MBA Is Not Just About Getting Into an IIM

https://youtu.be/BU2Zh76B4iI

We often sell the MBA dream in a very simple way:

Crack CAT → get into an IIM → get a great placement → build a successful career.

But what happens between these milestones is rarely talked about.

In my conversation with Sharmistha Halder, IIM Kozhikode alumna and VP at JP Morgan, we went beyond the usual “CAT percentile and placement package” story.

She started preparing for CAT after realising that her first job wasn't giving her the growth she wanted. Her preparation was not built around some secret strategy — it was discipline, consistency and showing up every single day.

Then came IIM Kozhikode.

And with it came something she didn't necessarily expect: constant self-discovery.

An MBA puts you in a room with extremely capable people. You compete, collaborate, present, fail, learn and constantly question yourself.

The biggest transformation isn't necessarily what you learn from textbooks.

It's how you learn to think.

How you communicate with different people.

How you handle pressure.

How you understand your own strengths.

And perhaps most importantly, how you deal with anxiety.

Because here's the uncomfortable truth:

The anxiety doesn't disappear after CAT.

You just get better at handling it.

During CAT preparation, you worry about the exam.

At B-school, you worry about academics and placements.

In corporate life, there are new challenges altogether.

The goal isn't to build a life without anxiety.

It's to become someone who can handle it without letting it control you.

We also spoke about LRDI — the section that troubled her the most — and what happens when CAT throws a paper that doesn't go according to plan.

Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is accept that a section is difficult, stop chasing what isn't working and maximise what you can do.

And then came the question I found most interesting:

After CAT, IIM, placements and years of corporate life… what are we actually chasing?

The answer wasn't another designation.

It was something much simpler:

Happiness. Peace. A life that feels right to you.

Maybe that's the part of the MBA journey we don't talk about enough.

The MBA can give you opportunities.

But what you do with those opportunities — and what kind of life you ultimately want — is something you have to figure out yourself.

That is what we explored in this conversation.

If you're preparing for CAT or thinking about an MBA, watch the full conversation below. I think you'll find parts of it surprisingly relatable. 🎙️