Dare2Compete IGNITE 2020: A coming together of the corporate world to guide B-Schoolers in the pursuit of a fruitful career

12 mins read

In a world governed by choices, we often are apprehensive about our decisions, especially when they are about to shape the years ahead of us. Be it as small as choosing the route to the office or as big as deciding the MBA specialization that defines your career trajectory, every decision you make has its own set of nuances, inhibitions, and constraints. To clear the lingering cloud of dilemma that hovers above the heads of many young aspirants before they set their foot into their dream B-School, Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete)launched the Season 2 of its flagship series, Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete)IGNITE 2020 - The Spark to your Dreams.

Designed to give young graduates a quick insight into the universe that lies beyond their B-School walls, Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete)IGNITE 2020 sessions were hosted on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook from 23rd June to 28th June 2020. The panel discussions were graced by the presence of industry stalwarts from major conglomerates like Aditya Birla Group (ABG), Reliance, Tata Sons (TAS) and Mahindra Rise; esteemed leaders from the Finance and Consulting organizations like McKinsey & Company, Goldman Sachs, ICICI Bank, and Kearney; to eminent personalities from e-commerce giants like Flipkart, Amazon and Cloudtail; and distinguished figures in the FMCG industry like ITC Limited, Asian Paints, RB, Mondelez, and PepsiCo. 

Students from various prestigious institutions like IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, FMS Delhi, SCMHRD Pune, XLRI Jamshedpur amongst many others, hopped in to join the discussions and interact with leaders from the industry during the Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete)IGNITE 2020 sessions.

"Bringing multiple panelists on a common platform is the best way to judge markets and sectors. Amazing initiative."

"I gained insight into the working of the companies I had heard the previously heard names of. Earlier, I didn't know much about their divisions, promotion, and Interview policies. As I am going to begin my MBA journey, the session on "Campus Life" was really insightful. Thanks for this initiative. I hope to watch more such sessions going ahead.”

Session 1: Interaction with Leaders from FMCGs offering Marketing & Sales profiles

The very first session, conducted on 23rd June 2020, walked students through the career prospects of the Sales and Marketing domains in the FMCG sector. Hosted by Ankit Aggarwal, CEO & Founder, Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete) the panel had Abhishek Dhawan, Assistant Branch Manager – CFP Delhi, ITC Limited (alumni of MDI); Paritosh Pant, Group Brand Manager at Asian Paints (alumni of XLRI Jamshedpur); Vaibhav Phadtare, Brand Manager at RB (alumni of SPJIMR Mumbai); and Sugandha Gupta, Senior Brand Manager, Juices Portfolio, PepsiCo (alumni of MDI). 

With a brief insight into the broader branches of Sales, Marketing, Branding, and Operations, the panelists gave attendees an idea of how the four roles are interlinked. Stats on the impact of the pandemic were shared, where Sugandha Gupta, PepsiCo, brought to light the example of a campaign run by PepsiCo - Swag Se Salaam Namaste, an initiative to deliver the message of maintaining social distancing even while greeting others. The panel members also talked about the skill-sets required in prospective candidates to which Abhishek Dhawan, ITC, revealed that CV credentials are of course important but they want people who are ready for change and have the capability of taking ownership. 

The session recorded more than 1 Lakh impressions and 26,000 views, marking the opening for Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete)IGNITE 2020. In accordance with the feedback survey, 92.6% of students really enjoyed the live discussion. 97.5% of the attendees found the session useful and 98.8% of surveyors were satisfied with the content shared in the session. Below are the thoughts of a couple of students on the session. 

"I think the whole session for me was a takeaway, it was quite insightful."

"The most important point mentioned in the session was that it's important to not pursue courses merely for the sake of resumé building.”

Watch the complete session here: https://unstop.com/blog/d2c-ignite-the-spark-to-your-dreams-season-2-career-prospects-of-fmcg-sector

Session 2: Interaction with Leaders from Diversified Indian Business Groups (Conglomerates) offering General Management Profiles

On 24th June 2020, the second session of Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete)IGNITE 2020 was hosted. The discussion embarked the students on a journey of analysis and insight into the General Management domain with leaders from major conglomerates. The panel had Vishwachetan Nadamani - AVP and Business Head for South India at Pantaloons, Aditya Birla Group (alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad); Venkatraman Prabhu - AVP & Head- IT Strategy, Planning & UX Design CoE, Jio Platforms Ltd., Reliance Industries Limited (alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad); Amit Chawla - Deputy General Manager - Group Strategy Office, Mahindra Rise (alumnus of IIFT Delhi); Jishnu Surendran - Business Development Manager, Intelligent Automation, Tata Consultancy Services (alumnus of IIM Bangalore). 

