MBAtrek: Abhishek Srivastava on Helping Graduates Hit the Ground Running

For millions of Indian students, graduation is not just a milestone but a daunting leap into the unknown. Despite spending lakhs on education, many find themselves "industry-irrelevant," struggling to transition from the theoretical world of campus to the practical grind of corporate life. Abhishek Srivastava, the Co-founder and CEO of MBAtrek, is solving this systemic problem. With a background at Apple, Accenture, and ISB, Abhishek is building a platform that empowers young professionals to "hit the ground running" by aligning their careers with their true passions and industry requirements.

The 'Industry Readiness' Gap

Abhishek's journey to founding MBAtrek was triggered by a recurring frustration in his corporate career. While hiring and mentoring young talent at top-tier firms, he noticed a startling trend: even the brightest graduates were often neither "ready" nor "relevant" for the roles they were hired for. "We would spend nine months training someone, only for them to realize they didn't even want the job," Abhishek recalls. "It was a massive waste of time and effort for both the company and the individual."

This realization led to the birth of the MBAtrek logo—a person in a graduation hat running toward their career. The mission was simple yet profound: build an ecosystem that identifies and prepares industry-ready executives long before they walk into their first interview.

The Three Pillars: Ready, Relevant, and Resilient

Abhishek believes that career success isn't just about technical skills; it's about a combination of industry awareness and personal alignment. MBAtrek focuses on three core areas to ensure their "trekkers" succeed:

Unlocking Passion: Moving Beyond the 'Chosen' Career

A central theme in Abhishek’s philosophy is the unlocking of passion. He points out that for previous generations, careers were often chosen for them by family or societal norms. "I had a very strong corporate lineage; I didn't see anything else," he admits. Today, while social media has let young people express their passions more freely, the formal education system still lags behind.

MBAtrek acts as a "semi-incubator," helping students—especially in their pre-final years—identify if they have the "seed of entrepreneurship" or if they are better suited for specific corporate tracks. By providing mentors and coaching, the platform helps students expressive their passion without fear of failure.

Lessons from the Corporate Pitch to the Startup Grind

Transitioning from a senior role at Apple India to a bootstrapped founder was a wake-up call for Abhishek. He quickly learned that his professional brand was tied to his previous companies. "People who were ready to invest millions when I was in my corporate role weren't willing to invest $5,000 in my startup initially," he shares. This taught him the importance of building a brand from scratch—Synclovis Systems (later MBAtrek)—and the value of persistence.

The Founder's Philosophy: Quality Over Hours

In a world that over-celebrates the 90-hour work week, Abhishek takes a refreshingly human approach. He advocates for a 5-day work week and emphasizes that productivity falls off a cliff after the 55th hour. "What is the point of working 80 hours if you're only doing two hours of quality work?" he asks. He prizes Resilience and Integrity above all else, looking for team members who are honest about their limits but dedicated to their results.

Future Vision: Launching Careers at Scale

Abhishek's ultimate goal is to see MBAtrek become the definitive platform for career launches in India. He wants to move beyond just recommending careers to actually driving students end-to-end into their professional lives. By celebrating both success and the lessons learned from failure, he aims to inspire a generation of "Trekkers" who are not just employed, but fulfilled.