{"id":870,"date":"2021-01-07T11:41:10","date_gmt":"2021-01-07T11:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theirmindia.org\/blog-test\/?p=870"},"modified":"2026-01-29T07:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T07:40:57","slug":"whats-the-risk-interaction-with-the-mba-student-at-the-wharton-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theirmindia.org\/blog\/whats-the-risk\/interaction-with-the-mba-student-at-the-wharton-school\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s The Risk?\u00ae<\/sup>: Interaction with the MBA student at the Wharton School"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Getting<\/a><\/p>\n

An interview series by\u00a0<\/em>IRM India Affiliate<\/em><\/strong><\/a> \u00a0that aims to understand the importance of risk management from the perspective of different individuals and businesses.<\/em><\/p>\n

Answers as shared by the interviewees with IRM India Affiliate.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ria\u00a0Joneja<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is originally from Mumbai and currently pursuing her MBA at the Wharton School, Pennsylvania. Prior to her MBA, she worked with the National Investment & Infrastructure Fund & holds a Bachelor in Financial Markets from Jai Hind College, Mumbai. She is also a singer and has been an active\u00a0social media music artist.<\/p>\n

Hersh: As an MBA student studying in the USA, what are the challenges you have face on account of the Covid-19?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ria:<\/strong> 1) Uncertainty on internship and full-time recruitment especially as an international student. Companies & recruiters are still navigating this unprecedented situation and there is a lot of uncertainty regarding our future recruitment situation.<\/p>\n

2) Lack of formal classroom delivery of lectures, peer learning & discussions. While academic delivery has been made virtual, the experience\u00a0cannot be compared to a live classroom that an MBA program offers.<\/p>\n

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3) Uncertainty around legal\/regulatory enforcement that might come into play that particularly impact foreign nationals studying in the US. This includes visa regulations, OPT, CPT viability, etc.<\/p>\n

4) Housing- with the current uncertainty, a lot of us are being forced to terminate our leases early which entails penalties and unwarranted payments that housing management companies are not yet willing to negotiate.<\/p>\n

Hersh: What are some of the potentials risks you foresee in the coming few months pertaining to your career and how are you trying to mitigate these?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ria: <\/strong>I foresee the situation getting worse in the coming years especially on the economic front where globally we might be headed for a recession\/downturn and companies might not be able to hire in the same numbers as they have been historically. Moreover, we do not know if internship offers will convert to full-time job offers or if any internship\/full-time commitments will be met with certainty. As a risk-averse individual, I am exploring other options across industries\/functions and geographies, carefully monitoring the developments and maintaining talks with potential recruiters in the near future.<\/p>\n

Hersh: How are you spending your time during the lockdown and what is your advise to other MBA students on managing crisis situations like this?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ria: <\/strong>I am generally a very organized person and having a fixed schedule allows me to make the most of my time. I generally spend most of my weekdays attending virtual classes and completing assignments\/lectures. I also spend an hour a day on an exercise regime (yoga, interval training, zumba).<\/p>\n

Additionally, it is important to communicate in these times and I typically spend an hour on online video chatting platforms connecting with peers\/friends\/family across the globe to check-in on them (and even play games!). Lastly, it is important to have a hobby especially in\u00a0period of nationwide lockdown. My solace is music and it’s not uncommon to find me singing when I can.<\/p>\n

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My advise to all is that you must have a schedule (or try to maintain one), keep in touch with people (we are humans), find a hobby or something to keep you motivated (learn a skill, fitness, learn a language).<\/p>\n

Hersh: 3 key risk management lessons that this crisis has taught you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ria:<\/strong><\/p>\n