Ready Set Do

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Is the "Dubai Dream" actually real, or is it just Instagram hype? We often hear about the tax-free salaries and luxury lifestyle, but what is it really like to move your entire life to the UAE in 2025?

In this episode, we sit down with Kaushik Sunder, a Global PhD Fellow at NYU Abu Dhabi, who moved from the US to the UAE. He breaks down the unfiltered reality of living in the Middle East—from the massive shift in work culture to the truth about the job market for expats.

If you are considering moving to Dubai or Abu Dhabi for work, education, or just a better quality of life, this conversation is your reality check. Kaushik compares the US vs. India vs. UAE education systems, reveals the real cost of living, and answers the biggest question: Is the UAE economy actually booming?

🚀 In this video, we cover:• The truth about the UAE Job Market for Indians & Expats• PhD & Education in UAE: Is it better than the US?• The reality of Tax-Free Salaries vs. Cost of Living• Safety, Healthcare, and the "Habibi" Lifestyle• How to navigate the Visa Process and moving logistics

🔗 Connect with Kaushik:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaushik-sunder-0906/• Research/Work: [Insert Link if available]

About the Podcast:We explore the real stories behind high-agency individuals—from researchers to entrepreneurs—who are building the future. We don't sell you "lottery ticket" advice; we show you the practical first steps so you can find your own way forward.

readysetdopodcast.com

#MovingToDubai #UAEJobs #LifeInDubai #AbuDhabi #PhDLife #NYUAbuDhabi #TaxFreeLiving #ExpatsInUAE #KaushikSunder #IndianExpats #CareerAdvice #StudyAbroad

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro + Background

(02:29) What prompted a move to the UAE?

(04:39) Experience at NYU Abu Dhabi

(08:09) What is it like to live in UAE - Kaushik’s favorite things

(10:56) Contrasts in education across India, US & UAE

(13:19) Contribution of the strong NYU brand towards Kaushik’s experience

(15:49) Some struggles/challenges around a move to the UAE

(18:53) Stipend and savings during PhD life

(21:29) Job prospects in the UAE after graduation - Work visas

(24:59) Companies/industries offering employment - fastest growing region in the world

(27:29) Indicators that UAE is the fastest growing country to be

(30:59) Culture, Language & Safety - Emirati hospitality

(34:53) Healthcare

(37:43) Extravagant displays of wealth

(40:25) Nostalgia catch-up, LinkedIn and adult friendships

In this episode, the featured not-expert is Farheen Hussain. Farheen is a construction management technology professional at Jacobs. Starting out as an architect, she successfully pivoted into a career in construction management, where she is now making a definitive impact while challenging existing norms in a male dominated industry. #construction #constructionmanagement #womeninconstruction #architecture #projectmanagement #constructionsuccess #purdueuniversity #genderequality #womenpower #constructionengineering #projectmanagement #podcast #readysetdo #creator #newpodcast We discuss:- What a degree in architecture entails and Farheen’s motivations to switch career tracks.- How a degree in Construction Management Technology (CMT) fulfilled Farheen's desire to build real-world structures.- The culture shocks Farheen faced when moving to the US for her Master's in CMT.- Addressing the necessary unlearning to excel in CMT academics and the importance of teaching assistantships.- Guidance on finding internships without prior professional experience and lessons learned during Farheen’s internship.- Converting internships to full-time positions in the CMT field.- A Day in the Life of a CMT professional and navigating a traditionally male-dominated industry.- Advice on handling conflicts in the workplace, including when to escalate and maintaining project continuity.This discussion is for anyone who is considering a career in Construction Management Technology, or someone who is looking to make the switch into a career in CMT.

