Burning the midnight oil whilst working full-time in a corporate firm, Indore’s Janmejay Rajput cleared the Common Admission Test (CAT) with flying colors. It was his hall pass for bagging the best post-graduation college in the country. This, in turn, got him placed in India’s booming and leading company. He shares his story with Corporate Citizen, and a few mantras for success
He will never shy off or hold himself back while counting his flaws. Rather he would work on it and make sure to overcome every hurdle to master that art. Born and raised in Indore, Janmejay, a Kendriya Vidyalaya student, was always an average student in school. However, his basketball skills helped him reach new heights of fame.
While pursuing his engineering from Indore University, Janmejay never let a single stone unturned to score well in the exams. “It was crucial for me to study well and pass with great marks. I was quite good at coding and theory and hence, to score well in the exams was a piece of cake for me. That’s because I had in-depth knowledge of coding,” he said. Further adding, “After my engineering, I even got placed in one of the leading companies in India. However, I had other plans in mind. I wanted to work on my networking, communication and other skills to get a managerial post. Which is why I turned down the offer as I wanted to study further.”
A combination of both worlds - things he learnt while doing engineering and the knowledge he garnered while studying Marketing from SBS College, changed the ball game for him.
Janmejay was quite aware of his responsibilities at home. Picking up a job before appearing for his CAT exams would give him enough work exposure and also, help him support his family. “I changed two jobs before appearing for my CAT exam. I would say the experience was great as it gave me an overview of how the market works,” said Janmejay, who worked with Info Beans as Business Development Associate and as a Financial Consultant with Epic Research Pvt Ltd.
And now, preparing for CAT was a mammoth task but he was up for the game!
Taking the right kind of coaching for CAT was very important for him. However, as he was working, the timings of the coaching classes and office hours always clashed. “Earlier, my office timings were till six in the evening. Which is why I couldn’t attend the class. As I had decided to do whatever it takes to score well, I got my office timings changed,” he said.
It was quite a struggle to juggle between work and coaching class. However, he did not give up. “Determination always gets the best out of me. I worked till 3:30 pm in the office and would quickly go for my classes which were till seven in the evening. I hardly could get any time for myself, but as I decided to put in my sweat and tears, I never complained. Spending time with my family rejuvenated me,” he explained.
The CAT exam has subjects that focus on Quantitative, Logical Reasoning, Data Interpretation and English. The latter three were the area where he always excelled. However, he lacked in Quantitative. “The dream was clear in my mind and more so, I knew where I lacked. Quantitative was my weakness, but I never let it overtake me,” he proudly said.
So how did you conquer your summit, we asked? “It was simple once I cracked the code. I dug deeper to understand the concepts of Quantitative. Of course, it took time, but giving up was not an option. Once, when the basics were clear, then it wasn’t that difficult,” Janmejay explained.
"To excel and surpass all the odds, I would study for 9-10 hours a day, predominantly focusing more on quantitative subject. I took several mock tests where I identified my mistakes and loopholes"
As the CAT exam was nearing, he even quit his job to focus more on his studies. “To excel and surpass all the odds, I would study for 9-10 hours a day, predominantly focusing more on Quantitative subject. I took several mock tests where I identified my mistakes and loopholes. And working on it became easier courtesy of my friends and professors who always pushed me to work harder,” he said.
Things did work in his favor as he scored 88 per cent in his CAT entrance. While advising the students who wish to appear for CAT, he said, “First of all never give up! CAT is not at all a scary entrance exam once you get all your facts and basics cleared. Study for at least a minimum of eight hours and focus on the subjects in which you lack. Take as many mock tests as possible, it will make you exam ready. Learn to work in a smart way rather than toiling like a laborer. And most importantly, relax and take deep breaths every now and then. They are a power booster!”
Before entering the SBS College for PGDM in Marketing, he knew how strict the college was. Long days, strict schedule, guest lectures and much more. “With a packed schedule, there was hardly any time left to spare. We had lectures from morning eight to eight in the night. It looked like something I could never achieve. But then I realized, no pain, no gain,” he quipped.
He framed himself well in every manner. The studies were different, the timings were erratic and a lot was at stake as compared to his engineering course. “I took this change quite positively. Not that it was easy in the beginning, but the challenge was enticing. Back to back lectures and guest lectures in the evening, it was very difficult. We would hardly get an hour or two in the night for dinner before he hit the bed after a grueling day’s session. It took me a month to get acclimatized to schedule,” he said. Further adding, “What made things easy for me is when I realized that this sort of discipline would benefit me in the future. Once that was sorted, I, in fact, started enjoying the schedule. I stopped cribbing about it and understood the college’s noble motive behind making us follow a strict routine. It all fell in place!”
Janmejay with his friendsWhat helped him get a decent paying job with one of the country’s leading company is adhering to the college rules, toiling hard and sticking to the basics. “Acing in a subject is not difficult once you understand the logic behind it. But there is a lot that goes behind becoming successful. And one of the main and fundamental things that SBS inculcated in me was reading a newspaper. I would spend a few minutes before college to read the headlines which got me well-versed with the current affairs. It comes in handy during the campus placement process,” he said.
The college played a great role in shaping Janmejay’s knowledge and changed him as a person. “Before appearing for any interview, I would do thorough research about the company and also read up about their competitors. It puts up a great impression. For OYO Rooms placement, I had to overcome several rounds. The case study round sounded difficult at first, but I am glad that my college had prepared us for all the rounds of the campus placement. The college would take our mockup tests for each round which groomed us at a large extent,” he informed.
Currently, Janmejay is working with OYO Rooms as a Business Development Manager where he looking after Indore, Pritampur and Dewas. Talking about his work profile, he said, “Business Development is a team that is the face of the company. My work involves the acquisition of hotels, which starts by meeting up the hotel owners, understanding their business and what we can offer from my side for a successful business tie-up.” Further adding, “Although a start-up, I take pride in working with this company. This company is growing at a very high rate which is why I always have to be on my toes!”
Read up : Reading newspapers, blogs, books and novels is mandatory. It will groom you in an unimaginable way.
Take advice : Don’t shy away from seeking guidance from your seniors, family and professors. Ask them about the company and read up on the same.
Work smartly : An easy road to success is to analyses your goal and work smartly towards attaining it.
Be confident : None of your achievements will matter if you are not confident during the personal interview. Don’t forget to shine bright. You can do it!
By Ekta katti
