The Asbians’ Alumni Bootcamp was a two-day event that took place on September 2nd and 3rd, 2023. It was a great opportunity to learn from their experiences and insights on various domains and topics. The boot camp covered topics such as internships, placements, certification courses, and more. Each domain had multiple sessions running simultaneously, addressing different aspects of the field. In this article, a brief overview of the sessions and the key takeaways from them have been included.
ANALYTICS
“If you are interested in analytics, start loving data.”
In the constantly changing world of analytics, keeping up with the latest developments is no longer optional but imperative. In this alumni session, we got a sneak peek into the exciting world of analytics, which is all about making sense of data to help businesses and organizations make better decisions. A group of esteemed alumni, including Uday Hari Narayanan, Jagadeesh K., Hari Krishnan, Sukanya Santhosh Kumar, and Kausik Kumar, attended this session to shed some light on the recent trends and the various skill sets required to sustain and thrive in the field of analytics. They also brought to our attention the importance of active learning and continuous upgradation of one’s skill set.
Moreover, this session emphasized that analytics professionals must develop a knack for business acumen.
The alumni then led us through a discussion on the impact and changes that have taken place due to the advent of AI. Humans still possess a distinct advantage in making the best choices for complex problems in a world where artificial intelligence is gaining ground. Although artificial intelligence can provide decisions, only a human mind is capable of selecting the best solution for each particular problem. They spoke of how, to thrive in such an era, individuals must hone both their soft skills, such as empathy and domain knowledge, and their technical skills, such as Python, SQL, and data visualization. They also advised that we must productize ourselves to develop and grow in this era of analytics and artificial intelligence.
MARKETING
The first session on “Unlocking Online VISIBILITY Through Digital Marketing,” featuring Ms. Rachel, was a peek into the world of digital marketing. She explained that digital marketing includes various sub-domains like pay-per-click ads, SEO, influencer marketing, and analytics marketing. She offered valuable guidance to those just starting, emphasizing that they can begin by using methods such as email marketing and social media. She also pointed out that with 3 to 4 years of experience, they could advance in their careers and even consider becoming consultants.
She spoke of curiosity, interest, and dedication as desired qualities for working in an organization. The importance of grasping marketing concepts, effective data presentation, and audience-building skills was also brought to our attention.
Rachel’s advice on creating a solid digital marketing resume, grasping essential metrics, and the unconventional working hours in this industry gave us a preview of how things work in this field. Toward the end, she answered questions about AI in digital marketing, her own work experience in a startup, and what it takes to have a successful career in digital marketing. In a nutshell, Rachel’s session was like a window into the ever-evolving world of digital marketing.
The next session was on “Marketing Careers: Explored and Unexplored.” This session featured five accomplished speakers who shed light on diverse aspects of the marketing field. Mr. Akhilraj Rajan, a product manager at Zoho Corp., was the first speaker. He stressed the importance of building a portfolio and shared his journey from sales to content marketing. He also highlighted the distinctions between the roles of product managers and product marketers. The second speaker was Ms. Simran Mehta, a senior analyst, who emphasized the evolving landscape of marketing due to AI and urged individuals to effectively utilize AI tools. She closed her topic with an intriguing thought: “AI will not replace you, but someone who knows how to effectively leverage AI will replace you.” Mr. Swetank Rajguru chipped in here to add that AI does not have the innovative quotient that a man does. Next, Mr. Naren M. discussed his career trajectory from engineering to pre-sales, underscoring the significance of long-term customer relationships. There was also a brief discussion on how one can answer the question ” Why MBA?”. Deepak Gupta, sir, added here that the key to answering this question is authenticity. Lastly, Mr. Muthu Palaniappan M. shared insights into his B2B business in the steel and cement industries, emphasizing the enduring demand for his products despite AI advancements.
Additionally, the session underscored the importance of personal branding, effective communication, and leveraging resources in achieving success in the field of marketing. Whether it’s adapting to changing technologies, creating lasting customer relationships, or capitalizing on industry-specific demands, the speakers demonstrated that the marketing field offers a huge range of opportunities for those willing to explore and adapt.
