Next Tuesday is my first final for this mod. That is followed by two more finals, one on Wednesday, and the other on Thursday. At the end of Thursday, I would be a free man… well at least for some time. I have plans to utilize the long holidays. First 10 days I am going to work on my career strategy and hunt for some internships. GBP’s result comes out on the 10th. So, if I am shortlisted I have to chalk out a plan to learn Portuguese, Chinese or Thai depending upon which country I get. If you’re confused, let me tell you about GBP. It is a wonderful program that tests your knowledge and skills against real world situations. Basically, you’re put in a team of MBA students from different schools. As a team, you work on a project from a client who is in a country outside of the US. The work starts in Spring and you’re given 10 weeks to complete the project. First 8 weeks you spend in US, working on the task remotely and collaborating on the internet. Last 2 weeks you spend in the country where the client is located to finish off the project before your summer break. Though you pay for it, GBP is an excellent opportunity to apply classroom concepts to practical situations and at the same time gain exposure to working with global organizations. To get in, one must follow a competitive online application process where you answer a lot behavioral questions and also give your preference for the country you want to work in. This year GBP has selected Brazil, China, India and Thailand, and my preference is Brazil followed by China, India and Thailand. Needless to say, one must learn the foreign language if they were to go to a foreign country, and this aspect of the program adds another level of complexity to the overall challenge. You might want to ask, why I chose India if I am an Indian. Well, another significant part of the overall challenge is to become a person who is fluent with the foreign language and who can act as a guide for the team during the in-country stay; a great leadership opportunity. I am very excited about GBP and anxiously waiting for the results. Hopefully, I would not be disappointed. *Fingers Crossed*
Second part of the holidays I am planning to spend in Florida. This is going to be a road trip from West Lafayette, IN all the way to Key West, FL and back covering over 3000 miles. I haven’t finalized the trip yet but it is going to be very exciting!