Durga Prasana's Jobaaj Learnings Review: From Chartered Accountant to Investment Banking at Oxan Partners

"There were times I got fed up, especially with the same mistakes, but after some conversations, I understood where I was going wrong. Now, I can explain these concepts to others confidently." — Durga Prasana

Durga Prasana is a qualified Chartered Accountant, having cleared in the May 2024 attempt. She worked until July 2024 and then set out to break into investment banking — and found it hard enough that she enrolled in Jobaaj Learnings' Investment Banking Program with its placement support. Roughly two months into the placement process, she was hired at Oxan Partners.

If you are searching “is Jobaaj Learnings genuine”, “is Jobaaj real or fake” or “is CA enough for investment banking”, Durga's is the clearest answer to that last question from someone who holds the qualification. She says CA gave her credibility and shortlists but not the technical skills the industry wanted. She is also candid that she got fed up during the assignments and faced rejections along the way. Read it alongside the other conversations in our Interview Series and the wider feedback on the reviews page.

Who Is Durga Prasana? A CA Who Couldn't Get Into IB

Durga qualified as a Chartered Accountant in the May 2024 attempt and was working until July 2024. Then she started looking for investment banking roles — and hit a wall:

"It was tough to break into, so I decided to pursue coaching and an internship to help me gain a foothold."

That is a striking position to be in. India's most demanding professional finance qualification, and still unable to convert applications in the finance domain she wanted.

Why CA Alone Wasn't Enough

Her explanation is measured and does not disparage her own qualification:

"CA is a very professional and rewarding qualification. It pays well in many domains. But when it comes to investment banking, you need more specific technical skills and deep knowledge. While CA gave me solid theoretical understanding, I needed practical experience and mentorship to understand what the industry actually requires."

And later in the conversation she gives the other half, which matters just as much:

"CA definitely gave me an edge. It helped me get shortlisted by many good companies. Even though I faced rejections, I know the CA qualification gave me credibility and helped me stand out."

Read those two together. CA got her through the door to be considered; it did not get her through the technical assessment. The gap was application, not credibility.

The Assignments: Where She Nearly Gave Up

This is the most honest part of Durga's account, and we are giving it space rather than a passing mention.

Her starting point: “It was a completely new experience for me. Before the assignments, I only knew the theory.”

What the assignments taught her, concretely: “I learned how working capital is applied in real company financial statements, not just the theory.”

What it cost:

"Initially, I made some mistakes in my assignments, like the capital growth percentage, but I received detailed feedback... There were times I got fed up, especially with the same mistakes, but after some conversations, I understood where I was going wrong."

Her verdict afterwards is worth noting too: “Now, I can explain these concepts to others confidently.”

What the Placement Team Actually Did

Durga names two coordinators, Vishakha and Vanshika, and lists specific actions rather than general support:

• LinkedIn optimisation
• How to approach HR — something she says she did not know how to do
• Applying for roles
• Answering questions, in her words, “no matter how small the doubt”

The process started after she completed her assignments — the placement team reached out to her, rather than the other way round.

The Timeline and the Outcome

She describes the outcome as “a great opportunity to work as a fresher in this industry” — entering investment banking at entry level despite holding a CA.

On Being a Woman in Finance

Asked directly whether she faced gender-based discrimination in what is often described as a male-dominated industry, Durga's answer was unqualified:

"No, sir, I never faced any discrimination. Many people, both men and women, were willing to help me with referrals or doubts. I didn't experience any setbacks because of my gender."

That is one person's experience of one job search, and it does not settle a structural question — but it is her answer, given directly, and it belongs on the record as she gave it.

