Core: There exists no client interfacing here. The marketing team explains the needs to the managers, who then bring it forth to the engineers. It’s like working in silos, where you're unaware of what the client needs. PM: You need to deal with multiple stakeholders. Client interfacing is there. You have the power to drive the entire product.

I was not chemical by choice, and neither did I have any clue about product management. However, I wanted to get into the world of petrochemicals.

Getting back to the “school” environment was overwhelming. Waking up every morning to attend lectures was a struggle. But at ISB, the opportunity to interact with a group of diversified individuals, learning from their experiences well-rounded my personality. ISB throws a lot of things at you, you need to carve your path or you might get lost in the grind.

The tag of BITS creates an extra impact. I think it was a factor that helped me in the preliminary round screening process at ISB. It also helped me get an interview call from Lummus.

Make sure you understand how the business works, how revenue is generated. Have an end-to-end understanding of how the process happens, right from the day your company bags a particular project. End-to-end understanding really goes a long way, whether you’re working as a chemical engineer or a technician. Unless you don’t have that visibility, you don't know how and where you are creating an impact.

Application Process for ISB: Apply for GMAT (the score is valid for five years). There are three deadlines to apply for ISB (Oct, Dec, mid-Jan). If your application is shortlisted, you’d be called for an interview. In the interview, you're asked short paragraphs on random things, say the black color. They grill you about your goals and work experience: why you did whatever you did. An often asked question is “why ISB?”. Then there are the standard case study-based questions and guesstimate questions.