Shatakshi Sharma (all things career & lifestyle)

MBA should NOT be your Plan A.


If you’re 24 and confused, don’t just jump to the MBA admissions process.

As much as your parents and elder sublings are well intentioned and want you to apply but-

The world is so much more different than how it used to be 10 years ago !

As someone who's done my MBA from a Tier 1 institute in India with an exchange from Harvard Business School abroad.

The reality is MBA gives you a good network, and confidence. That's it.

But it doesn’t really teach how the world works !

So before you oversimplify your career with MBA admission journey- put up a fight.

1. Try getting into your dream sector without it.
2. Try selling something.
3. Try managing PnL for a vertical.

Try working with senior executives- who can teach you a lot of practical skills based on which you can get your next role !

That’s actually a real MBA.

And then if you want to do a degree, by all means go ahead.

Infact, you'd ask better and more important questions during your MBA journey.

Here's a free 3 part series on MBA's worth in 2025, feel free to check it out before applying-

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-VJd...

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpa-W...

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_bM7...

So, don't self reject yourself before the world does.

The skills world is changing faster than you can imagine.

Now, it all depends whether you manage your pace or not !

12 hours ago | [YT] | 37

Shatakshi Sharma (all things career & lifestyle)

Growing up I would often imagine what my life would like.

Out of all the options, I certainly didn't see myself taking important seats on the table.

Why ?

Because there were so few real life precedents around.

I hope to change some of that for the next generation.

Growing up in middle-class India mostly meant picking a set path to engineering, MBA, and then a stable career.

I am notoriously famous for carrying my heart on my sleeve. I don't filter my words- AT ALL.

I pisses off those- who are wearing masks. And I am admired by those who are honest and authentic.

I think that has been my biggest strength till now.

I hope to find the strength to continue doing that- to raise my voice against issues that hurt us- for all of us.

In a chat at the India Water Summit by ICC, I shared why women get stuck in bad marriages and how we can solve this through innovative methods.

Such as putting women at the forefront of water issues, so they become part of economic activities.

India needs more talent working for purposes that transcend our own needs.

Many of us are extremely talented.

But it's our choices that define who we were, not our talents.

And my chat at India Water Summit was all about that ✊.

1 day ago | [YT] | 65

Shatakshi Sharma (all things career & lifestyle)

CVs do not reflect your full potential.


I often see recruiters making this mistake.

They judge a candidate by their last designation, CV, or workplace.

People deserve a chance to show what they can #do than who they were.

- Their values go beyond their CV.

- Their grit goes beyond their CV.

- Their commitment goes beyond their CV.

I was once rejected because someone thought that I was just a consultant for big corporates and couldn't grow a startup.

What they missed looking I grew my client's businesses in record time, then why couldn't the same principles apply to startups?

By focusing on titles, they eventually missed #hiring an entrepreneur who not just created a new category in education but also expanded her venture in record time.

If you are a hiring manager and struggling with employee retention.

Look beyond #CVs.

Really listen to the candidate.

Their motivations, their stories, and their fights.

All diamonds are rough in the beginning ❤️ .

2 days ago | [YT] | 204

Shatakshi Sharma (all things career & lifestyle)

Stop Letting UPSC Define Your 20s.

I’ve seen far too many young people in India lose themselves to the #UPSC Civil Services Exam.

Today, my inbox is filled with stories of those who’ve spent their 20s revising and re-revising the same books, year after year, hoping that “this time” will be different.


But here’s the hard truth of life:

That is NOT how you should live the MOST productive years of your life.

You can’t throw away your 20s wandering the lanes of Old Rajendra Nagar, just because the exam didn’t work out on your 1st attempt.

It's one thing to glorify "12th fail" type movies and another thing to live that life YOURSELF.

Statistically, 99% of candidates don’t clear UPSC.

Yes, cracking the UPSC exam can be life-changing, but what if it doesn’t work out?

The sunk cost fallacy kicks in:

You'd feel like you’ve invested too much to stop now, but each passing year makes it harder to pivot.

So here’s my advice.

Take ONE full-time attempt.

If you don’t clear it, get a job.

You can always reappear, but do it while building skills and financial stability.

The real challenge is figuring out how to get a job after years of preparing full-time.

If you’re unsure where to start, I am listing several videos on building #PlanBs, transitioning into careers, and succeeding in interviews.

Here’s what you should watch today:



1. Should You Quit Your Job to Prepare for IAS?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=domcO...



2. Five Major Skills needed to build a career in Public Policy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IFec...