Ms. Anusha Venkatraman, a strategist at Netelixir, delivered the following seminar. She provided an overview of digital marketing fundamentals. Ms. Anusha began her presentation by stressing the importance of understanding the audience’s expectations regarding a career in digital marketing. She highlighted the need for professional networking on platforms like LinkedIn to secure internships and emphasized the importance of maintaining professionalism in communication.
The seminar also covered topics such as paid search advertising, organic content optimization, and paid and organic social media marketing. Ms. Anusha recommended a few certifications in the domain of advertising. She also touched on the role of luck in one’s career, stating, “You control your luck.”
The session then transitioned to her work on Netflix. Her work, she said, entails not only the delivery of marketing content but also the processing of data. She spoke of mapping the accumulated data against metrics and dimensions. Once again, the importance of tools such as Google Analytics and PowerBI was stressed.
The concept of 5 Whys was introduced, which speaks about a deep dive into data following the answers to the whys and arriving at a clear understanding of the data at the end of the 5th why. Further, anecdotes were provided to stress the significance of analytics in marketing. The session ended with a brief question-and-answer session.
OPERATIONS
On September 2, 2023, during the afternoon session, our aluminise Gopika Reghu, Gobinath J. (Senior Lead Functional Consultant at Olam International Private Ltd.), and Rahul Gopalakrishnan (BNY Mellon, Real Estate Department) addressed the topics regarding placement preparations, strategies, the efforts that led to their successful job placement, and their journey in their respective careers up to the present. They pinpointed the importance of summer internships and gave an insight into how well we should prepare ourselves before an interview by having a well-structured thought process.
In the next session held post-lunch, our alumni Anand Unnikrishnan (Assistant Manager (materials) at Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd.), Gouri Priya Jyothi( Process Consultant at Hexaware Technologies), Rahul Gopalakrishnan (Project Analyst at BNY Mellon), and Gobinath J (Senior Lead Functional Consultant at Olam International) dealt with the most wanted answers regarding resume enhancement. They explained the importance of having variations that must be done in resumes, mentioned the elevator pitch method that should be maintained to impress the interviewer, and also emphasized the importance of keeping team management as a skill in the resumes. They gave us an insight on treating a resume as a self-analysis report and pointed out the importance of keeping integrity while preparing the report, keeping in mind not to use unnecessary jargon in resumes.
The evening session was led by Gobinath J., Athul, Kaushik Shankar, and Gowri Priya Jyothi and addressed the very important concerns of placements, the interview process, group discussions, and case studies. They gave us insights on the necessary skills and certifications that are to be done in the ongoing course, pointing out industry expectations. Two of them gave us an idea by sharing their placement process journey, and all of them cleared up all our concerns regarding the placement process.
HUMAN RESOURCE
On September 2, 2023, the morning session was led by Lakshmi Ranganathan about learning and development. She started off the session with her beautiful experiences about her life at ASB, her internship, and her professional life. The key takeaways from her session were the requirements for choosing HR as the domain and the learnings on situational leadership, peer learning, and delegation.
She also mentioned possible careers in HR like talent acquisition and recruitment, performance management and compensation, industry relations, learning and development, corporate social responsibility, and employee relations.
The afternoon session was led by our alumni, Deepu S. Nath (Managing Director of FAYA 80), and he addressed the topic of talent management based on proof of work. In this session, he discussed the importance of maintaining ethical values, AI, and its control in the sector and also gave some insights on the difference between traditional talent management and evidence-based management, fluid intelligence and crystalized intelligence, fixed mindset and growth mindset, made us aware of the need to break the echo chamber, and reminded us to develop grit (perseverance and passion).
Also, he mentioned seven important skills that an MBA graduate requires: adaptability, communication skills, leadership skills, conflict resolution, critical thinking and problem solving skills, decision-making skills with innovation, initiative, and drive, and emphasized the importance of maintaining a LinkedIn profile, a portfolio, taking part in professional communities, having a personal website, and doing internships.
The evening session was led by Durga Ranganathan, and she addressed diversity, equity, inclusiveness, and belongingness and conducted a group discussion on these.
The key takeaways were not to be judgmental, be genuine throughout, and always respect the people in the organization. They also mentioned the importance of being a good listener.
