Asia School of Business

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The Importance of Hands-On Learning, at Every Stage

Some define success as the ability to start their own business. Some, view the pinnacle of success as being able to spend more time with their loved ones, and on the things they love. For Ranjini Pushpa, her true definition of success lies in her ability to upskill herself in every level of her life. Ranjini started out her career immediately in the heart of corporate.

As an Operations Analyst in Goldman Sachs, this was Ranjini’s first major feat –even as a fresh graduate, right out of college. “All through this time, I was actually thinking of doing an MBA,” Ranjini told us with a laugh. “But after doing a lot of research, I realized that the full value of an MBA will be even better with work experience attached to it.”

So, that’s what she did. Ranjini’s plans to initially join Goldman Sachs for 2 years soon turned into 5 years; and she found herself in the middle of a huge promotion. However, she had a big choice to make. Would she continue with her aspirations to enroll for an MBA, or grab the promotion of a lifetime?

“It was a very difficult choice to make. I had some financial commitments, so it was very hard to quit my job.” But her thirst for upskilling would overtake her worries. Ranjini would go on to take the plunge, and send in her application letter to ASB. The rest, Ranjini told us, is history.

Breaking New Ground

Although excelling at her position as an Operations Associate at Goldman Sachs, Ranjini harbored a deep-rooted passion for digital marketing from the get-go. So when it was time for her to start her Summer Associate Program (SAP) with ASB, she jumped at the opportunity to work with Creative Switzerland, a platform whose main goal was to involve small-time entrepreneurs with the larger picture tourism industry in Switzerland through online workshops and other activities.

“A lot of these entrepreneurs were affected by COVID-19. So my role as a Marketing Research Associate was to analyze and implement ways we could change their business models from offline only to a combination of offline and online events.”

“Keep in mind I had zero experience in digital marketing,” Ranjini said, reminiscent of her time in that position. But admittedly, Creative Switzerland was a startup that would allow her to work from the trenches of SMEs, innovative strategies, and the frontlines of innovation.

“I was very fond of the founder that I worked with. She allowed me to experiment with new things, fail fast, then get back on my feet and have a great learning experience only in a few months.” During her time at Creative Switzerland, Ranjini managed to lead several initiatives on the startup’s social media front, as she built a solid footprint for the brand on various social platforms.

Was it challenging for Ranjini to carry out a 3-month project 100% virtually, while in India? On the contrary, it was a challenge perfectly executed. “Actually the challenging phase was not during the internship,” Ranjini explained. “ASB has allowed me to get used to taking classes online, so completing an internship wasn’t that much different.”

“I think we all need to be positive at a time like this. COVID-19 and the restrictions and the pandemic are all factors that aren’t in our control.” With travel restrictions in place, ASB has implemented a solid online classroom experience for all of its MBA students, both living in Malaysia as well as the rest of the world. At a time like this, ASB’s innovative and forward-thinking team are going online-first to deliver on the same value of the world-class MBA with the foundation of it’s MIT syllabus.

Upskilling At Every Level

On the verge of a brand new promotion, situated in a comfortable office in one of the most renowned companies in the world –Ranjini Pushpa made the bold choice of pursuing her lifelong dreams of an ASB MBA. Why is an MBA wildly important to Ranjini, above all else? “The answer to that question is very personal.” Once again, it’s clear that Ranjini is deep in thought.

“There was this school called Shanti Bhavan that made a very big impact on my life in India. Its overall mission was to break the cycle of poverty in India by choosing one child from each family to pursue an education.” Through a stroke of fate, Ranjini was chosen by the officials of Shanti Bhavan to complete her entire education in the school. Ranjini -who was the only one who was picked from her village-, enrolled at age 4 and studied until her 12th grade at the non-profit organization.

“While I was in that school, I realized the power of education.” “Even when I was in university surrounded by naturally rich kids, I didn’t notice the difference between them and me. Because when I think about where we all were right now, it was through education, and that gets you anywhere.” In Shanti Bhavan, she would never forget the wise words from its own founder.

“When I graduated from Shanti Bhavan and went straight into college, he would always remind me. Even when I got the offer letter from Goldman Sachs, he always told me not to forget about doing an MBA, and that stuck with me forever.” Ranjini’s story is as inspirational as it is beautifully simple. She told us, “Education is simply the best gift you can give someone.”

What would she do with her own gift of an ASB education? “My aspirations will always remain to give back to society somehow. I want to pay it forward, and somehow give back, even if it’s through sponsoring one child in the future.” Ranjini continued to voice out her support for the esteemed MBA in today’s climate.

“An MBA, I believe, is something that truly has the opportunity to put you on a different career path. It opens up opportunities, enriches your skill sets, and gives you access to industries that are picking up the pace in today’s environment.” And that, is truly a gift like no other.