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 Ashish Kolvalker
Posting this one a bit late – though had kind of decided that I would post all my GD/PI experiences at one shot – after having got through a particular b-school – and here I am now – a proud to-be-MDI-alumnus penning down the experiences of this year..
Jan 30th 8 AM- Pune ( first batch in the entire GD/PI process spanning 4 days)
Institute: Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM)
Batch – 1XF ( had a SNAP 100 scorer in this batch too )
Composition: 10 boys, 1 gal… but well – the gal wasnt present in the GD’s and GT’s with us…
The sight of SIBM wasnt really a pleasing one for me, as I had seen it the previous day – as it was nothing more than a building – frankly speaking even smaller than my school. Though I was here, and I had to attend the GD/PI now. The previous evening had been spent meeting friends, and also meeting my buddy Chinmay at SIBM (a buddy was supposed to guide he/her through the entire GD/PI process)
There was a crowd outside SIBM – the line of students for registration had reached the road ( the institute is one building right outside the road ). I got in the line – and it didnt take time to finish the registration procedure. I was given a batch tag – and was directed upwards to one of the floors above. We were made to sit in a classroom – some 3 or 4 batches in the morning. After a brief presentation by the seniors on SIBM and its culture, we started off. The first thing on the programme was the essay
Essay as told above – Whistle Blowers are guardians to democracy..
Hardly any time to recollect thoughts and write some stuff, in fact the topic needs better understanding and better examples as a good essay – which of course mine lacked.
Rating – 5/10.
Following this we were led to separate rooms where we sat with our buddies/other coordinators, who I must say were extremely helpful. My batch was seated in a small circle, and the coordinator gave us more ideas on how life at SIBM is. Soon we were called for the interviews – which was unexpected to come before the GD’s. I was the third on the list in the group. We were led to another room, where the three of us had a seat on the bench outside. The first person was a guy who was from PG – and had interacted with him in the morning. He seemed to have a good profile (2 years at DRDO, owner of a tech-forum online etc), and I was all apprehensive of him going before me. Still I was more at ease then expected. He had a cool interview, and so did the person before me – a 2 year experienced fellow at GE.
The next to enter was me. The following is how it all went.
Panel: One internal faculty(in middle) – F
One Senior HR Manager from Pepsi – P
One IIMA pass out – A
Myself – M
F did most of the questioning.
M (enters, greets and sits down)
F: So Ashish, tell me about yourself, your schooling, your extra curriculars, your workex, your hobbies and so on.
M (prepared answer): blah blah
P: Hmm ok – so which coaching institute have you prepared this answer from?
M (taken aback): Frankly this is my own prepared answer Sir, I do not require any external preparation for this – so I did not take help from any coaching class.
P: Thats good – its a general answer rite – so it doesnt require any preparations.
M: Yes Sir it doesnt
F: So Ashish, you have had workex as a technical consultant, so why an MBA now?
M: Blah blah – interests in HR etc
F: So Ashish, I see you have done your schooling and graduation at Goa. Why then do you want to come to Pune to do your management from SIBM? I am sure Goa too has a nice management institute.
M: blah blah – why SIBM prepared answer 
– qualities SIBM possesses.
F: So what in HR interests you?
M: Blah blah – more on Traning and Development
P: Ohk – tell me more about what kinds of trainings are there in Oracle
M: Blah blah
P: Ohkay – are all these trainings required at all levels?
M: No – as you go higher in the ladder, you require to take certain types of trainings.. blah blah ( had discussed most of the T&D part with an HR manager I knew – phew – was saved here )
P: Ohk
F ( looks at A )
A: So you say you like reading – what books do you read?
M: blah blah – all kinds blah blah
A: So name some books of Paulo Coelho
M: blah blah
A: Ohkay so you have interest in Hindu mythology…especially in Mahabharata – so I suppose I can ask you anything from it (big grin)
M: I guess so (scared a bit )
A: Ohkay – how many siblings did Dhritarashtra have?
M: 100
A: Siblings?
M: (oops!!) – Oh sorry – he had one sibling – thats Pandu
A: Are you very sure?
