Posted by TCYonline.com on June 10, 2010
Contributed By Ashish Kolvalker
This was probably my best – but didnt get me da result expected 
.
Date and time: April 16th – 9:30 am
Place: Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Mumbai
Reached at around 2 pm on Sunday the 15th and spent that evening at TISS – met many new PG friends – Vachan, Rajiv and of course later Saki and Ram (whom I already knew)… the stay overnite was nice – doesnt feel as if u are in Mumbai when inside the campus at TISS 
– small in size but really nice to have a walk in da evenings etc – and extremely conducive atmosphere and surroundings for study – and well – the latest news is that TISS has become wi-fi – all da info was poured in from Babu who met us on Sun evening and answered a lot of questions from our side…
Woke up early in da morning – got ready and went to the main lounge where there was a smal crowd – not as much as expected – we had a small presentation on the know-how of TISS by a second-year’ite of the HRM/LR program… later we came up and were grouped into different batches (as put on da notice board) – and were led to da different classes for the GD/PI – Mine was in class XI – 8 of us (2 absent) – 4 boys 4 gals… so even ratio
GD: Globalisation is a mixed blessing for the youth of today (it was the same topic for all the batches in my main group) – the other group had got Gandhian values etc etc… ( though the topics are being changed evryday – so dont go by them 
)
Very decent GD – chipped in a lot of times… was surprised by da female junta as some spoke real well, and real fluently. By da way we ourselves decided that we wud use paper, and recollect our thoughts for sometime – the 2 supervisors didnt have a prob with it – though when we decided on the topic as globalisation and started writing, one of them said ‘Isnt this a GD ?? ‘ – and well – one of the ladies started rite away. Two of the females seemed to be dominating the show – though all guys spoke well too – and well – chipped in a lott of good points – though the youth aspect was kinda fading away with all the industrial and economic aspect takin toll of da topic :mg: – all of us spoke without majorly cutting others – as we had been reminded that domination of the GD wud lead to getting -ve points.
Rating: 8/10
After this – we were led into a room, and were told that there is still some time for the PI. Hence we moved off – grabbed a vada-paav for a quick bite and then came back – to our disbelief the PI’s had already begun – apparently the people were being called RANDOMLY. Was surprised at this – but there was nothin we cud do. We just gave our names, and sat there hopin for a quick call. I was called in just before the lunch call – though they dedided later that I too shud be pushed in after lunch . So i went ahead, ate somethin and returned. The wait before the PI was long. The PI finally happened at around 3 to 3:15 pm. I was all jittery before as I had heard my panel had been stressing the people in da morning and blasting on GK… finally I was in…
PI: The panel – Oldish smiling lady – L (did almost all questioning)
Elderly man in between – E
Different lookin elderly person with long tied hair – D
Bakra moi 
– B
B (enters and wishes all – sits)
E: Whats these documents? (pointing to my change of name docs)
B: (Explains what were they)
E: But why did you change your name ?
B: blah blah
All 3 of them: Ok ok
L (smiling eternally :mg: ) – So u are working in XXX – how long?
B: blah blah
L: Oh – thats a lot of time – wat are u working in?
B: blah blah (cool workex questions :mg:)
L: Ohk so such a nice field – why do u want to come into HR?
B: Blah blah blah blah -( some kind of an answer which I had thought of… explained properly – wat do I get — EXPRESSIONLESS faces from all except from L – she is smiling in an understanding manner – E is checkin my papers/docs/certificates)…
E: So what do you know about HR as a field?
B: blah blah – tell them the basics
(all shaking head except D of course )
L: Ok – so Ashish tell me bout what you think of women in this present day corporate world? And what are the issues faced by them ?
B: blah blah – sexual harrasment, ego problems from men, etc etc
L: Ohkie – so wat are the things companies have been doin to prevent such things like sexual harrasment?
B: blah blah
(trying to maintain eye contact with all – but E is busy with file – doesnt look at me AT ALL – and D is well – blank – stone-faced – no expressions! )
L: Ohkie – so tell me about the reservations issue now -
wat do u think bout the reservations issue in the private sector?
B: Blah blah blah blah
L: Ohk cool – (looks at others for their turn)
D (all of a sudden): What are the different central trade unions in India?
B: (says somethin which goes kinda unheard)
D: wattt???
B: blah blah (explains)
E: Ohkay yes yes
D: (shaking head)
D: Can you name some trade union in the unorganized sector?
B: umm – dont think I know any – but i guess BMS can be one of them
D: (smilingly looks at L)
Moi understands that my answer is wrong
D: So which are the new states in India??
