About Nimit: Nimit grew up in India and studied law, but was quickly drawn toward roles centered on problem-solving and execution. He went on to work in management consulting and later in product roles at early-stage startups, where he gained exposure to building, scaling, and operating at the intersection of strategy and execution. At UCLA Anderson, Nimit is continuing that exploration through strategy-focused paths across technology and consumer industries, while actively engaging in the school’s culture of shared success and mentorship. Outside the classroom, he’s usually on a pickleball court, shooting hoops, following cricket, or catching up with classmates.

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When I arrived at UCLA Anderson, I thought recruiting would be about clarity. A clear path. A clear plan. A clear answer to the question, “What do I want to do next?”. Instead, recruiting at Anderson taught me something very different: how to ask for help without losing myself, and how to move forward even when the plan isn’t perfect.

Before business school, I had been used to figuring things out independently. Whether it was navigating career transitions or making big decisions, I leaned heavily on self-reliance. Asking for help often felt like admitting I didn’t know enough or wasn’t ready yet. Recruiting challenged that mindset almost immediately.

At Anderson, recruiting isn’t something you do in isolation. It lives in conversations after class, quick check-ins with second-years, group case practices that turn into friendships, and moments of honesty where someone says, “I’m unsure too, but here’s what helped me”. Early on, I realized that the people around me weren’t just willing to help; they genuinely wanted to see each other succeed. That culture of shared success isn’t something you read about; it’s something you experience.

What surprised me most was that asking for help didn’t dilute my identity. If anything, it sharpened it. Every conversation forced me to articulate what mattered to me, what I was curious about, and what kind of work energized me. Over time, recruiting stopped feeling like a performance and started feeling like a process of self-discovery, shaped by the people around me.

At the same time, Anderson taught me how to move forward without waiting for a perfect plan. There were moments when I felt pressure to have everything figured out, the exact role, the exact industry, the exact timeline. But being surrounded by classmates with diverse backgrounds and evolving goals normalized uncertainty. I saw people test ideas, pivot thoughtfully, and grow more confident, not because they had all the answers, but because they were willing to learn in public.

That mindset changed how I approached recruiting. Instead of waiting to feel “ready”, I focused on staying curious, being open to feedback, and trusting that momentum comes from action, not perfection. Anderson gave me the space to explore without judgment and the support to course-correct when needed. Recruiting at Anderson hasn’t been just about preparing for interviews or applications. It’s been about learning how to lean on a community while staying grounded in who I am, about realizing that progress doesn’t require certainty, just honesty, effort, and people who have your back.

If there’s one thing I’ve taken away from this process, it’s that growth rarely looks like clarity at the start. It looks like asking questions before you feel ready, taking small steps without a perfect map, and trusting that the right direction often reveals itself through movement and conversation. Recruiting at Anderson reminded me that you don’t have to have everything figured out to move forward. You just have to be willing to stay curious, stay honest, and keep showing up. That lesson extends far beyond recruiting, and it’s one I’ll carry with me wherever I go next.

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Student Blogger: Nimit Gupta ‘27

Undergrad: SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies ’21

Pre-MBA: Product Growth Lead at Edra Labs

Leadership@Anderson: Director of Interviewing, Admissions Ambassador Corps; Director of Finance, South Asian Business Association