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piyushgautam2004
Joined: 21 Nov 2013
Last visit: 22 Apr 2026
Posts: 70
Own Kudos:
Given Kudos: 88
Location: India
Schools: ISB '26 Rotman '26 (A)
GMAT 1: 680 Q49 V34
Products:
14 Jun 2023, 11:20
Kudos
Bookmarks
Hi,
I am Piyush Gautam from India. I gave my gmat in August,2021 and scored Total: 680 / 81% (Verbal: 34 / 70% Quantitative: 49 / 74% AWA: 81% 4.0 / 18% IR:3 / 18%). I am retaking gmat this year.
My resume:
Education: I completed my Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science Engineering in 2014. I scored 72% in B.Tech. In college I got National Cadet Corps - B Certificate, 2012 by V.K. Jaswal, Brigadier, Indian Army.
Gap: Received degree in 2015 and prepared for civil services exam and govt. jobs and got an appointment in 2017.
Work Exp:
1. Divisional Accountant at Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Government of India from April-2017 – Aug-2020. Role : To verify the expenses and transactions incurred on projects, Balance Sheet, monetary bills of State Public Works Department including financial planning and wealth management .
I passed the Divisional Accountant Grade examination during job which included accounting and finance.
Acheivement:
a. During election duty I was posted as Assistant Expenditure Observer and was incharge of whole Morena, Madhya Pradesh District and coordinated with Sub-Divisional Megistrate (S.D.M.) and looked after the management of rally of Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh visiting Morena District.
b. I dealt with Members of Legislative Assembly of Madhya Pradesh when they came with certain bills and contracts of construction projects to be started in the district.
c. I led my staff of 40 employees and managed finance, budgets and accounts of 400 crore annual budget of public work department of Morena district area.
2. Tax Assistant at Income Tax Department, Government of India from Nov-2020 – Currently working. Role: Assessment of the income tax of an individual or a partnership firm or a company, Accompany the RAID team, Resolution of Public Grievances.
Acheivement: I reopened 12,000 cases in 4 months due to a Supreme Court Order and these coordinated with Income tax officer to submit reports to Principle Chief Commissioner of Income tax. In this process I led my team of 10 employees.
Extracurricular: I am awarded Meisner Technique in Acting Certificate, 2021 by Director of Indriyaan Theatre Group, Mumbai. I did 6 weeks Intensive workshop from November - December, 2020. I led my performance group of 5 artists and gave an acting performance in the theatre in front of huge crowd. I am also trained in Indian Classical Music and Singing.
I want to apply to following colleges for full time MBA:
1. Olin School of Business
2. Emory University's Goizueta Business School
3. Jones Graduate School of Business | Rice University
4. Mendoza College of Business
and similar.
I filled previous year Product Management as career goal and got interview invite from 2 decent colleges and said that I could combine my Computer science degree with finance and accounting experience and leadership experience to become a successful product manager but I was rejected finally. Some consultant told me that I should make career goal as General Management with Business development manager as desired position.
Please guide me : what career goal should I prefer between Product Management in Technology sector, General Management, Consulting in tech sector or Strategy? Please specify the desired position also as in some applications/interview it is required.
I am Piyush Gautam from India. I gave my gmat in August,2021 and scored Total: 680 / 81% (Verbal: 34 / 70% Quantitative: 49 / 74% AWA: 81% 4.0 / 18% IR:3 / 18%). I am retaking gmat this year.
My resume:
Education: I completed my Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science Engineering in 2014. I scored 72% in B.Tech. In college I got National Cadet Corps - B Certificate, 2012 by V.K. Jaswal, Brigadier, Indian Army.
Gap: Received degree in 2015 and prepared for civil services exam and govt. jobs and got an appointment in 2017.
Work Exp:
1. Divisional Accountant at Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Government of India from April-2017 – Aug-2020. Role : To verify the expenses and transactions incurred on projects, Balance Sheet, monetary bills of State Public Works Department including financial planning and wealth management .
I passed the Divisional Accountant Grade examination during job which included accounting and finance.