B: blah blah
(all quiet for sometime)
L: (asks E if he wants to ask any questions)
E: No nothin actually – so bout ur hostel accomodation at TISS — blah blah ( they were askin this to all at their interviews)
B: blah blah
L: Ohkay thats it then – thanx Ashish
E: yes thanks
D: expressionless
B: (wishes and exits)
Approx 15 min – Dont know wat to say – questions were ok and I answered without any gaps etc -managed it well- but hardly any reaction from the panel – except for the lady at times… the people before me and those after me had a similar kinda interview – though not entirely on GK questions – theirs were even shorter – some 8 to 9 min…
Looks like they were lookin for more than just mere answers…
Rating: 8.5 to 9/10 (from my side)
Travelled in da evening to Churchgate to meet a friend and stayed overnite with him – had kinda fun – and then travelled back to airport da next morning to catch flite back to Blore – Saki (chaosunlimited) and another girl accompanied me in it – so that was good fun too
General opinion: Diverse interviews being conducted – entirely on luck which panel u get, and also how ur interview goes. Heard later that my panel conducted stress interviews in the latter half of the day… was again surprised at that… The panel with the dean was stressing most of da guys (like every year) – so guess people had to watch out there…
Source: http://ashishyahoo.blogspot.com
Posted by TCYonline.com on
Contributed By Sidharth Balakrishna
After the written exam, most management institutes invite you for the next stage of the testing procedure, which could comprise essay writing, group discussions and interviews. In fact, almost every institute uses interviews to assess the suitability of the candidate.
So what are the broad topics that you should prepare for in interviews?
There are some questions/ topics that you should be ready to address. These are:
- Your introduction
- Academics (especially for candidates who are currently in their final year or who have just recently completed their graduation)
- Work experience (for candidates who are currently working)
- Current affairs and business awareness related questions, to assess whether a candidate is aware of and can speak on broader issues of national or international importance
- General questions such as why you wish to do an MBA, your career plans, etc
- Your hobbies and interests
- Your strenghts and weaknesses
Tips to prepare
- In your introduction, try to ensure that you go beyond just repeating some mundane details about yourself. Try and make your introduction interesting by highlighting your unique qualities, interests, aims, etc.
- It is important to also highlight your achievements in your introduction, this could impress the evaluators and go a long way in ensuring your success.
- You could write down some points about yourself that you wish to cover in your introduction, this will ensure that you don’t miss anything and may also aid in a smooth delivery on the day itself.
- When preparing to talk about academics, you will need to revise the fundamentals/ basics of the subjects you have studied during your graduation. Application-based questions could also be asked. For example, engineers with an electronics and communication background are often asked the differences between GSM and CDMA and which technology they think is better and why etc. Similarly, a candidate with an economics background may be tested on the relevance of Keynesian theories today, especially in the light of recent global economic developments.
- Quite often, candidates are asked about their favourite subjects and are asked questions on these. So think about which subjects you are ready to answer questions on!
- For candidates with work experience, the panel could ask you about the company in which you work and your role, as well as your firm’s major competitors, the industry in which your company operates in, etc. Plus, be prepared for questions on recent developments in the industry — such as large M&A deals, etc.
- Whatever your background, I strongly suggest that you read a newspaper every day. This will go a long way in helping you answer questions pertaining to GK and business awareness (besides helping you in the GD/ essay writing round as well (if any)).
- For questions on your career goals, strenghts and weaknesses, hobbies, etc ensure that you do some introspection and above all, be honest! Do not invent some hobby or strength just to impress the interviewer. Try and think about these questions — remember that if you mention a particular strength, you may be asked to justify it by providing an example of when you actually demonstrated that particular strength.
- I suggest you read about the MBA course before the interview. If asked a question such as “Why MBA?”, you could speak about the subjects that you are interested in or how the methodology used for teaching the course interests you — the use of case studies, ‘live projects’ with companies, the summer placement experience, interactions with people working in the corporate sector through guest lectures, etc.
- Finally, it is a good strategy to practice for the actual interview by undergoing a couple of mock interviews and seeking feedback. You will find that practice helps you improve your responses and provides you indicators on which areas you need to prepare better.
Source: http://getahead.rediff.com
Posted by TCYonline.com on June 9, 2010
Contributed By Bharat Jhurani
The CAT results have been declared and IIM hopefuls are now focussed on acing the secong leg of the admissions process — the group discussions (GD) and the personal interview (PI).
To help students prepare themselves for all the possible twists and turns a personal interview can take, we publish first-hand experiences of students who managed to breeze through their PI and others who crashed and burned.
Here, Bharat Jhurani, a first-year student at IIM Lucknow, shares his interview experience as a part of the CAT selection process.
I am an electronics and communications engineer from the GITAM college of engineering (Non-NIT, IIT!), Visakhapatnam and I graduated in 2007(yup, a fresher!).
