When she enrolled at IU Indianapolis, Gurjit Malhi, BS’24, was going to study medicine. It was the “safe” career choice she’d been encouraged to pursue. But a semester into her freshman year, she realized medicine wasn’t for her. As she researched other options–and even other schools–Gurjit learned about the bachelor’s degree at the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis: it’s 97% placement rate for graduates, the reputation of the Kelley School, and alumni success stories. Plus, she was already enrolled at IU Indianapolis.
“The advisors at Kelley were there for me along every step of the way, even before I was even enrolled at Kelley. I met Karen Iglio–she’s the best advisor ever,’” Gurjit said. “We’d meet to plan and schedule my classes. Everyone was all so welcoming at Kelley. They give you the personalized experience that you are someone the school cares about, even with so many students.”
Gurjit started at Kelley as a first-generation college student; the first in her family to earn a degree. She chose IU Indianapolis because it was close to her hometown of Avon, Indiana. Gurjit says there were conflicts at home, and she ultimately had to move out. She slept on friends’ couches and worked several part-time jobs while going to school full-time. She says it was nearly too much.
“I was struggling for a year mentally and physically. I went to Karen and said, ‘I can’t do this anymore. I can’t study and worry about food and everything.’ Karen’s my cheerleader, my person who’s always in the background telling me, ‘You’ve got this, tell me what the next step is,’” Gurjit said. “I finally got all my employment paperwork and applied to a full-time job at Kroger, which paid well. I worked for a few months and got my first apartment.”
At school, Gurjit loved the business courses. She began as a human resources management major before switching to management. Gurjit finally found what she was looking for in a career. She says she learned how to present herself professionally, and the Business Communications course taught her how to be more assertive at work.
“The Kelley School prepared me for the real world. It’s not just reading books and doing assignments for busy work. There’s a ton of hands-on learning, and learning about things that affect your life,” Gurjit said. “Those economics classes–even though they’re challenging–really taught me about the economy and banking. A lot of my decisions are based off what I learned at school, especially in the work environment.”
In 2023, Gurjit earned a summer internship at Target, which had the potential to turn into a job. At the very least, she figured she had a safety net. She did so well at the internship that Target offered her a role in asset protection and a job after graduation. Gurjit says she’s been able to apply what she learned in Kelley’s Integrated Core (I-Core) consulting team projects in her work at Target.
“I-Core is so much work, but it prepares you for that real-world experience. I was very nervous going into this internship, and I didn’t know a lot about assets protection,” Gurjit said. “I told Karen about it, and she congratulated me, asked me about all the work, and said, ‘You just have to keep your head up and treat it like it’s your full-time, salaried job; don’t think of as an internship.’ That’s what I did, and I landed the job.”
The human resource management classes were particularly helpful in her retail work. Gurjit says the coursework clicked for her, and she found that she’s better equipped to lead teams. This is great timing, since Target offered her the position of Executive Team Lead for asset recovery when she graduates in August.
“I had human resources with Professor Liz Malatestinic and I absolutely loved her. That class was very helpful. She would go through real-world examples from her own professional experience, and I would take notes on everything,” Gurjit said. “In my new role, I’m going to have a team of at least six or seven people, and I’m going to have to hire and do interviews. Now, I know what to ask in interviews, and what not to ask. You gain all these small skills that prepare you for your job.”
Throughout her many jobs, Gurjit has been saving up, and she’s excited to be closing on her first home. She knows other students have shared similar struggles to earn a college degree and find their career path forward. She encourages them to find the people–and school–who will support them along the way.
“Keep your head high and make as many connections as you can, because those connections are going to be your go-to people and they’ll guide you through your whole college experience, especially at Kelley,” Gurjit said. “Every step of the way, if there was a hurdle, Kelley was there for me. There were people who held me up and told me, ‘You’ve got this.’ It was good motivation.”
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