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Resources:Podcast Website - readysetdo.transistor.fmFarheen's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/farheen-hussain-a37953188/Farheen's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/farheen_hussain/Timestamps:(00:00:00) Intro & Background(00:03:30) What does the study of architecture entail(00:10:00) Path after graduation & motivations for career pivot(00:12:10) First exposure to building real-world actualizations instead of drawings(00:16:20) Possible paths after an undergrad in architecture(00:19:15) Culture shock upon arrival in the US(00:22:40) Academics deep-dive for MS in CMT in the US - unlearning(00:26:00) What exactly does a MS in CMT entail?(00:29:00) Importance of teaching assistantships + how to get one?(00:31:40) Finding and doing internships - resume + networking(00:35:18) Construction Tech industry in the US - overview(00:38:50) First exposure to working in the US as a CMT professional(00:42:00) Day in the life of a Construction Management professional(00:47:30) Insider “secrets” about hospitals (learnt via building hospitals)(00:50:20) Experience with working in a male-dominated field(00:55:40) Dealing with conflict/gender discrimination(00:59:20) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, featured not-expert is Devendra Chhajer. Devendra has been living and working in France for the past 5 years or so, having moved there to finish his Global Management Program from SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR).

We discuss:-

- Devendra's move to Paris and transition to life in the city

- Loves and challenges of living in Paris

- Overcoming language barriers and tips for learning French

- Reality of academics at IESEG, Paris and Devendra’s experiences

- Types of work visas and building a career in France

- Parallels between life in Europe and life in India

- Planning a career-oriented move to France and setting expectations

- Devendra's personal journey through college and beyond in France

This discussion is for anyone who is considering moving to France for a higher degree and building a career out there, or anyone who is interested to learn what it’s like to live in one of the most famous, beautiful, and metropolitan cities in the world.Like, comment and subscribe. There may not or may not be an Easter egg hidden in this episode. 

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Resources:

Devendra's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkc1996/

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Intro + Background

(00:02:40) SPJIMR Global Mgmt - Moving to France

(00:07:57) Favorite aspects of living in France

(00:13:51) Challenges and struggles of living in France

(00:20:29) Facing language barriers (French) and how to overcome them

(00:24:25) What is it like on the ground-level in Paris city?

(00:26:30) Addressing the “Are French People Jerks?” stereotype

(00:31:58) Academic Experiences & Job Prospects in France

(00:34:56) Process of obtaining a work visa in France

(00:39:42) Types of work contracts and why they matter - CDD & CDI

(00:41:23) Work Visa deep-dive

(00:45:19) Unemployment benefits and how to avail (if necessary)

(00:49:05) Personal Growth and Perspectives from starting a new life

(00:53:22) Advice for students moving to France for higher studies

(00:56:15) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, my guest is Kati Hutsell, who is a career advisor at Purdue University and a former recruiter for Google, Amazon, and Meta. We discuss:

• Kati's experience and insights from recruiting at top Big Tech companies

• What makes a resume stand out and Google’s 3 criteria for successful applicants

• The impact of online courses and certifications on resumes

• Debunking myths about the job application process and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

• Differences in recruiting for early careers vs. senior tech roles at Amazon and Meta

• Kati’s career pivot back to higher education and her motivations for the same

• Identifying and developing your personalized job application “style”

• Traits of students who land their dream jobs and how to develop them

• Common pitfalls in job applications and interviews

• Effective networking strategies and a blueprint for success

• Specific advice for Indian students in the US

This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the job search process and looking to gain valuable hiring insights from someone with extensive experience in Big Tech as well as higher education.

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Resources:

Kati Hutsell

Naman Pandey - Please find my resume on my profile

readysetdo.transistor.fm

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Intro & background

(00:03:18) Kati’s career overview

(00:08:40) Resume review experience at Google and ATS

(00:13:05) 3 criteria for success for Google positions and indicators of strong performance on resumes

(00:16:39) Importance (or lack thereof) of online course and certifications

(00:18:45) Busting myths around the job application process and ATS

(00:21:08) Importance of GPAs

(00:22:54) Writing bulletproof resume bullets

(00:25:54) ATS hacking - advisable or not really?