Acheivement:
a. During election duty I was posted as Assistant Expenditure Observer and was incharge of whole Morena, Madhya Pradesh District and coordinated with Sub-Divisional Megistrate (S.D.M.) and looked after the management of rally of Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh visiting Morena District.
b. I dealt with Members of Legislative Assembly of Madhya Pradesh when they came with certain bills and contracts of construction projects to be started in the district.
c. I led my staff of 40 employees and managed finance, budgets and accounts of 400 crore annual budget of public work department of Morena district area.
2. Tax Assistant at Income Tax Department, Government of India from Nov-2020 – Currently working. Role: Assessment of the income tax of an individual or a partnership firm or a company, Accompany the RAID team, Resolution of Public Grievances.
Acheivement: I reopened 12,000 cases in 4 months due to a Supreme Court Order and these coordinated with Income tax officer to submit reports to Principle Chief Commissioner of Income tax. In this process I led my team of 10 employees.
Extracurricular: I am awarded Meisner Technique in Acting Certificate, 2021 by Director of Indriyaan Theatre Group, Mumbai. I did 6 weeks Intensive workshop from November - December, 2020. I led my performance group of 5 artists and gave an acting performance in the theatre in front of huge crowd. I am also trained in Indian Classical Music and Singing.
I want to apply to following colleges for full time MBA:
1. Olin School of Business
2. Emory University's Goizueta Business School
3. Jones Graduate School of Business | Rice University
4. Mendoza College of Business
and similar.
I filled previous year Product Management as career goal and got interview invite from 2 decent colleges and said that I could combine my Computer science degree with finance and accounting experience and leadership experience to become a successful product manager but I was rejected finally. Some consultant told me that I should make career goal as General Management with Business development manager as desired position.
Please guide me : what career goal should I prefer between Product Management in Technology sector, General Management, Consulting in tech sector or Strategy? Please specify the desired position also as in some applications/interview it is required.
14 Jun 2023, 16:46
Kudos
Bookmarks
piyushgautam2004
Hi Piyush,
lets start with the GMAT first- a 680 score is definitely one you can improve upon. The b-schools you have mentioned here would attract higher GMAT scores from Indian applicants, so aim or a 710+. Alternately, you can also take the GRE if you think you ca do better on it. Time is of essence if you are to apply Round 1, so get done with the test taking latest by mid to end July. That will leave you time to apply to 4-5 b-schools in Round 1.
Your work experience is the real differentiator. Not too many people do an MBA with your profile from India and that will make your experiences and perspective unique in the MBA classroom. Now it will be your task to communicate this well in the applications - show your achievements and the kind of impact you were able to make. The good thing here is that all your achievements are likely to be on a large scale, impacting thousands of common people and involving several stakeholders from different departments, organizations and government bodies. That should help you come up with several stories to show your leadership, negotiation, risk taking, decision making skills, all of which are desirable in an MBA aspirant.
The goals- I am not convinced why a compute Science degree earned 10+years ago makes you the right fit for a product management career when you have not been practicing as a software engineer. I don't find it right to pick and choose from two different career paths without fully understanding your profile, so I will refrain from picking out one among the two options you have mentioned above. Do note that career goals are the most important element of your MBA application, so you have to do enough groundwork on determining what would be the best career path for you. I'd be happy to discuss this further with you after understanding more about your work experience. So, feel free to set up a call.
Among your choice of business schools, you could apply to some better ranked MBA programs if you can bump up your GMAT score by 40-50 points.
The career gap of two years will need to be explained through the optional essay.
14 Jun 2023, 23:28
Kudos
Bookmarks
Dear piyushgautam2004,
Below is my evaluation of your profile.
GMAT: Below Average
Academics: Average
Work Experience: Above Average; this by far is the highlight of your profile.
Strengths:
• Significant government experience, which indicates a strong understanding of public sector operations and policies. This could lend a unique perspective to an MBA cohort, especially those focused on public administration or government finance.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, as evidenced by managing teams of 40 and 10 in two different roles. This ability to lead teams and manage people is a highly valuable skill in business and showcases potential for leadership roles post-MBA.
• Proven ability to handle large budgets and financial planning, as seen with the management of a 400 crore annual budget. This practical exposure to finance and accounting is an asset for an MBA program as a lot of peers will come from non-finance backgrounds.
• Significant achievements like overseeing election expenditure and reopening 12,000 income tax cases, which illustrate initiative, dedication, and problem-solving abilities.