My lone IIM call — after all those arduous AIM CATS — topping them, working hard and even managing a 99.36 percentile in CAT — was from IIM Lucknow. One single IIM call! The reason? My slightly low score in the Verbal Ability section.
Anyway, no use crying over spilt milk. I decided to give this my best shot.
My group discussion and interview were scheduled on February 17 at 2 pm, the venue being Hotel Monarch, Bangalore. I was made part of Panel II and my number was 9 (why is it always Number 9?). I was called in for the GD and the essay at about 3 pm. There were two panel members presiding and 12 of us within the group. IIM-L is known for assigning abstract topics and it maintained its reputation upon this particular occasion. The topic? ‘The most effective way to eradicate poverty is through effective governance’.
As soon as it was dictated, we were asked to write a small essay in about 150 words within 5 minutes. After the stipulated time, the papers were taken away, leaving us to discuss the topic. With such an open-ended topic thrown in, it was literally a fish fight in the beginning — everyone was hurling in whatever facts they had at hand and I was no exception! I piped up quite a number of times during the process. Overall it was a pretty good GD, but it could have been better.
Then came the time for personal interviews — they were pretty short and I presented myself before the panel at 4:30 pm. It comprised of the same individuals who presided over the GD. My interview lasted for all of six minutes.
As I entered I was asked if I would like to enroll in the Agro-Business Management (ABM) course offered by the institute. I initially relented, but then informed them that I would prefer to leave it as a second option. So much for preparation!
Following this, I was asked the cliched question — ‘Tell us about yourself’ — which I answered reasonably well, highlighting my background, my hobbies (blogging, basketball) and my accomplishments (class representative etc).
Then followed a few questions on statistics, probability and simple mathematics. I answered all well, save two — one probability query, in which I mixed up the basic concept and a definition of disjoint events, for which I incorrectly rattled off all about independent events. I got so confused that they had to explain the concept to me and not becasue I didn’t know the answer, but because I was just too stressed. The lack of comfort showed so much on my face that one of the panel members actually said, “Don’t feel tensed! Be cool. It is not a stress interview.”
When asked what I do in my free time, I mentioned my hobbies once more. The younger of the two panelists seemed very interested in blogging — he questioned me on the contents of my blog and even noted down my blogsite! I started to feel a little better about myself and hoped that he would visit it before deciding my fate!
They then asked if I had any questions for them, to which I replied in the negative. I thanked them and smiled, leaving the room confidently. That was the end of my interview.
Two months later, I found that I have made it — I got a convert and am presently the first student out here at the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow.
Gathering from my experience, I would say that the interviewers look for passion, ability and enthusiasm in a candidate, coupled with decent knowledge of current events and decent English language skills.
Get in there confidently and you’ll emerge victorious!
Source: www.rediff.com/getahead
Posted by TCYonline.com on
Contributed by the students of IIM Lucknow
Group discussions are an important part of the selection process for any B-school and for an IIM it is all the more important as it’s the first time that the panel gets to see you and listen to you. To ensure that one does well in a group discussion, one has to prepare and practice.
Through this article, we will try and give some tips and techniques which can go a long way in helping the candidate come out with flying colors in the group discussion.
What should I always remember?
First things first, most candidates must remember that it’s a discussion and hence it involves both speaking and listening. Doing only one of the two will not be called a discussion and hence a candidate should ensure that he listens as much as he speaks.
Besides this, the purpose of a group discussion must be clear to a candidate. The purpose of a group discussion is to understand the given problem or topic in its entirety and to try and reach a logical conclusion or opinion. Enough time should be given to understand the problem and jumping to a conclusion is the biggest mistake one can make. Mere consensus building is not the real purpose.
The other most important aspect about a discussion is to approach the topic or the problem in a structured manner. One should not analyse a problem and suggest a solution without looking at the objectives, without weighing alternative solutions and without predicting the kind of challenges that may arise while implementing the proposed solution.
Besides, this one must try and come up with relevant examples to corroborate one’s argument since they add a lot of weight to the argument and clarifies what one intends to say. A candidate should also try and be creative and come up with ideas from what he has read.
Communication is an area that plays a very important role. A candidate must speak clearly, slowly and briefly. One must present his argument by giving relevant reasons and examples as it builds a stronger argument.
How do I prepare?
As far as the preparation for a GD is concerned, the candidate should read extensively. The reading should be done with the goal of building perspective and developing an understanding and not just merely remembering facts and figures.