(00:28:38) Hiring for senior tech lead/individual contributor positions at Amazon & Meta

(00:31:02) Career pivot to higher education after time at Big Tech

(00:34:30) Common traits among students successful in the job market

(00:39:00) Pitfalls preventing students from getting interview call-backs

(00:42:25) Optimizing your job application style for max chance of success

(00:45:16) Pitfalls preventing students from converting interviews

(00:47:55) A blueprint for networking effectively on LinkedIn

(00:54:38) Advice for Indian international students in the US

(00:58:17) Outro & gratitude

In this episode, featured not-expert is Utpal Nadiger. Utpal is a co-founder at Digger, but perhaps more notably, a life-long cricket fanatic. He has played semi-professionally in India and continues to play club cricket in the UK as of May 2024, and has also co-founded The Cricket Revolution, which is a product for cricketers to leverage to get better at the sport. 

One striking theme underlines Utpal’s remarkable life-journey thus far - his belief that when faced with making an important life-decision, the outcome that guarantees the most fun is the best option to pick. We discuss:

• What it takes to make it as a professional cricketer (generalizable to making it at a pro-level of any sport out there)

• Applying for and getting accepted for a Masters of Sport-Biomechanics at one of the top universities in the world in that field - Loughborough University, UK

• Living, conducting research and playing club cricket in the UK

• Applying for Founders’ Associates positions and what that entails

• Spearheading growth of a tech start-up company as its co-founder 

• Using a simple “optimizing for most fun” at each decision level in life to get best results

In keeping with our theme of learning from someone just two steps ahead instead of an expert. I’d like to emphasize that it is not lost on me that I’m making most generalizations that are broad at their best and ill-advised at their worst. Having said that, my goal is merely to highlight that there is a possibility that answers to seemingly infinite philosophical questions such as “how to make life-changing decision accurately” can in fact be as simple as just doing the thing that’s most fun.

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Resources:

1. digger.dev

2. thecricketrevolution.com

3. Ready Set Do instagram

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Intro and background

(00:03:09) Exposure to cricket as a kid - the obsession begins

(00:06:14) What it takes to go pro at cricket (or any sport)

(00:10:01) Balancing an engineering degree with cricket

(00:12:19) Getting certified as a stand-in conditioning specialist + COVID

(00:16:01) Ideating and building The Cricket Revolution

(00:18:47) What problems did The Cricket Revolution solve?

(00:21:40) Masters in Sport Biomechanics at Loughborough

(00:27:26) How to get accepted for a Masters in Sport Biomechanics

(00:29:23) Experience of living, conducting research and playing club cricket in the UK

(00:35:52) Path after graduation - STOA MBA bootcamp

(00:41:12) Competing against elite UK grads for employment in the Startup space

(00:42:59) Getting hired as a Founders’ Associate

(00:47:48) Accepting position of co-founder at Digger

(00:50:04) Exposure to the Bay Area and the US

(00:52:02) Looking back and forward 

(00:55:52) Outro and gratitude

Is an MBA in the US just about the classes, or is it a complete lifestyle overhaul?

Most international students treat their Master’s degree like a transaction: Pay tuition, get good grades, get a job. But if you are spending $150,000+ and two years of your life abroad, you need to be doing more than just passing exams. You need a strategy to squeeze every ounce of ROI out of the experience.

In this episode, we sit down with Shivangi Sharma, a recent MBA graduate from UCLA Anderson School of Management, to decode what she calls the "360 MBA" Experience.

Shivangi didn’t just "attend" grad school. She hacked it. From identifying her "Resume Twins" on LinkedIn to land the perfect admit, to leveraging "Grade Non-Disclosure" to focus on networking over GPAs, she built a blueprint for success that applies to ANY Master’s student (MS or MBA) in the US.

Whether you are a Product Manager looking to level up, an engineer confused between GRE and GMAT, or an admitted student wondering how to prioritize your time between parties and case competitions, this conversation is your cheat sheet.