M: Yes Sir
A: Hmm – I think you need to revise your concepts on Mahabharata again then (all laughing)
M: Perhaps sir – if you say so…(was reasonably sure of the answer)
F: Ohkay Ashish – so what if we dont offer you the admission at SIBM? Whats the backup plan?
M: (prepared answer): blah blah – have to do it this year itself – maybe correspondence in HR – cant pursue a residential MBA after this year – blah blah
F: So you are hell bent on doing HR this year itself
M: Yes Sir
F: Ohk then thank you Ashish.
M: Thank you Sir
M (thanks all and leaves)
Quite a decent interview – would rate it 8/10.
Was bugged as they didnt go through my files at all – though they were there in my hands all the while etc. – Had really arranged them well and brought – and I tot i had some things to show in them
GD – Case study ( I guess all had case studies )… first case study of my life – hence was a bit nervous…
The case was about a person who joins a company as a programmer, then the company changes its domain of technology, and along with it, this 4 yr experienced guy has to adapt to the new domain, and new business. He is unable to do it , and underperforms, hence is warned from HR manager to be removed. The guy gets pissed, applies to other companies, gets reco letters from known people etc etc. One year down the line or so, the HR manager tells him that he has to leave the company. The guy loses it and threatens to sue the company for the treatment and show the reco letters as proof etc etc.
What should the HR manager do?
PS – this is as far as I can remember the case – ne one else please correct me…
Okish discussion – lot of argument – there was more talk about the reco letters and the suing , rather than the HR manager’s alternatives for tackling the problem – probably thats where we lost out. (my opinion).
The two panelists were ok (one male one female) – the female leader stopped us twice to make the quiet people speak – the male guy was noting our expressions, how we spoke etc… the GD was stopped by the female lady (probably she got bored )
Rating for my performance: 7.5/10
Next
Group Task: (This was the weirdest part in the procedure)
Panel: 2 old gentlemen
Task 1: This was a handkerchief placed at a distance from all of us – and we had to somehow touch it by crossing the line before it, without touching any part of our body to the ground. Weird rite? We discussed for a major part of the time – but I landed up convincing them to spend more time on doing the task at the end – so we somehow started. One fellow volunteered to be held by the others – and we all held him in some strategic method. Somehow we managed to do the task eventually. Looks like they were observing more of the group dynamics in it.
Task 2: This was a restrainer-captive task – where the prof stands at one end. We have to pair ourselves with a partner. At one instance I am the restrainer, trying to hold my partner from reaching the prof at the other end of the room. Next I am the captive, and he is holding me, preventing me from reaching the prof. We had this exercise – and well, I had some fun tickling my partner (he complained, but I retorted sayin that the prof had mentioned ‘the restrainer can do nethin in his power to stop the captive’. So it was kinda allowed. . At the end of the task, we all were made to stand in a line, and were questioned one by one on whether we liked to be the restrainer or the captive. This was dumb as the others further in line would try to mould their answers acc to what we answered. I chose to be the captive, as I gave some gyaan about having a certain goal to move to etc.
Tough to rate myself – but would give it a 6.5/10.
Our group was the first to finish that day. We left at around 12 – and me and my restrainer partner (Akaash) went over and had something at a Java Green center nearby. From there we departed, and I moved to my friends place where I was staying, and prepared to leave Pune.
Overall I was kind of satisfied with the entire experience – knowing I had done well with most of the proceedings – though I knew that if I got other calls later, I would have to leave this one for them – as the last date to pay the fees (75k) was 28th Feb. Eventually I did land up converting SIBM, but took a strong decision and gave up the seat without paying the fees. I had other better interviews to attend – and was confident in cracking at least one more of them.
Source: http://ashishyahoo.blogspot.com
Posted by TCYonline.com on
Contributed By IIM Lucknow Students
As the B-school admissions pick up steam, candidates are busy preparing for the nerve-wracking group discussion-personal interview phase. To assist aspiring management grads in their preparation, students at IIM Lucknow [ have come together to pool their experiences of the admissions process and present these tips.
