Written By, Radhika Taneja, MAM 2024
It’s always a bittersweet feeling saying goodbye to things, especially when it’s something you have worked hard for. Fortunately, this is not goodbye – just an onward journey.
A little more than a year ago, I remember receiving one of the biggest decisions of my academic career. I was accepted into my dream school! I was feeling a plethora of emotions – happiness of having made it so far, uncertainty of what to expect, nervousness about the challenges to come, but most importantly, the excitement for the beginning of a new chapter in my life. Leaving home was definitely tough but I knew this new world would give me memories for a lifetime.
As I reflect on the year that has gone by at LBS, I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude and fulfilment. Gratitude – of having met the people I did, of receiving the opportunities I did, and fulfilment – of truly having the experiential learning experience that LBS prides itself on, and of having made the most of my time here. LBS has been everything I had dreamt of and more. And the MAM has helped shape my journey here.
I came into the Masters in Analytics and Management knowing that I was passionate about being able to tell a story through data, but there were a lot of things that I hadn’t planned out. I didn’t know what my ideal organisation would look like, what kind of functions I wanted to work in, who would be the right people to seek guidance from, and how I could use my current skill set to position myself for success. However, as time went on, I gained much greater clarity, set achievable goals for myself, and consistently received unwavering support from LBS every step of the way.
The number one thing I learnt at LBS was the power of your network. During my time at the programme, I had the opportunity of meeting people from diverse cultures and backgrounds – each of them from different regions, speaking different languages, with different interests. But what was common amongst them all was their ambitious spirit and talented demeanour. Throughout the course, I had the opportunity of working with different study groups, where each person had unique perspectives and strengths to bring to the table. Collaborative projects and group discussions taught me the importance of teamwork, communication, and leveraging each other’s strengths. I learnt that building your network didn’t just mean having incremental LinkedIn connections, rather having a meaningful circle of mutually beneficial relationships. Your network doesn’t just help you grow professionally but it also helps you build personal equations to cherish.
As I met new people, I often received questions about why I chose a business school to study Analytics. Initially, this might seem like an unusual choice, but for me, it made perfect sense. The MAM offered a unique blend of analytical rigour and practical business acumen, which provided me with the skill of being able to make business decisions using data-driven insights. I always knew that I was passionate about data analytics, but through the MAM I got the exposure of understanding how analytics could be practically employed in different functions where I hadn’t fathomed it could reach. Digital strategy was always fascinating to me, but it was even more interesting for me to see how for instance companies in the luxury and consumer sector seamlessly integrated it into their business trajectory.
I was fortunate enough to have gotten the opportunity to work on varied projects that put the skills I learnt to use. The projects I did ranged from the experimentation of a website’s interface to a strategy to beat counterfeit products in the luxury sector. With every project I opened myself up to new perspectives and tried to question my approach to make sure that my solutions were applicable. In all my projects, I employed an “Answer First” approach, which helped me with both strategy related and analytics related projects. Upon understanding the problem statement, it’s important to identify the questions we want to answer, find out the gaps in knowledge, formulate a preliminary hypothesis, and try to work towards verifying it and seeing whether the results are statistically significant.
When it came to projects, LBS not only gave me the space to work with clients in the business spectrum, but it also gave me the opportunity to explore impact consulting projects. Project Aasha was an integral part of my LBS journey and gave me the chance to give back to the community I come from. Through the social impact initiative, I contributed to the digital transformation of an NGO called SEVA based in India, which worked for child welfare and development issues. The important takeaways for me here were not just digital literacy but also the alteration of communication styles to fit your audience, and learning to create an impact where it really matters.
While it is bittersweet to bid farewell to this incredible chapter, I am excited to embark on new adventures, armed with the experiences and learnings from LBS. Like I said, this is not goodbye, but a continuation of a journey that promises even more growth and discovery. Thank you, LBS, for an unforgettable experience – here’s to the future and all it holds. Here’s to moving forever forward!