We recommend that one should read articles from newspapers, business magazines, online and then pause for a while to think about what one has read. A candidate should question himself on his understanding of the article. For instance, if the article is on an important business acquisition, then he should ask questions such as “what does it mean for the company”, “how will the industry change as a result of this”, “what should a competitor do”, “what can be some of the problems that may arise”. This will help a candidate not only build perspective, but will also help him develop the ability to think.
Once a topic is given to a candidate, the candidate must try and look at some of the keywords from the topic to generate ideas. The candidate can also approach it from the point of view of affected parties. Practicing generating ideas and speaking can help. One can even stand in front of the mirror and practice.
In the end, a candidate should stay calm and confident to be able to think clearly and give good arguments. Remember that it’s a discussion and forget for some time that you have to perform. If one makes 3-4 good arguments during different times in the discussion, the one can sail through.
Source: http://getahead.rediff.com
Posted by TCYonline.com on
Written By Krishnan Sekar
The CAT results have been declared and IIM hopefuls are now focussed on acing the secong leg of the admissions process — the group discussions (GD) and the personal interview (PI).
To help students prepare themselves for all the possible twists and turns a personal interview can take, we publish first-hand experiences of students who managed to breeze through their PI and others who crashed and burned.
Here, Krishnan Sekar, a first-year student at IIM Calcutta, shares his IIM Indore interview as a part of the CAT 2006 selection process.
I am a mechanical engineer, with 30 months of work-experience in the manufacturing and the software industries. Once I cleared the CAT, I received a total of 5 calls — from IIM A, C, I, K and L. I eventually decided on IIM Calcutta, however, here I recount my interview with IIM Indore.
The interview panel consisted a gentleman and a lady.
At the Personal Interview: Gentleman (G), Lady (L) and Me
When it was my turn, I walked into the room and wished both of them.
G starts off with the question of why I shifted from the manufacturing sector to the software sector.
I was expecting this, so had a well-prepared answer and was quite convincing.
G: What was your role in Bharat Forge ?
Me: I was in the production line. I then proceeded to give the details of my role and responsibilities, which part of the line I had handled etc.
G: Since you are mechanical engineer, let’s try a few questions on that.
Me: Sure, sir
After this for the next 5 minutes, I answered a whole lot of technical questions relating to my mechanical engineering. I did quite well in this part of the interview and impressed the panel.
Next, we moved on to the work-experience part.
G: Describe your current job profile?
Me: I am currently working in the automotive embedded domain. (I went on to explain the entire life cycle to him.)
I was then asked a couple of questions on simulation and its application, as that was my field of expertise. A couple of more questions on my work, which were pretty straightforward, and I was through with the work experience part. This lasted for about 5 minutes.
Next came the general part, and it is over to the lady. I had mentioned reading fiction, cricket and writing as my interests.
L: So what do you read?
Me: I mentioned a few authors and the type of books I read.
We settled on Jeffrey Archer finally.
L: Name a couple of his books that you have read.
Me: As the Crow Flies and Not a Penny more, Not A Penny Less
L: What did u like the most about the second book?
Me: I said a few things about the book. I also mentoned that the last line was great — where they realise that they have to return the money (You will have to read the book to understand this part).
Both seemed to agree with me on this. We spent the next few minutes discussing the reasons for the protagonist’s imprisonment and other related issues.
L: What is your opinion on celebrity endorsements? Do you think it affects their performance?
Me: No. (I then gave the example of Sachin Tendulkar). Players are signed up to endorse products only when they are performing. (I substantiated my viewpoint with a few more examples.)
L: But should Sachin endorse products? Is he an authority on toothpastes, cars etc?
Me: No ma’am, cricket is what he is best at, but the reason he is asked to endorse products is because he has a huge fan following and might be able to influence people.
L: Would you be influenced by him?
Me: Not really, I would not buy a product just because he is endorsing it.
L: But others might get influenced?
Me: Yes, that might happen but since the final decision is in the hands of the consumer, the celebrity should not be blamed for endorsing the product. Being public figures, I feel the only place they should draw the line is when it comes to endorsing alcoholic drinks and cigarettes, things that are harmful to health.
L: So you follow cricket. I know you would have prepared about the World Cup. So I am not going to ask you that. Name a couple of women cricketers from India.
Me: Meetali Raj and Anjum Chopra.
Then there were a whole lot of questions relating to players from yesteryear. I was thankfully able to answer all of them, which in my opinion was the clincher.
They then grilled me for a couple of minutes on my writing. The general part of my interview went on for a little over 10 minutes.
End of interview
I made it to IIM Indore when the results were declared. This probably is an example of how good things can be during an interview. Prepare yourself for questions on your areas of interest and on general knowledge, don’t try to memorise facts that you expect to be discussed or will impress the interviewers, you might just end up getting confused and that will go against you.
Source: www.rediff.com
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