Pros and Cons, Based on Durga's Account

What worked:

• Assignments that converted CA theory into applied work on real financial statements
• Detailed feedback, repeated until the concepts held
• Two named placement coordinators handling LinkedIn, HR outreach and applications
• Learning how to approach companies and ask for referrals — something she had no idea how to do
• An offer roughly two months into the placement process

What she says was hard:

• She got fed up during the assignments, particularly repeating the same mistakes.
• She faced rejections during the search, despite the CA shortlisting advantage.
• She entered as a fresher — a qualified CA taking an entry-level industry position.
• No role title or salary is disclosed, so the outcome cannot be sized.

Investment Banking Interview Questions and Model Answers

What technical skills make you an asset to this team?

Model answer: Financial analysis built on Excel — modelling, forecasting and ratio analysis — plus market data platforms for research. On the interpretive side, reading KPIs like EBITDA, P/E and debt-to-equity to form a view on financial health rather than just reporting the numbers.

How does working capital affect a company's financial health?

Model answer: Working capital is current assets minus current liabilities — a measure of short-term liquidity and operational efficiency. Positive working capital means the company can cover its near-term obligations and still reinvest. Negative working capital signals a liquidity problem that constrains both debt service and growth — though in some business models, such as retail with fast inventory turnover, it is normal rather than alarming.

Why does mentorship matter in investment banking?

Model answer: Because the gap between knowing the theory and doing the work is large, and it is mostly invisible from the outside. Someone who has already navigated it can tell you what the industry actually expects, which shortcuts months of guessing. In my own case, mentorship is what bridged academic knowledge and practical application.

Describe working under pressure.

Model answer: Preparing a financial model against a tight deadline with several data discrepancies still unresolved. I broke it into smaller steps, dealt with the discrepancies that materially changed the output first, and kept the team informed as I went. Staying organised is what makes a deadline achievable; panicking about it does not.

How do you stay updated on the finance industry?

Model answer: Financial news and market reports daily, practitioners on professional networks, and webinars or networking events for what is not yet written down. Alongside that, structured courses in financial modelling and investment banking to keep the technical side current rather than only the commentary.

Is a CA qualification enough for investment banking?

Model answer: It is a genuine advantage for credibility and getting shortlisted — but on its own it is not sufficient. IB wants applied technical skill: modelling, valuation, and comfort in a spreadsheet under time pressure. The honest answer in an interview is to say what the qualification gives you and what you built separately to close the rest.

Durga's Advice for Breaking Into Finance

• Accept that it's hard for a fresher. Her opening line, and she does not soften it.
• Mentorship and professional guidance are the levers. Not more theory.
• Learn how to approach companies. She did not know how to reach out or ask for referrals — and that is a learnable skill, not a personality trait.
• Apply theory on a spreadsheet. That is where she found out what she did not actually understand.
• Persist through the corrections. The point where she was fed up was immediately before the point where it made sense.

Full Podcast Transcript

The complete conversation, unedited.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Jobaaj Learnings genuine, or is it fake?

This page documents one recorded case: Durga Prasana, a Chartered Accountant who qualified in May 2024, took the Investment Banking Program and was hired at Oxan Partners roughly two months into the placement process. She names her employer and her coordinators, and admits on camera to getting fed up with the assignments and facing rejections. No salary is disclosed. See the wider review set on the reviews page.

Is a CA qualification enough to get into investment banking?

Durga's answer is no, on its own — but it helps. CA gave her credibility and got her shortlisted at good companies; what it did not give her was the specific technical skill and practical experience the industry tests for.

What's the hardest part of the course?

The assignments. She made repeated mistakes, needed several rounds of feedback, and admits to getting fed up. Two other candidates in this series describe the same assignments as the hardest part of the programme.

How long did it take her to get placed?

About two months from the start of the placement process to the offer, across one or two interviews — alongside rejections she mentions separately.

What did the placement team do?

LinkedIn optimisation, teaching her how to approach HR, and helping her apply for roles — plus answering questions however small. She says she did not know how to approach companies or ask for referrals before that.

Is finance harder for women to break into?

Durga says she faced no discrimination during her search, and that both men and women helped her with referrals and questions. That is her experience of one job search rather than an answer to the wider question.