FINANCE
There were three sessions related to the finance domain, two on September 2 and one on September 3. All the sessions were for one and a half hours and were attended by different alumni of ASB.
The first session was conducted on September 2, 2023, a Saturday, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.The session was taken by Mrs. Gopika Menon and Mrs. Subiksha Natarajan (ASB alumni) on ‘Tax and Banking Horizons’. The session began with Mrs. Gopika discussing the shift from physical to digital banking in 2023, highlighting the rise of neobanks and cloud banking. She highlighted the benefits of reducing infrastructure and making account opening easier. Banks are also investing in data storage and focusing on customer service to retain customers. She emphasized the importance of networking, HR, people management, marketing, and selling yourself. Banking is a career-oriented field with high competition and limited opportunities. Stress handling is crucial in the banking sector, as dealing with hundreds of customers daily is an art. Mrs. Subhiksha Natarajan spoke on the HR interview and the Deloitte Versant Test, highlighting the value of Excel proficiency and the fundamentals of accounting.
The second session was conducted on September 2, 2023, a Saturday, from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.The session was taken by Mr. Pradeesh and Mr. Arunkumar Iyer (ASB alumni) on ‘Investment Banking Demystified’. Mr. Pradeesh introduced Innocap, an investment banking advisory service for corporations, governments, and affluent individuals. The company facilitates financial transactions and acts as a mediator between companies seeking capital and investments. Mr. Pradeesh also emphasized the significance of financial analysis, risk management, and capital allocation in Innocap’s international business operations. Mr. Arunkumar Iyer discussed unique security identifiers like USIP, ISIN, TICKER, SEDOL, and LEI. He also discussed the major financial crises that have occurred in the past, like the 2008 US market crash and the 2022 Silicon Valley crash.
The third session was conducted on September 3, 2023, Sunday, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.The session was taken by Mr. Ganesh Siva (ASB Alumni) on ‘Newcomer to Leader: Nurturing a Fulfilling Career.” Mr. Ganesh Siva provided a comprehensive overview of investment banking terms, including SENSEX, NIFTY, BETA, bonds, shares, and derivatives. He highlighted the use of IRS for hedging risk and explained the definition of SPOT price. He also highlighted the contributions of the front, middle, and back offices in investment banking, aiming to ease interview preparations.
The alumni bootcamp was a wonderful chance to learn from former students’ experiences and insights about different domains. The feedback and reflections shared by those who attended the campus bootcamp provide important information about how the event affected them and how it could get better. Anusha Venkatraman shared her willingness to mentor students as she is from a digital marketing background. In her feedback, she requested that the agenda be sent in advance. Vignesh Kumar K. emphasizes the importance of managing challenges and focusing on domain knowledge for practical growth. Aswin Nair highlighted the importance of campus bootcamp for personal and professional growth, emphasizing the value of networking, especially through LinkedIn, and having a meaningful conversation with Mr. Deepu. Kaushik V. Shankar recommends that taking organized notes and adding a bit of fun and competition, like games, could make it more interesting for students. He’s also willing to help and guide students in the operations field. Gobinath spoke of the need for more interactive sessions, group discussions, and mock interviews. He also suggests doing a virtual bootcamp in December for first-year students to help them prepare for their summer internships. He is also willing to guide and support three to four students who are interested in the analytics domain. Jagadeesan K. suggests rerunning surveys to gauge expertise, increasing first-year involvement, and preparing students for common interview questions. Naren advises the students to make use of every opportunity and stay informed about their surroundings. Always utilize LinkedIn for networking and be professional when contacting people. He asks students to be open to asking questions. Finally, Dr. Nava Subramaniam, the Dean, highlights the alumni connect platform, emphasizing the institution’s love, respect, and pride in its alumni, who are seen as the institution’s strength and joy. She concluded by exploring the topic of professional networking.
This event was really helpful for those who attended, giving them valuable advice and knowledge to succeed in their studies and careers. We look forward to being part of more such bootcamps as students or alumni, as they provide an excellent opportunity for learning and growth.
Aiswarya Anilkumar
Susan Renu Varghese
Shubangi R