The panelists shared a glimpse of the characteristics of Big Diversified Indian Groups along with the impact of COVID on each of their companies. Views were shared on the essential skills looked by employers in prospective candidates as well as the growth journey/trajectory of an ideal candidate in each company. In regard to advice to upcoming B-Schoolers, Venkatraman Prabhu, Reliance, added that Reliance believes in “fail early, fail fast”, adding that failure teaches a lot more than any success ever would. 

With 52,000+ impressions and 20,614 views, the session witnessed an overwhelming response from students. 94.8% of the students who attended this session loved the thoughts shared by the panelists and believed it to be insightful. 94.8% found the discussion worthwhile and 97.4% of respondents were satisfied with their experience of the session. Below are the thoughts of a couple of students on the session. 

"I understood the General management domain in a different light and how one must look forward to and work for a Gen-man profile.”

"Skills looked at by the companies while recruiting - 1. Ownership 2. Entrepreneurial spirit 3. Open-mindedness 4. Learning agility 5. Choosing a company who's value system matches our own set of values.”

Watch the complete session here: https://unstop.com/blog/d2c-ignite-the-spark-to-your-dreams-season-2-career-prospects-of-the-general-management-domain

Session 3: Interaction with Leaders from New age Recruiters offering Next-Gen Profiles

The third session of Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete)IGNITE 2020, conducted on 25th June 2020, discussed the nuances of the e-commerce industry with eminent personalities from New Digital Age Jobs and Startups like Abhimanyu Shekhawat, Business Head, Flipkart Commerce Cloud, Flipkart, Siddharth Bhagat, Category Leader, Amazon and Sriram Kilambi, Category Lead, Cloudtail (a joint venture between Amazon and Catamaran Ventures) on the panel. 

Demystifying the e-commerce sector for the upcoming B-School students, the speakers on the panel analyzed the Next-gen profiles like Program Manager, Product Manager, Project Manager, and their growth prospects. The panellists also explored in-depth, the must-have skill-sets to excel and work in the e-commerce domain. “The ability to understand data to take business calls, ownership, and an actionable mindset are some of the desired traits of an ideal candidate for Cloudtail”, said Sriram Kilambi, Cloudtail.

The session noted about 76,000 impressions and 21,221 views. Amongst the numerous attendees, 92.8% of students really liked the session and appreciated the initiative. 94.4% of survey respondents found this session helpful while 98.6% of students were satisfied with the content shared during the session. Below are the thoughts of a couple of students on the session. 

"E-commerce is nothing but retail transactions on a digital platform, it's changing the market drastically.”

“I got clarity on where I need to devote my energies to ensure that my profile is in line with the vision and culture of the organization I aspire to join. A clear distinction between Product and Program Manager and their roles in building a product was extremely insightful.”

Watch the complete session here: https://unstop.com/blog/flipkart-amazon-and-cloudtail-discuss-career-prospects-in-e-commerce

Session 4: Interaction with top recruiters on summer and final placements - Reliance Industries Limited, Aditya Birla Group, Goldman Sachs, Mondelez, and Flipkart.

Session four of Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete)IGNITE 2020, hosted on 26th June 2020, spilled the beans on one of the most critical topics - B-School Placements. With HRs from prominent industries, the panel was graced by Kaustuv Bhattacharya, AVP, EA to CEO Birla Carbon, Head Young Talent Management at Aditya Birla Group; Ratan Manglani, VP, Human Capital Management division of Goldman Sachs; Sumit Premi, Head, Campus Recruitment at Flipkart; Kanika Gaur, Lead, Entry Talent and Employer Branding, Mondelez India; and Aarti Jhingon, Head, Employer Branding & Campus Resourcing, Corporate HR, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL).

Calling HRs from renowned organizations to shed light on B-School placements, Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete)IGNITE 2020 gathered insights from eminent leaders from the industry on Employer Branding, the changing aspects of General Management, Sales & Marketing, Product Management, Functioning of the B-School hiring process, and more. Putting the inhibitions of incoming students to an end, the speakers agreed on a common consensus, adding that even if the virtual mode continues in the future, they will figure out ways to carry out the process on screens. 

This session recorded 91,000+ impressions and 19,506 views. 95% of attendees enjoyed the session at large and gave it a thumbs up. 96.2% of students found the session useful, agreeing that it added value to this existing knowledge and 94.9% of respondents were satisfied with their overall experience of the session. Below are the thoughts of a couple of students on the session. 

"Make the most of brand initiatives and leadership sessions. It does not matter how many courses you have done, but what matters is our willingness to go out of the way to learn them.”

