, I doze off.

Careers360: If you were to rate one favorite thing at the SPJIMR Campus, what would it be?

Jalaj: It's the mushroom focaccia sandwich served at our Bistro. Too good!

Careers360: Peer groups generally leave long-lasting impressions and many times translate to lifelong friendships. What is your opinion on the peer groups at SPJIMR?

Jalaj: Peer groups are the reason the most demanding work doesn't feel that taxing. Also, peer groups getting shuffled helps in working with different types of people and also helps in socialising.

Careers360: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. This holds true for all. What are the regular fun activities at SPJIMR?

Jalaj: The clubs here have something or the other planned almost every week here. For instance, we had a bollywood quiz the day before yesterday and even the Durga Puja celebration was going alongside. So there's always something or the other going on in campus.

Careers360: Name some of the prominent clubs at SPJIMR. Which ones are you part of? Do you think they are important for students?

Jalaj: B-Major (The Music Club), SPin (The Dance Club), Trivialogy (The Quiz Club). I am part of B-Major and SPIn. These clubs are definitely important for students as they help them get away from the daily academic rigor and interact with a large group of students and have fun!

Careers360: Extracurricular activities cover a lot of things. Name some activities that you participate in.

Jalaj: Some extracurricular activities which I participated in were Football games, music events, dance events, movie screenings and quizzes

Careers360: Stress busters are important, especially with intense programmes of study. What are yours?

Jalaj: Mine is to hit the gym, go for a walk or play football

Careers360: In your opinion, how do campus life and interactions shape a student's life?

Jalaj: Campus Life helps students expose themselves to a new environment where they interact with a variety of individuals under different circumstances which helps in personal growth

Careers360: What are the regular events that are held at the SPJIMR campus?

Jalaj: Cultural events are a regular affair here

Careers360: If you had to describe your campus in a nutshell, what would that be?

Jalaj: SPJIMR campus is like a second family to me. Its basically a home away from home.

Disclaimer: This content was distributed by SPJIMR Mumbai and has been published as part of Careers360’s marketing initiative.