We go deep into the tactical side of things: How do you choose the right conferences (like Grace Hopper)? How do you become a student leader?

🚀 In this video, we cover:• The "Resume Twin" Strategy: A genius way to use LinkedIn to find the exact schools that will accept you based on your background.• GRE vs. GMAT: Which one do US Business Schools actually prefer in 2024?• Ranking vs. Reality: Why "Prestige" isn't the only metric that matters (and why Location is king).• The "360 MBA" Framework: How to balance Academics, Leadership, Social Life, and Recruitment without burning out.• Grade Non-Disclosure: Why getting a 4.0 GPA might actually be a bad strategy for your career.• Conference Hacking: A guide to crushing events like the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) and SHPE.

🔗 Resources & Conferences Mentioned:

• Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC): https://ghc.anitab.org/

• Society of Women Engineers (SWE): https://we24.swe.org/

• SHPE National Convention: https://shpe.org/nc2024/

• Collegiate Leadership Conference (CLC): https://www.tridelta.org/events/clc/

🔗 Connect with Shivangi:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivangi-sharmaa/

Disclaimer:The views expressed in this episode are personal and based on the guest's experience at UCLA Anderson. Admissions criteria and visa regulations are subject to change.

#MBAinUSA #StudyAbroad #UCLAAnderson #ProductManagement #GREvsGMAT #MastersInUSA #InternationalStudents #CareerAdvice #Networking #GraceHopper #WomenInTech #HigherEducation #F1Visa #StudentLife

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Overview and Background

(00:03:25) Why MBA (Product Management to MBA pipeline)

(00:05:36) Applying to the earliest deadline possible

(00:07:07) GRE vs GMAT for MBA applications in the US

(00:09:27) How to shortlist MBA programs - Rankings & Reports

(00:13:19) Reaching out to current students/alumni for reviews

(00:17:06) Tool: Finding resume twins for insight into suitable MBA programs

(00:20:14) Tool: How to find resume twins using LinkedIn

(00:21:34) Career pathways after an MBA and how to set long-term goals

(00:24:30) Location as a potential parameter + Resilience of Indian international students

(00:28:33) Academics - Case-Based Learning deep-dive

(00:32:11) Grade non-disclosure and picking courses that cause mind expansion

(00:35:43) Conferences - deep-dive (360 MBA pillar)

(00:38:45) Tool: Monthly/Quarterly goals prioritization technique 

(00:40:34) Insights on the annual Grace Hopper conference

(00:43:39) Leadership positions in college clubs and organizations (360 MBA pillar)

(00:49:05) Ability to build leadership and org skills using leadership roles

(00:51:50) Social life - Traveling + Party time (360 MBA pillar)

(00:55:27) A transformational experience - 10/10 would recommend

(00:57:56) Working at Gates ventures and the horizon beyond

(01:01:00) Outro and Gratitude

In this episode, my guests are Ritwik and Kartik Khator. The twin brothers Ritwik and Kartik are the founders of Startup Indian, which is a company that offers research, analysis, and financial expertise services to startups and founders.

We discuss:

• the twins’ journey to becoming Chartered Accountants (the equivalent for which is CPA in the US), and how to avoid the numerous pitfalls that make it such an uphill battle

• how Kartik and Ritwik chose to go out on their own instead of being employed by various firms that offered them positions

• entrepreneurship, and how one can determine if starting up is the right move for them (3 "checks")

• writing effective and immensely information-rich newsletters to drive inbound marketing and stand-out from their competitors - with an example of exactly how to add your own unique perspective while writing content

• their experience working with high net-worth individuals, some traits they’ve notices in these individuals; and how to scale a company without losing sight of the present.

• a hidden gem of a work management tool that the twins swear by and finally, what it is like to grow up with another human identical to you.