"What are HRs look for in a candidate's resume, the roles offered and management trainee programs in detail as well as the New Age recruitment process amidst the Covid situation across B-Schools.”

Watch the complete session here: https://unstop.com/blog/goldman-sachs-mondelez-reliance-flipkart-and-aditya-birla-group-spills-the-secret-of-b-school-placements

Session 5: Interaction with Leaders from Finance & Strategy Consulting domain - Goldman Sachs, ICICI Bank, McKinsey & Co, and Kearney.

The fifth session in the series, conducted on 27th June 2020, focused on the career prospects of the Finance, Strategy, and Consulting domains. The live discussion was hosted with distinguished leaders like Leah Zacharias, Chief of Staff team, Goldman Sachs (alumnus IIM Kozhikode); Souvik Sen, Chief Manager, Global Market Group at ICICI Bank (alumnus IIM Bangalore); Harsh Gandhi, Management Consultant, McKinsey & Company (alumnus IIM Lucknow) and Kartik Pal, Management Consultant, Kearney (alumnus IIM Ahmedabad). 

Breaking the glamorous world of Consulting and Finance in parts, the panelists revealed crucial insights about these popular domains. The discussion revolved around Strategic Consulting, the difference between Finance and Banking, and the requisite skill-sets for candidates who wish to join their organizations. In this context, Leah Zacharias, Goldman Sachs, noted that candidates must have a strong understanding of the concepts of finance in addition to the ability to read financial statements. 

With 17,912 views, the session recorded 74,000+ impressions. 87.1% of students who attended this session enjoyed it thoroughly and were impressed by the points put forth by the panel members. 91.4% of students found the session informative and were satisfied with their experience of the session. Below are the thoughts of a couple of students on the session.

“Don't take your baggage to the B-School. Stay open-minded and get hands-on experience before choosing a particular domain”

“It's been enlightening. I didn't know too many details about Banking and Finance earlier and their profiles. Really good insights for us.”

Watch the complete session here: https://unstop.com/blog/mckinsey-company-goldman-sachs-icici-bank-and-kearney-analyze-the-career-prospects-of-finance-and-consulting-domains

Session 6: Interact with young leaders and get an insight into how to make most of your Campus Life

Bringing the week-long Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete)IGNITE 2020 series to an end, the last session aimed at exploring the life of B-School students with recent graduates from IIM Bangalore, FMS Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad, and NMIMS Mumbai. The panel had Newton Bishoyi, BCG, an ex-Placement Committee member at IIM B; Bijayeta Pati, PepsiCo, IMT Ghaziabad; Jinit Dharia, Gold medallist, IIM Bangalore; Shubham Gupta, McKinsey & Company, ranked amongst the top 5 students in the Dean's list, FMS Delhi; and Ayushmn Sikka, Bain & Co., NMIMS. 

With a panel comprising ex-B-Schoolers, the last session of Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete)IGNITE 2020 focused on divulging into the life of a B-Schooler. The speakers talked about the transformational effects of life on a B-School campus, the difference between in-person classroom learning and virtual classroom learning, the importance of Corporate Competitions and College Societies, and the hows of making the most of the two years of MBA. Where Jinit from IIM Bangalore describes B-School as an “Endoscope that can be used to view your hidden talents”, Newton from IIM Bangalore adds by saying that, “there are only 2 things that you can do of the 3 things. And the 3 things are, Placement Committee, social life, and academics”.

This session raised the bar with a record 1+ Lakh impressions and 26,046 views. 95% of the total respondents agreed to have found the session useful while 93.3% of respondents were satisfied with the live discussion. Below are the thoughts of a couple of students on the session. 

"There are 3 important things to do in a B-school - working on academics, participate in corporate competitions, and join committees and clubs of your interest.”

“Everyone has to make a call on what is best for them for a holistic learning experience. Decide if you’d like to join clubs/committees or focus on competitions or other areas.”

Watch the complete session here: https://unstop.com/blog/exploring-the-life-of-a-b-schooler-with-an-iim-bangalore-place-comm-rep-fms-imt-and-nmims

Having witnessed an astounding response from students and leaders alike, the Season 2 of Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete)IGNITE 2020 drew its curtains to a close on the evening of 28th June 2020. Students had the opportunity to gain insights that will help them chalk out their strategy with much-needed clarity. On the basis of their feedback, we can confidently say that the current batch is stepping into B-Schools with unprecedented clarity. Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete)IGNITE 2020 sessions were able to shed much-needed light on the workings of the corporate world and the nuances of a B-Schoolers life. 

With a hope to have ignited the spirit of competitiveness in many young hearts, Unstop (formerly Dare2Compete)wishes the best to all incoming B-School students.

Godspeed!