My Journey at SP Jain: The one I’ll Always Cherish
I have always been an enthusiastic learner, wanting to explore the world. The zeal to excel in everything I do gave me a consistent academic background. I pursued E&TC Engineering from the Pune Institute of Computer Technology because of my interest in technology. However, the business world has always fascinated me, so I did my master’s in business administration. I prepared for the CAT exam in my Final Year of Engineering. The syllabus was challenging, but the joy I derived from solving the complex math sums and decoding logical reasoning problems made it worth it! Preparing for interviews and doing the applications was a phase filled with immense learning. A phase I thoroughly enjoyed!
That was my life before I got an offer letter from the SP Jain School of Global Management. I was thrilled for the new chapter, where I had to step out of my comfort zone. As exciting as it was, it had its challenges. My specialisation was in Finance in the MBA program at SP Jain Global. As an engineering student without work experience, I initially found finance naturally challenging. However, the faculty at SP Jain Global made the learning experience so seamless and smooth that I started liking the subjects.
I found corporate finance, Mergers and acquisitions, Business valuation, Equity analysis and portfolio management, and financial risk management relevant and exciting. The school has outstanding professors, and their assignments have pushed me to think outside the box and sharpen my critical thinking abilities. The assignments and projects were usually done in groups, which made me comfortable working in teams and building leadership qualities. The deliverables, in the form of pitches and presentations, helped me enhance my communication skills and instilled confidence in me. These things were shaping me for my career.
Another fascinating thing about the curriculum is that it has the latest subjects, such as design thinking, fintech, and Blue Ocean Strategy. It ensured we were current with what was happening in the industry. We also had an industry project that gave us hands-on experience in implementing the concepts we learned in our course, and we worked with great companies like First Abu Dhabi Bank, Quest Marine, and London Capital.
Not just academics, but even the student life experience was so good. I was a part of the Global Learning and Student Life Committee. We used to plan fun activities almost every week, and we covered all tourist attractions like the Ferrari World, Museum of the Future, and camping at Sharjah. There were events organised for us on various occasions like Diwali and Holi. The hostel had become a home away from home indeed!
Placements began in the last term, and I wanted to bag a full-time offer itself. I was looking for a core finance role. The school had a tie-up with an organisation that helped us prepare for the placements by conducting mock interviews, reviewing our resumes, and mentoring us for the roles we aspired to pursue. When I read the job description of IIFL Wealth, I realised that it was exactly what I wanted: a wealth management role in India. Financial markets have always intrigued me, and being keen to explore them, I applied for the job. I got shortlisted for the interview. I was thorough with the academics, and in my interview, I spoke about the research project I had done on cryptocurrency and how I was trying to get the paper published. Of the five people shortlisted, I was the only one to move to the next round. I conducted a second interview with the branch head of Pune and a third interview with my reporting manager. Eventually, the Executive Director interviewed me, and I got through. I got the location and role of my preference in India’s largest wealth management company. I was so overwhelmed. At that point in life, I felt I finally achieved what I aspired to.
Soon, the convocation day arrived, and walking on the stage to receive medals for being a Dean’s Lister in two terms of the program was another accomplishment for me.
Along with a successful start to my career, I passed out from SP Jain Global with a great network, too. In the professional world, I have come across many alumni, and they have always been so warm toward me! It has been a journey I’ll cherish forever. It was where I made friends and had great memories, and it was the one that shaped me to become who I am!
On a final note: Never stop dreaming; the sky is the limit!
About the author:
Jaina Sanghvi, is an Associate for IIFL Wealth (now 360 One). With a solid foundation in Engineering Mathematics, her academic journey has been marked by consistent excellence. Graduating with an MBA in Finance in 2023, she has honed her skills to seamlessly integrate her technical expertise with the complexities of the financial world.
