Tarun Rajpurohit's pivot from Pharmacy to Business Analytics required a strong locus of self-belief, confidence, and the right guidance which he received from Faith Career's Study Abroad Coach, Tanmay Singh.
#1) Tarun, can you please briefly describe your profile?
I hold a Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy and recently pursued a Postgraduate Program in Data Science and Business Analytics, where I applied my analytics skills to multiple projects and even at my workplace. I'm currently working as an Associate Business Analyst. My technical proficiency includes Microsoft Excel, SQL, Tableau and JIRA to some extent. I've also undertaken diverse projects during my Postgraduate Program. Previously, I worked as a Business Development Executive at a pharmaceutical company, which gave me a gist of essential business skills like budgeting, planning, market analyses and negotiation. However, I'm passionate about utilizing data-driven insights to make impactful business decisions, which made me apply to Ivey’s MSc in Management (Business Analytics) program.
#2) Why did you decide to pursue Ivey’s MSc in Management (Business Analytics) program?
As an applicant from a non-business background, comprehending the business facets required dedicated effort during the PGP and my professional role, which cemented my aspiration to study Business Analytics. Moreover, I wanted to bridge the gap between my pharmacy background and my growing interest in analytics. During my undergraduate degree, I realized the immense potential in utilizing data to make impactful decisions in healthcare and across various industries. Pursuing an MSc was a natural progression, allowing me to acquire in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience and contribute significantly to the evolving field of data analytics and business. This program, specifically at Ivey, aligns perfectly with my aspirations, providing a tailored business essentials and analytics curriculum.
#3) What were your top 3 reasons for selecting Tanmay Singh to be your mentor for your Ivey MSc application?
I was a part of several MBA/MIM groups on WhatsApp, and somehow, I got in touch with Faith Career and was introduced to Tanmay. I chose Tanmay because he interacts with his mentees with no middlemen. He had a non-business background and then pivoted into management, just like I was planning to do. Hence, he could understand me better. Moreover, it’s his approach toward his work captured my attention - most admission consultants brag about how they can get you in without being honest about your profile. However, Tanmay was an exception. He clearly stated in our Discovery Call that he appreciates & values honesty and transparency.
#4) What 2 tips would you like to share with an aspirant working on their study abroad application?
Everyone’s story is unique. Hence, be authentic to your story and share how you can learn and bestow it to your cohort. Moreover, be consistent during the whole application. With these small SIPs, you’ll be able to enjoy the compounded amount in the long run.
#5) How did you prepare for the interview after submitting the Ivey MSc in Management application? What all steps did you take to prepare yourself for the interview?
I categorized different aspects of my application. I prepared each separately—for instance, academic, work experience, projects, extracurriculars, and application components like essays. Make your story and structure for every situation into CAR/STAR format, which helps you keep organized and effectively deliver your answer during your interview. Tanmay already has a framework for this to assist you in documenting your responses.
#6) What questions were asked of you during the Ivey MSc interview?
Since Ivey Business School involves the Career Management Team in their interview process, most of the questions were behavioral in nature. Tanmay has prepared a gold standard document which has questions that he has collated from his students over the last 8 years. Many of the questions asked of me were from that document.
Some of the questions that I can recall at top of my head are:
Why do you want to pursue a business degree? [practised during mock interviews]
Have you received constructive feedback at your workplace? How did you respond, and what did you do? [practised during mock interviews]
Tell me about when you had to rally the troops to complete a difficult assignment. What did you do, and what were the results? [practised during mock interviews]
What business trends are you following that demonstrate a passion/dedication to business?
When did you last face a professional conflict, and what did you do? [practised during mock interviews]
Have you spoken to any of the current students or alumni? What insights did you get from them? [Tanmay's LinkedIn Networking Workshop was of immense help for answering this question]
What do you think about Ivey Analytics Lab?
#7) How do you think you performed in the interview?
My interview was quite brainstorming. My interviewer was an experienced Career Advisor who works with Ivey's Careers Services Centre. Hence, he pressed on situations that required instant introspection and on-the-spot thinking. Fortunately, IELTS Speaking section mock tests and interview mocks with Tanmay allowed me to handle it smoothly.
#8) You received a $15,000 scholarship from Ivey Business School. Congratulations! What did you do to get this scholarship?
I thought a scholarship was about selling yourself or a "Why you?" question. During the multiple & long brainstorming conversations with Tanmay, I realized that it is more important to demonstrate your "fit" with that specific school.
Talk about your application USP [Tanmay helped me extract this], how you’re valuable to the incoming cohort and the school, and how you plan to carry forward that legacy and value once you graduate.
#9) How was Tanmay’s mentorship important while working on the application?
I started working with Tanmay in early August and he immediately started coaching me for the IELTS (Academic) test. I received my IELTS results on 2nd September, and we applied for Ivey MSc in Management program on 12th September. Within 10 days, I submitted my application.
Thanks to Tanmay, we were ready with most of my application components by 2nd September. Hence, directly working with someone with rich and diverse experience and who knows what specifically the admissions committee is looking for gets most of the work done without overwhelming oneself.
#10) What are your final ‘Dos’ and ‘Don’ts’ for a study abroad aspirant?
Do:
Maintain a daily log as it helps you track your progress and avoids procrastination. [Stick to the Daily Progress Log that Tanmay provides]
Multitasking. Get comfortable with juggling several things at one time.
Be optimistic and have patience.
Don’t:
Procrastinate. Get the work done that you’ve at hand rather than piling up everything for the last moment.
Don’t skip school research and coffee chats with alumni and students. There are things beyond the website and reports that can give you leverage during your interviews.
Avoid stressing about the results; instead, focus on the process.