• Passing the Divisional Accountant Grade examination while working demonstrates the ability to balance professional responsibilities with personal growth and learning.
Gaps that need to be plugged:
• Lack of experience in the private sector or with entrepreneurial ventures may be a limitation. MBA programs value diversity in experience, and this could limit exposure to certain business concepts, techniques or market-driven strategies.
• The roles described focus heavily on financial management, but do not provide much insight into experience with strategy, marketing, operations, or other important business functions. The lack of breadth in experience could be a disadvantage.
• There is no clear indication of international exposure or experience working in a multicultural environment, which are important aspects for global MBA programs.
• There's a lack of explicit mention of key soft skills such as negotiation, communication, conflict resolution, etc. These are critical for MBA admission as well as post-MBA success.
Extracurriculars: Average ; demonstrates the creative side of you and that is a proxy of multi dimensional personality, which adcoms look for in applicants.
Goals: Evaluate different goals from the lens of the X+Y=Z framework; where X is a list of all skillsets you currently possess, Z is a list of all skillsets you require to succeed in your post MBA career goal and Y is a list of skills you aim to gain from the MBA. With your quantum of experience, as a thumb rule, Y <= 40% of Z.
Also bear in mind that US public sector and Govt. administration is different from how things operate in India. Since you will go with only Indian public sector experience, you have to clear state how you can add value to the US market and its ecosystem.
Schools with probability of success:
Olin | Medium
Emory | Low
Jones | High
Mendoza | High
I have been guiding applicants in their admission journeys for last 6+ years and would be happy to help you in your endeavour as well. Feel free to reach out to me at +91-9701215544 if you seek professional assistance.
Cheers and all the best !
Below is my evaluation of your profile.
GMAT: Below Average
Academics: Average
Work Experience: Above Average; this by far is the highlight of your profile.
Strengths:
• Significant government experience, which indicates a strong understanding of public sector operations and policies. This could lend a unique perspective to an MBA cohort, especially those focused on public administration or government finance.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, as evidenced by managing teams of 40 and 10 in two different roles. This ability to lead teams and manage people is a highly valuable skill in business and showcases potential for leadership roles post-MBA.
• Proven ability to handle large budgets and financial planning, as seen with the management of a 400 crore annual budget. This practical exposure to finance and accounting is an asset for an MBA program as a lot of peers will come from non-finance backgrounds.
• Significant achievements like overseeing election expenditure and reopening 12,000 income tax cases, which illustrate initiative, dedication, and problem-solving abilities.
• Passing the Divisional Accountant Grade examination while working demonstrates the ability to balance professional responsibilities with personal growth and learning.
Gaps that need to be plugged:
• Lack of experience in the private sector or with entrepreneurial ventures may be a limitation. MBA programs value diversity in experience, and this could limit exposure to certain business concepts, techniques or market-driven strategies.
• The roles described focus heavily on financial management, but do not provide much insight into experience with strategy, marketing, operations, or other important business functions. The lack of breadth in experience could be a disadvantage.
• There is no clear indication of international exposure or experience working in a multicultural environment, which are important aspects for global MBA programs.
• There's a lack of explicit mention of key soft skills such as negotiation, communication, conflict resolution, etc. These are critical for MBA admission as well as post-MBA success.
Extracurriculars: Average ; demonstrates the creative side of you and that is a proxy of multi dimensional personality, which adcoms look for in applicants.
Goals: Evaluate different goals from the lens of the X+Y=Z framework; where X is a list of all skillsets you currently possess, Z is a list of all skillsets you require to succeed in your post MBA career goal and Y is a list of skills you aim to gain from the MBA. With your quantum of experience, as a thumb rule, Y <= 40% of Z.
Also bear in mind that US public sector and Govt. administration is different from how things operate in India. Since you will go with only Indian public sector experience, you have to clear state how you can add value to the US market and its ecosystem.
Schools with probability of success:
Olin | Medium
Emory | Low
Jones | High
Mendoza | High
I have been guiding applicants in their admission journeys for last 6+ years and would be happy to help you in your endeavour as well. Feel free to reach out to me at +91-9701215544 if you seek professional assistance.
Cheers and all the best !
