u/Defiant-Parfait225

I don't mean to be dismissive, but here goes.

In my twenties, I was deep into esotercism, the occult and such. I practised sigil magick, read obsessively about the Golden Dawn and Franz Bardon, and, along the way, became a Freemason (I know Freemasonry isn't inherently esoteric, but there is room for that if if interests you). I read Dean Radin and practised Neville Goddard's techniques.

At 34, I am considerably less enthused with the occult and esoteric ideas. I've been reading the likes of Richard Dawkins and Sean Caroll, and find the natural world quite fascinating on its own. I have also acquired an empirical bent of mind from learning statistics.

I still do not dismiss the Occult out of hand. Much of our universe still remains unexplained and Quantum physics keeps finding new layers to peel back. However, I can't help but wonder if there will someday be a naturalist Theory of Everything.

Has anybody else suffered a similar Dark Night of The Soul?

I've spent about four years in government consulting, previously as a directly-recruited contractor and now staffed on a Big 4 team. Suffice it to say that I am done with it. Ten years of experience overall.

Government clients in India are often beyond awful. There's a great deal of wanton rudeness. One is expected to curtsey to the client all the time, and woe betide you if you spoke a sentence with fewer than 50 "sir"s in it.

I want to switch over into strategy consulting. My firm has a strategy arm (named after an iconic monument in Greece) and I want in. I've done a ton of strategy consulting courses on the learning portal, but my everyday work does not entail much strategy at all - I connect departments, update excel trackers and keep aligning stakeholders. Too much cat-herding.

Please tell me how I could get into corporate strategy or strategy consulting from where I am today. For what it's worth, I have an MBA from a top-of-tier-2 business school in India, in the same tier as IMT Ghaziabad and the new IIMs.

New to Lucknow. I live in Gomtinagar.

I pass Summit Tower every day on my way to work. I've heard horror stories about the place. However, it looks pretty unremarkable on the outside - Barbecue Nation and all.

Is the entire building unsafe or are there floors one must avoid?

34M (33 years and 10 months, actually). Not an engineer. I have about 10 years of professional experience.

I graduated in 2016 with a PGDM from a decent tier-2 MBA in India. This school is in the same tier as TAPMI and IMT Ghaziabad.

My MBA has pretty much run its course as far as utility is concerned. I had a few accidents in my career which dragged my compensation down. I earn between 14-16 lakhs per annum.

* NBFC / financial services

* Political consulting

*Higher education / program management

*State government investment promotion

*Big 4 consulting

I am looking for a reset, now that my career is recovering.

The idea of going abroad for an MBA scares me. I cannot afford them, for the most part.

I have therefore narrowed my choices to IIM A PGPX, IIM B EPGP, IIM C MBAex and ISB. My preferences are in this order.

Do these programs have at least a few second MBA participants in a cohort? I know ISB does, but do the others?

My post-second MBA goals include careers in general management, strategy, or consulting. Open to moving to MENA or APAC in the near future.

I really want to give my career a leg-up in terms of roles and compensation. I notice that my moves upward are hamstrung by my compensation and relative lack of pedigree on my resume.

Typing this at 00:16 on Friday, May 22nd.

It's hot and humid tonight, and there's no electricity to run the airconditioner. Or even the fan. I'm in Gomti Nagar, not too far from Lohia Hospital.

I guess the grid couldn't take the load of such a large number of people running ACs, fans, and coolers after spending the entire day outdoors while their homes basically became furnaces.

It's pretty bad right now. I am sweating as though I've been jogging even though I am lying in bed as I type this.

I can't even begin to imagine the plight of those who can't afford airconditioning.

Anybody know what's happening?