Note: 63,000 crore INR = $7.5B USD

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Resources:

Work management tool - ⁠SuperWorks⁠

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Introduction and background

(00:04:26) What makes becoming a CA so formidable?

(00:07:59) Positive reinforcement (from a twin sibling)

(00:09:14) Path after graduation - How R&K chose the next step

(00:11:33) How to crush real-world problems as a Chartered Accountant

(00:13:39) Beginning of R&K’s entrepreneurial journey

(00:16:26) Setting up for long term success + WHY entrepreneurship?

(00:19:09) Traits of successful entrepreneurs (P.S It’s not for everyone)

(00:23:42) Writing newsletters to win clients (solicitation NOT allowed!)

(00:28:00) Reaching investors and founders

(00:30:05) How to write an effective newsletter

(00:32:32) Tool: Using your unique perspective to differentiate yourself

(00:34:56) Working with High Net-Worth Individuals and Investors

(00:38:01) On “challenging” HNIs and Investors

(00:41:49) How to scale your start-up/business

(00:44:48) On Hiring smart

(00:46:43) Goal setting for your start-up and driving the India Growth Story

(00:50:46) Work management tool recs

(00:53:05) Growing up with a twin sibling - secrets finally revealed

(00:55:39) Outro + Gratitude

In this episode, my guest in this episode is Raghav Taparia. Raghav is a financial investment aficionado who has successfully built out robust systems for making strides towards his financial goals.

During this episode, he shares a wealth of knowledge starting with a brief investment for dummies section, investing principles, paycheck allocation methods, and most importantly, how anyone can build their own investment plan to steadily progress towards their own financial goals. Raghav discloses the tools and strategies that enabled him to accumulate impressive dividends by investing in a little known stock using only his skills, research, and some resources that he shares with us.

This discussion is for anyone who would like to explore the captivating world of personal finance, and practical strategies to live the life they want without compromising their future goals and ensuring long-term success. As always, all sections are time-stamped on Youtube and Spotify (and wherever else you get your podcasts)

In keeping with the theme of learning from someone that’s just two steps ahead instead of an expert, even more so than other episodes, I’d like to emphasize that this discussion centers around Raghav’s journey through learning and implementing personal finance strategies and systems. I do not intend for this to be financial advice. Rather, my goal is to get you to a point where you can appreciate the landscape of investing and an accessible starting point to build towards your goals.

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1. One up on wall street

2. The Dhandho Investor

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Intro and background, passion for investing

(00:03:22) Investing 101- Jargon you should probably know

(00:06:38) Investing as a student vs a salaried professional

(00:10:08) Changing spending and investing habits

(00:11:58) Raghav’s paycheck allocation strategy

(00:16:31) Philosophy - Making the smartest people in the world generate money for you

(00:21:43) Resources/practices to get started with investing

(00:24:56) Raghav’s principles of investing + how to find your own principle

(00:26:15) Finding undervalued companies - how and why?

(00:29:57) Raghav’s win story with cashing in BIG after finding an undervalued stock using research and resources

(00:39:11) Tools for personal finance

(00:42:25) Getting scrappy - credit card gaming 101

(00:48:22) Proactive approach to personal finance 

(00:53:12) How to cut down on non-essential expenditure

(00:58:56) Question Request 1 - how to build credit score as an international student in the US?

(01:03:23) Question Request 2 - S&P 500, set and forget?

(01:05:16) Outro

My guest for this episode is Shikhaj Jakhete. Shikhaj is a Technical Account Manager at Adobe. More importantly, he is a trailblazer in the art and science of personal branding online as well as in real life.

Focusing keenly on authenticity and through insightful storytelling, Shikhaj has carved out for himself a compelling online presence, most notably on LinkedIn. We discuss how one can get started with curating their own personal brand online and explore some of the many benefits and potential motivations behind doing so. Shikhaj goes over how he started out and the tools he used to post helpful and engaging content consistently, building a follower base that relies on him for his insightful contributions, particularly in the fields of marketing, technology, and more. We also go over how to deal with the daunting aspect of putting ourselves out there, and the importance of curating a peer group that enables beneficial habits. To tie things up, we go over how we can derive synergies from different social media platforms, a personal website, as well as our professional organizations and in person events to build a well-rounded brand.

