While growing up in Ranchi, Jharkhand, Praveen Sharma dreamt of going places and finding his own niche in the exciting world of management. Hence, he decided to come to SCMS Cochin on the basis of his score in MAT exams. For him, from among the top list of institutes, SCMS was the one that took admissions through MAT, so it seemed like a practical decision. Praveen had also heard about the impeccable faculty team, innovative curriculum and, of course, the placement record, which helped him make up his mind in favour. And today it’s a combination of all these factors that got him a placement with prestigious Deloitte Consulting India Pvt. Ltd.
Recounting his experiences at SCMS that has changed his life, Praveen says, “There has been ups and downs throughout my journey here. But I have been trained in a way that the downs never became obstacles for me.” He then talks being the overall coordinator for Shikhar ‘14, the popular management fest organized by his institute as one of the high points during his academic experience. He was also the overall coordinator for a research project initiated by Kerala State Government on Migrant Labourers working in Kerala in association with SCMS. Today he can count his placement with a prestigious firm as another of his achievement.
Praveen will be working as a Tax Consultant with his new employers, a role that has him quite excited about. “As a tax professional I will be exposed to a comprehensive array of consulting and compliance opportunities. I will have the responsibility to provide audit, tax, consulting and financial advisory services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries,” he says, brimming with enthusiasm. Praveen plans to make the most of the theoretical and practical knowledge about finance learned here at SCMS while he is on the job.
In fact, he believes that his learning from the institute will last him for his lifetime. “The academic schedule for various courses at the institute is carefully chalked out,” he says. “Integrated Management Learning Programme (IMLP) is a brilliant initiative that has helped all students. Moreover, a lot of emphasis is laid on punctuality and strict adherence to discipline, which we will appreciate a lot more when we start our careers.” He is quick to mention the importance of mentoring received from his faculty mentors in moulding these budding professional today.
While the focus at SCMS Cochin remained on academic excellence, a lot was done for students’ overall personality development, according to Praveen. He also talks about the weekly Industry-Institute interaction, where as a student he got an opportunity to interact with experts from the industry. These were just some of the things that made sure he was industry ready when time came for the gruelling placement process. “I had also done my SIP with HDFC Mutual Fund, Kochi,” Praveen adds. “It was initially tough to face the real corporate world, especially since there’s no room for errors and no one’s forgiven. I was constantly on my toes to make an impression, and that helped me get through the interviews.”
So now that he’s looking forward to a new beginning when asked, how does Praveen reflect on his decision to join a professional management program like his? Without batting an eyelid he says, “It was the best decision I took for my career. An innovative program like the one offered by SCMS Cochin is a result of autonomy of the school as it gives a lot of flexibility to the institute to design industry relevant programs that are in keeping with challenging times we are in. That’s what makes students more attractive to the Industry.”
Praveen, who loves to sketch in his spare time, isn’t sketchy at all when it comes to his future plans. “Although I don’t dwell too much into the past or the future, I would like to be in such a position that no organization could afford to lose an employee like me.”
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