IIM Lucknow’s post-CAT selection process consists of three parts:
1. Written ability test (of 15 minutes duration)
2. Group discussion (on a given topic for 20 minutes)
3. Personal interview
Last year, the process began with the written ability test, which is typically an essay-writing exercise. Over the past three years, the topics for this test have been one line abstract topics and the time allotted for this is 15 minutes.
Evaluation of the essay is done on the parameters of perspective and communication. This is followed by a group discussion on the same topic. The maximum time allotted for the GD is 20 minutes.
GD topics for CAT 2008
- He who knows how to be poor knows everything
- Habit and routine have an unbelievable power to waste and destroy
- A fool can ask more questions in an hour than a wise man can answer in seven years
- You have to break a few eggs to make an omellette
- When all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail
- If you want peace, prepare for war
- Patience is a bitter plant but it bears sweet fruit
- Cursing the weather is bad farming
- It is better to be born lucky than rich
- Good judgement comes from experience and experience comes from poor judgement
- If you are not a part of the solution, you are part of the problem
- Rules are made to be broken
GD topics for CAT 2007
- Business and Ethics do not go together
- Performance enhancing drugs should be legalised in sports
- The test of a successful man is not an ability to eliminate the problem before it exists, but to meet and resolve it whenever it arises
- Good economics is bad politics
- A successful man is not one who has ability to eliminate problems before they occur, but who can face the difficulties as they arise and solve them
- Good things always arise from good thinking
- A successful man is one who plans for the problems and avoids them and not one who faces problems as they come and solves them
- Faith is to believe what you do not yet see, reward for faith is to see what you believe
- Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative
- When you find that you are on the side of majority, it is time to reform
- Science without religion is lame and religion without science is blind
- Morality is the creation of the weak to deter and limit the strong
- Winning is what matters, whatever may be the cost
- Education is a progressive way of discovering your ignorance
- Great spirits face violent opposition from mediocre minds
- Helping hands are better than praying lips
- Necessity is the mother of all invention
- Thinking about the worst prepares you for the worst
- A closed mouth catches no flies
- You don’t have to be different to be good; but you have to be good to be different
- If you give a man a fish, he eats it once. You teach a man to fish, you lose a business opportunity
- A man with words and no deeds is like a garden full of weeds
- For an idea to be accepted it has to be advertised by a good salesman
- Law is the creation of the strong to rule the weak
- Happiness is a mystery like religion, and it should not be rationalised
- Hope for ill gains is the beginning of loss
- Education is what remains after one forgets what one has learnt in school
GD topics for CAT 2006
- Life has become dangerous in this unipolar world
- A permanent seat in the UN Security Council is neither necessary nor sufficient for India to become a world power
- A university is what a college becomes when the faculty loses interest in teaching the students
- In business, the rear view mirror is clearer than the windshield
- True happiness can be got only when you make the others feel that they are responsible for it
- A room without books is like a body without soul
- Speculation is an art of life
- The validity of science lies in its power to predict
- Freedom is the freedom to say 2 + 2 = 4. Once that is granted, everything else follows
- That so few people now dare to be eccentric, is the chief danger of our times
Personal interview
Typically personal interviews begin with the “Tell us about yourself” question. Candidates have to be well prepared for this question as the rest of the interview would be based on the answer they give to this question.
Candidates are also asked about their strengths, weaknesses, long-term and short-term goals. Candidates are asked questions on the core subjects of their academic stream and recent developments in that area.
Engineering students are expected to be well-versed with engineering maths as well as their final year projects. Those having prior work experience are questioned on their roles and responsibilities, their company and its competitors, recent performance, and industry trends.
The candidate is expected to have a sound reason for leaving his/her job and pursuing an MBA. Interviewers also ask questions on current affairs in the world of politics and business. Through this, they not only try and assess a student’s knowledge and awareness but also his ability to think.
A candidate may also be asked to share details on his extra-curricular achievements and the hobbies that he has pursued.
While a candidate may not be questioned on all the above mentioned areas, it is always better to be prepared for them.
This is a compilation of student experiences and interaction with the faculty, and is not officially endorsed by IIM Lucknow.
Source: http://getahead.rediff.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
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