If you're looking to curate your personal brand online, whether starting fresh or making improvements, this discussion is for you. In keeping with the theme of learning from someone just two steps ahead of you instead of an expert, I’d like to emphasize that this discussion focuses on the tools and strategies that proved successful for Shikhaj. My goal is to merely highlight how one can start making progress today towards their own goals of building a personal brand, and some common pitfalls to avoid along the way.

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Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Intro and background

(00:03:56) Making the most of admission deferral because of Covid-19

(00:06:26) Launching a marketing agency during Covid-19

(00:08:16) Learning the skills to run his marketing agency

(00:10:10) First foray into writing on LinkedIn - Intro to personal branding

(00:12:59) Evolving content types and target audiences based on life updates

(00:15:34) Shikhaj’s process for generating content ideas

(00:18:30) Perspective of an international master’s student in the US 

(00:21:10) Dealing with self-doubt and putting oneself out there

(00:24:30) On choosing peers and building a personal website

(00:28:57) The right motivations for personal branding 

(00:30:58) Why should one care about their personal brand? + various avenues of branding

(00:36:14) Qualitative and qualitative benefits of personal branding

(00:39:52) Shifting landscapes due to proliferation of AI-generated content

(00:42:29) Shikhaj’s upcoming endeavors and outro

In this episode, my guest is Aditya Kothari. Aditya is a Senior Business Analyst at Capital One. He is a self-taught case interview aficionado who has helped dozens of students crack their case interviews.

Case interviews are a common method used by consulting firms, and increasingly, by tech companies to assess a candidate’s problem-solving abilities and analytical skills. During a case interview, candidates work with the interviewer to analyze, identify key issues, and propose solutions for a business problem or scenario. 

I’ve had the pleasure of being coached by Aditya for when I had a case interview call. I remember feeling just blown away by how adept he had gotten, not only with the ins and outs of a case interview but also his ability to conduct extremely effective mock interviews for… a rather lucky group of peers. 

Finally, in keeping with our theme of learning from someone that’s just two steps ahead instead of a full-blown expert, I want to emphasize that this discussion focuses on the anec-data that Aditya successfully worked with. My goal is to merely highlight what he did successfully to get where he wanted to get - and what you can do to learn from him. 

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Resources:

1. Victor Cheng : https://caseinterview.com/case_interview_frameworks.pdf

2. Victor Cheng YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrxwQJwyjBOlqwFVdxgXTKK-nphUX4u8P

3. Hacking the Case Interview YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@HackingtheCaseInterview

4. Wharton Consulting Club casebook : https://careerinconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/6.-Wharton-Casebook-2017.pdf

5. Case in Point book : https://www.amazon.com/Case-Point-Complete-Interview-Preparation/dp/0971015880

6. Aditya’s LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/adithyakothari/

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:02:41) Aditya’s background

(00:03:26) Why masters in Business Analytics?

(00:06:36) On the GRE

(00:09:36) Navigating job search process in the US

(00:11:24) Tool: The “So What?” Framework for all resume bullets

(00:14:44) Which job application style is right for me?

(00:19:00) How to write super effective resume experience bullets 

(00:21:52) Curating different versions of resumes for different roles

(00:24:44) Balancing applying early and seeking referrals

(00:28:43) First exposure to case interviews

(00:30:11) Understanding case interviews- problem solving

(00:32:30) Technical case interviews deep dive

(00:38:47) Sample case walk-thru

(00:41:57) How to manage time effectively and do math fast

(00:46:54) Tools and resources for prep

(00:49:21) Familiarizing oneself with business jargon (and why?)

(00:52:41) On corporate America

(00:54:18) Outro