The universe conspired!

I come from a very unconventional background, a Life Sciences graduate, which is core biology and chemistry, from Ramjas College, Delhi University. I was the secretary of the Life Sciences Society, and I happened to get into a contract that required a tad bit of event management, finance management, and business management too. I really enjoyed doing the managerial work. It was a huge learning curve as I had no knowledge of finance management however, I gained exposure and developed an interest for the same.

I applied and got a job in a Singapore-based startup, and was required to manage GetMeds, Philippines. I analysed competitive market space, proposed strategies to improve the image of the company, and ameliorated the user’s experience on the application.

This is when I started getting vague ideas about starting my very own business. However, I wanted to continue exploring. I thought enrolling in one of the best short-term entrepreneurship development programmes in India would be great, as I could get insights into all that goes into starting a business, and also give me the opportunity to be sure of switching my career trajectory from Life Sciences and Biology to business – is it for me?

Entrepreneurship at the top B-school in Mumbai

I had friends and relatives who had pursued management previously, so I knew about SPJIMR as the top B-school in Mumbai and the whole wide world. So. it was always my first choice. I had registered for their PGDM programme, however, I got an email informing me about a new programme called Graduate Certificate Programme in Entrepreneurship (GCPE) by the Centre for Family Business & Entrepreneurship (CFBE), SPJIMR which was a. A short-term hybrid programme, b. It was a specialised entrepreneurship development programme in India!

What more could I have asked for? I divided right in!

I was super excited to upskill and earn my certificate in entrepreneurship, without leaving the job that I already had.

Journey at SPJIMR | Expectations Vs Outcome

I identified as an independent worker. However, I learned with experience that there is no such thing as that. You’re always dependent on someone for something or the other. Even if you are a freelancer, you are dependent on someone to give you the correct brief, so that the output is in alignment with the requirement, in case of a challenge, you depend on someone for navigation.

So, Teamwork which is not just a business skill but also a crucial life skill, was what I was looking to hone. Business not only requires you to work with people you are familiar with but also to grow your network and work in collaboration with new people. You might not even have similar mindsets, but that’s what GCPE taught me – to be able to find a middle ground wherein you can collaborate regardless of the differences. So, the cooperative mindset was the other skill/ mindset that was what I was seeking to develop.

My takeaways

Since I had little to no exposure to business, it was the Graduate Certificate Programme in Entrepreneurship (GCPE) by the Centre for Family Business & Entrepreneurship (CFBE), SPJIMR where I learned a lot about Finance management which involves overseeing short-term working capital and concentrating on current assets and liabilities. It also entails managing currency fluctuations and product cycles, frequently employing hedging strategies.

Having a background in Biology and Science, I was accustomed to showcasing and presenting facts during presentations, however, being a student of Business required me to master the art of “pitching”, presenting, and selling my ideas. At the fag end of the programme, my peers and I were required to collaborate with new faces and pitch our final ideas to investors.

I also developed listening skills – to listen effectively, understand deeply, and put my point across politely, yet firmly, without offending the listener.

SPJIMR is one of the top B-schools in India and everybody is aware of that, so having that branding added value to my resume. Additionally, I was exposed to its world-class faculty and alumni network. Every professor and faculty member I spoke to had something or the other to offer. I learned how to present and conduct myself in front of industry leaders, experienced professionals, and in public.

I began working and building my profile on LinkedIn and got connected to SPJIMR alumni and faculty, which eventually opened a whole new world of connections for me. I got connection requests from professionals and even employers, automatically, and even landed 2 job offers – one from 4moles, Asia’s 1st and largest online golfing community, and the other one was a finance management company.

So, you can see that GCPE by SPJIMR clearly exceeded my expectations!

Would I recommend GCPE by SPJIMR?

It’s great to be financially free, have a business of your own, and work for yourself. There has also been a significant increase in the number of startups in the last 5 years, as compared to before. However, not everybody is interested and inclined towards doing that. Nonetheless, having pursued the GCPE programme, I strongly feel that programmes like these are extremely beneficial. Whether or not you decide to become an entrepreneur, you will wind up developing crucial life skills that take you places. I went from being an independent contractor to landing two great jobs solely based on my networking skills, and how well I conducted myself.

So, yes! I would recommend the GCPE programme by SPJIMR 100%, to everyone!

What does the future have in store?

I was initially planning to do the GMAT and study again, however, I am dropping that idea and continuing working full-time with GetMeds as I believe that would provide me with much-needed exposure.

Harsh Lather
GCPE, Batch 1.
Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Interested?

To know more, visit the Graduate Certificate Programme in Entrepreneurship (GCPE) page.

Register with your details, our team will share more details on the programme.

Contact us

Email: entrepreneurship@spjimr.org
Call: 9930937738, 8369819631

We would be happy to answer any of your questions!