3. IAS vs Consulting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF0gp...



4. MBA vs IAS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWxnz...



5. UPSC Plan B: Build a Career in Tech

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_yxt...



***



India’s demographic dividend is being wasted as countless young people remain stuck in a cycle of reappearing for an exam designed over 100 years ago.


Life is so much more than an outdated system driven by #coaching centres.

Your 20s should be about growth, learning, and experimenting—not about getting stuck.

If you are stuck-



1. Take a step back,

2. Choose a Plan B,

3. Build real-world skills,

4. And build your life that you won't regret tomorrow ✊.

5 days ago | [YT] | 113

Shatakshi Sharma (all things career & lifestyle)

In a few hours, UPSC results will be out.

Few dreams will become reality.

And many millions will be shattered.

In the few dreams that will become reality- there will be the money minting IAS/IFS #coaching centres.

Who will claim every possible rank holder- studied at their coaching institute.

No doubt, UPSC is a great equalizing career in our country.

But this business is thriving not because of it's equalizing nature-

But because of some 'unfit' coaching centres which are run by founders, who have never cleared the mains examination themselves.

If your dream is shattered, don't let these crony capitalists mint money off you.

1. Focus on skills.

2. Focus on Plan B.

3. And focus on building strong communities.

I am speaking at India Water Summit at Hyatt this Friday. If your dreams are shattered, meet me. I will be happy to help.

The last thing you can do is- isolate yourself in a room, making you vulnerable to being manipulated by these coaching gurus.

Contrary to conventional wisdom-

Many times in life, the bravest thing to do -

Is to stop and let go !

6 days ago | [YT] | 139

Shatakshi Sharma (all things career & lifestyle)

I am very excited to share most under-rated tool I have built on cracking interviews-


One of the most under rated tool of GGI that many don't know of is- Schrödinger.

It was built and released around Diwali of 2021.

On the theory that-

Not Every one can #afford and connect with a mentor to crack consulting interviews.

And hence, can a machine take over guidance and interview prep ?

I connected with 4 friends of mine from Bain & Company, Mckinsey.

And together we collected and created various input models.

And how can I forget the role of interns from IIT D, LSR who played a role- 3 of them now working at Bain and Kearney.

Infact, we also teach journey of Schrödinger-

as part of our Product Management Masterclass on how tech products are built in bootstrapped startups.

Today, a version of Schrödinger is available absolutely free of cost so outsiders of GGI can also learn from it (link in comments).

In a world where poor quality higher education costs upwards of 20-30 lakhs.

We at GGI are constantly lowering cost of Quality and Reimagined #Management, and policy education.

And we are excited to continue the same through Schrödinger once again ❤️.

1 week ago | [YT] | 55

Shatakshi Sharma (all things career & lifestyle)

The biggest mistake I made in my 20s was-
I focussed too much on what others thought of me.

I worried, cared, and stressed about what my boss and peers thought of me, and about my work.

I did not work for myself.

I worked for external validation.

At 22 while working for an e-commerce firm, I used to work voluntarily till 11 PM every night to ensure everything was covered before I log off.

I worried about what if someone found errors in my work.

I spent less time with my family and invested less in my mental well-being.

At an outcome level, I was diagnosed with migraine.

And that event completely changed my outlook on life.

I found out how I was suffering from Ivy league #syndrome- keen to hide my imperfections from the world in order to be not 'found out'.

In my late 20s, I worked upon myself, started embracing my imperfect self, and carried my heart proudly on my sleeve.

Today, it's part of my value system.

If you are young professional reading this, know that life is beyond your work prestige.

Invest in your mental well-being.

Read books. Brene Brown's, Gifts of Imperfection, can be a great addition here.

I am picking it up again to remind myself how beautiful my #scars are.

Be ambitious. Try, and try again.

But if you still fail, remind yourself life is too short to be taken that seriously.

Nothing is worth your mental well-being.

#Suffering is a very strong, painful but needed emotions.

Weak people avoid and escape it. I call them parasites.

While strong face it head on-

Because that's how phoenix always rise from the ashes ❤️.

1 week ago | [YT] | 163

Shatakshi Sharma (all things career & lifestyle)

55% of employees in India suffer from Anxiety.


But being successful starts with managing your emotions.

Here is why-

Many people don't realize the seriousness of this issue.

But stress can be mentally paralyzing.

You can feel overwhelmed to the point that your thinking freezes.

I am myself going through a painful partner betrayal trauma.

Everyday I wake up, I feel a huge 80kg truck has hit me with new reality that I didn't know about since last 10 years.

