ICFAI Business School Gurgaon: Interaction with Tarun Sharma (Alumnus, 2008-10 Batch)

Founded in 1995, ICFAI Business School (IBS) Gurgaon is a private B-School in the state of Haryana. IBS Gurgaon offers only one postgraduate (PG) level course. Post Graduate Program in Management (PGPM) is the PG programme offered by the institute. Candidates who meet the programme eligibility criteria can fill the IBS Gurgaon application form either in online or offline mode. Final admission to IBS Gurgaon PGPM programme is based on the marks obtained by the candidates in entrance exam: CAT/ CMAT/ IBSAT/ NMAT by GMAC/ XAT/ SNAP/ MAT/ GMAT/ CET (Maharashtra)/ Any other State Level Test (anyone) and their performance in the GD & PI. IBS Gurgaon course fees for the PGPM programme is Rs 9.09 lakhs.

Careers360 brings you an interview with Tarun Sharma, Alumnus (2008-10 Batch) ICFAI Business School Gurgaon. Currently he is working as an AVP at Paytm. In his interview to Careers360, Tarun shares his experience at IBS Gurgaon. What was it like to be a part of IBS? How did he choose this institute for his PG degree? And other things about ICFAI Business School Gurgaon like admission process, placements, campus life and more. Know more about IBS Gurgaon from an alumni perspective go through the complete interview of Tarun Sharma.

Careers360: Tell us about your domain and your work profile. At the professional level, did you pursue the same field you were interested in or you switched?

Answer: I have been working in the Banking and Financial Services Industry. My key role is to add value to business via technology. My majors were marketing with retail banking as an additional subject, this is what I continue to do today as I am contributing to technology products in banking.

Careers360: Can you briefly tell us about your career path so far?

Answer: I was placed from campus at a leading private sector bank to manage their auto finance business at the designated location, soon after I shifted to a global financial software product company where I helped in creating and implementing products across various countries in 3 continents. Recently, I have joined one of the top Internet companies of India and would be contributing to their lending initiative.

Careers360: Is the Industry work different from what you learnt at IBS campus?

Answer: The IBS curriculum is very application based. The case study-based methodology combined with initiatives such as SIP, live projects etc, gives you a good feel of what to expect from the industry. One certainly has to learn specific skills once you enter a specific profile in industry, however IBS makes sure that your basics are aligned, so that you have a smooth transition into the industry.

Careers360: How do you think your time in IBS has added value to your life, both professional and personal?

Answer: On the professional front, especially for freshers, IBS for almost the first time in life creates an environment of firsthand experience of how working in industry feels like. With summer internship and case study-based methodology, IBS ensures that you develop advanced skills to handle what’s coming next. Skills such as team work, problem solving, thriving in high performance competitive culture coupled with deep knowledge of one’s domain like marketing, finance, HR helps in creating a great overall readiness for the professional world. On a personal level, the grueling program helps you become extremely resilient, enhances your interpersonal skills, teaches you to make connections for life, all while having a lot of fun along the way.

Careers360: What was your initial thought process when you joined IBS campus?

Answer: I was an engineering background student, my first thought was a sense of anxiety because I was supposed to study finance, accounting etc. I am sure it would have been similar for other backgrounds as there are subjects outside everyone’s comfort zone in management education. However, the way our program was structured, every student was given an opportunity to brush up the basics and come at par before the actual program started which I felt was very thoughtful and allowed for a soft landing into the program for everyone.

Careers360: You must have spent a memorable time at your campus. Do you miss being a part of it? Share a few good memories.

Answer: I would have countless good memories, be it preparing for an internal examination with friends overnight, or preparing for a business plan competition or preparing for fresher’s day performance. One thing I can assure you is that every day spent at IBS is a happening day, you would be so consumed into tasks, assignments, extracurricular that you’d almost be lost in perfection of the program for 2 years and before you realize this time would slip away. So, I’d recommend to every one joining or planning to join IBS to be ready for an amazing joyride and enjoy every single bit of it.

Careers360: Apart from academics, what were the other activities you were involved in and how did it enrich your life?

Answer: I was involved in a lot of other activities, you would find me doing live projects to gain more industry experience, you’d also find me performing in college events be it freshers, farewell, college fest-singing, dancing, rapping etc. Make no mistake, the program academically is very demanding, however the environment lifts your spirit so much that you somehow create time and energy to do all the other extracurricular things, and believe me there’s no dearth of it at IBS.

Careers360: How did you keep updated with the industrial requirements and what was the role of the institute in it?

Answer: The faculty at IBS are always connected with industry, they know what’s happening around and are very updated. So, the first major source of learning is them. Apart from that, guest lectures from industry experts, alumni, company interactions etc. were all arranged regularly on campus allowing us to get a peep inside what was actually happening on the ground. Additionally, the culture at IBS is such that it promotes being updated, so most of the students would develop habits of regularly reading newspapers/magazines or browsing through the internet. Lastly, summer internship and live projects were two direct ways of getting an exposure to industry which were again organized by IBS and to my belief SIP at IBS is one of the best executed SIPs in any institute across the country.

Careers360: You are a proud alumnus of this top College. What is the best part of IBS campus from a student's perspective?

Answer: A combination of excellent faculty, case study-based learning, industry exposure via SIP and so many extracurricular activities makes life at IBS campus a completely differentiated learning experience.

Careers360: What is your suggestion/guidance for the new IBS aspirants?

Answer: Understand the process as IBS focuses a lot beyond just academics, know what you want (which campus, what stream), communicate it clearly during the process and once you get admission buckle up for an amazing joyride from becoming a student to a professional.

Disclaimer: This content was distributed by ICFAI Business School Gurgaon and has been published as part of Careers360’s marketing initiative.

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