The first two years are the foundation of one's career. But for many, it is just a stepping stone to an MBA. Our listener this week, Priyanksha, knew she didn’t like her first job within three months of joining the company. An MBA was her escape route. She stayed at the company for two reasons a) to gain work experience which is a pre-requisite for an MBA b) to support herself financially during her MBA preparation. Right from the beginning, she knew the company would not support her future plans. So, she kept it a secret till she cracked her CAT and the subsequent interview rounds, and got an admission letter from an IIM. It came as a complete surprise. Her immediate manager did not receive it well. He was angry and upset.

Thousands of talented, accomplished, smart people have been in Priyanksha’s shoes. As we near the end of The First Two Years, we speak about lasts and why last interactions matter.

On this episode of TFTY, host Akshaya Chandrasekaran brings - Prasadh MS, head of workplace research and communications, Xpheno, and her colleague Aayush Agarwal, staff writer and IIM Kozhikode alumnus, to discuss an exit strategy at the company.

Do you have a career question we can help you to solve? Share a note with the host at akshaya@the-ken.com or take this form and let us know. We might have you on the show! The First Two Years is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive business stories, deeply-reported newsletters, and a whole lot of stuff.