People can't see scars, bruises and wounds on my face- but I feel the weight of that truck collission every time I wake up !

As I am coping with this new reality to come out as a warrior-

I'm writing this today with all the hope to educate the other 45% of folks that anxiety exists in many forms:

It can stem from:


1. Perceived slow #career growth.

2. Not making enough money.

3. Inability to manage work with personal relations.

4. Inability to give time for your own personal needs.

5. #Performance issues in toxic competitive environments.

6. Deadline pressure because of artificial busyness created by bosses.

There are more.



***

But know that your reasons for anxiety (or lack of them) can be extremely different from a stranger's.

Today, I lead an organization and team.

And hence if you are a team leader, I want to say don't extract value from them like a resource.

Treat your team like how you'd treat your brother and sister at home.

Treat and respect them like a human first.

Productivity is overrated.

#Success for you isn't about achieving things while your martyrs die.

It is about doing worthwhile things while happy soldiers live to celebrate with you.

That's the true yardstick of success ❤️.

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 175

Shatakshi Sharma (all things career & lifestyle)

Why should Every Indian stop obsessing over being a Youtuber?


What you see on the internet, majority of is untrue.

Infact, I personally know of a youtuber who is running a coaching class on #UPSC without having cleared the mains examination himself EVER!

So, a recent study asked young people about their dream job-

Interestingly, none of the earlier dream careers-

Scientists, doctors, lawyers, or footballers made it to the top.

But Becoming #Youtuber Star made it into a top job for young people.

Mind you, many of these surveyed have not even started their career.

As someone who runs a successful part time youtube when I am on chai breaks-

I actively suggest against next generation India becoming Youtubers.

Why ?

Let me share my own experiences.

I started my #career more than a decade ago and worked all jobs-

From collecting data in Himachal Pradesh to giving policy presentations to Ministers.

I flirted with a lot of careers to find my purpose.

I grew from being an analyst to being my own boss as a CEO of Global Governance Initiative.

I picked multiple skills in the process.

Today, I can proudly say I made immense impact with my work on businesses and society at both national and #international levels.

Today, part time youtube is just a way for me to give back.

It's unfortunate that we are raising a generation who believes the only way to make rags to riches is through dancing on tik toks or making politically charged videos to divide and rule.

I have respect for full-time YouTubers influencing millions of youth.

IDK if this offends anyone, but I sincerely worry about what signal we are sending to our next generation on wealth generation.

Career building is more than being #famous.

If the trend continues, I wonder if our next generation scientists who created vaccines are busy unboxing videos for YouTube.

I am raising this topic today because many Indian parents and young India are falling for the youtubers online.

In the world of Creator awards, you need courage to pick up diverse careers.

Why?

Because there is a #life beyond social media frenzy.

And we need to protect that for our species we call homo sapiens ❤️.

1 week ago | [YT] | 198

Shatakshi Sharma (all things career & lifestyle)

Growing up, being tolerant was my biggest weakness.


For those of you who don't know, I grew up in India in the 1990s.

The social media world was unknown.

Of course, there were few platforms such as Orkut, but the scale was nowhere to be matched by today's social media behemoths.

That meant schoolmates weren't internet bullying each other on Instagram.

Strangers weren't calling each other names on Twitter.

There were a few unfortunate events that India witnessed in the 1990s, but the larger society members were not a party to the crime.

People were opinionated yet tolerant of different perspectives.

I remember my father coming back from work every day at 7 pm on his Bajaj scooter and watching news on#Doordarshan where anchors didn't shout from the top of their lungs.

Everyone lived in small, local yet peaceful communities.

They minded their own business and treated strangers well!

Sorry, I run the risk of oversimplifying India of the 90s.

But here was I, a young girl in her school, who wondered whether being patient, calm, and friendly might act against her in such a world.

I mean how would she stand out?

I look at India around today rising with hopes, dreams, and a plethora of opportunities at a macro level.

But at a micro level, we are filled with envy, wrath, lust, pride (the 7 deadly sins).

We are looking for the smallest opportunity to bully others on the internet, under the false veil of anonymity.

It's good to be opinionated and debate, but are we losing our biggest strength of being a tolerant and rational nation, in a world filled with social media companies by the west?

The market failures seem too huge!

Perhaps, it might not have been such a bad idea to look up a bit north to China, which is banning such apps to save generations.

After all these years of leading teams and an organization, I look at my younger 13 year old self- smile, and congratulate her for standing the test of time.

Today, I consider her tolerance her biggest strength in the new rising India ❤️.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 212