Ashnil Vaitla
We bring you Ashnil Vaitla!!! He graduated in 2018 in the discipline of Electrical Engineering. Read on to know more about the razzmatazz from an electrical engineer to an IIM Lucknow graduate.
How was your college life ?
Participating in Robo-Soccer in the first year is kind of a traditional start to competitions in the campus. Participating in quiz nights, organizing and attending Fluxus, playing badminton, late-night video games, discussions and debates in night-canteen were some of the many memories I have of my life at IIT Indore. Forming a close camaraderie with my fellow batchmates, in particular my roommates, is one of the best outcomes of having studied in the college. We always used to have a lot of intelligent and lively debates about social, political, scientific topics, sports etc. We used to play a lot, watch an infinite number of TV shows and movies together, have book-reading marathons, stroll around the campus and a lot more. Furthermore, I also used to tinker with Arduinos and microprocessors along with focusing on my studies.
What are you doing presently?
After graduating from IIT Indore, I joined IIM Lucknow to pursue my MBA in finance and strategy. And right after that I was offered a job at IIFL Securities in the Digital Strategy team. I work in the retail brokerage business of the company. During my typical workday, I am responsible for overseeing the various platforms that the company offers for clients. These platforms include trading apps, trading websites and trading software. My team discovers what a client needs, prioritize what needs to be built or updated, test the feasibility of adding the feature and get it delivered. It’s a fun place to work at. Having to work in a small team directly led by the top management gives me a lot of exposure to new challenges and learning. My interactions are not just limited to my team but extended to the technology, operations, risk teams of the company and clients. My knowledge of financial markets, understanding of technologies have been really helpful at my work.
What inspired you to dive into this specific field?
I was always analytical and liked Mathematics. Adding to that, my interest in financial markets made me dive into looking at the business side of companies and not just at the technological products that the companies come up with. I used to surf a lot of stuff about how a company works and what made only a few successful. I then understood, doing an MBA will help me have a competitive advantage over others and pursue my interest in working in a position I’d like to work in.
How did you prepare for the profile?
I started trading stocks with the first internship stipend I received. With that I had understood how financial markets worked. I wanted to gain more knowledge from a business perspective and decided to aim for CAT. I got selected for the PGP program in IIM Lucknow. There, I specialized in finance and strategy. Learning about technological innovations and investments, gaining knowledge from peers and professors helped me bag an offer with IIFL Securities.
Your message to those whose dreams resonate with your reality?
You miss all the chances in life when you don’t try. So take risks, follow your heart, challenge yourself and never settle for less.
Summing up
Don’t just depend on the name tag of being called an IITian and courses offered by our professors to make you think you are one of the smartest minds in the country. Try to identify your interests early-on and approach your professors, mentors, friends and parents to help you take steps towards that. Friendship and bonding will be your primary takeaway from campus. So try to invest in that. Moreover, an all-round development is always beneficial. Participating in campus activities and competitions, being physically and mentally fit will be an added bonus.
