Tell Me How Pencil is Made?

IIM Shillong Interview experience – 1/2/2016 (Morning 8:45 AM)

WAT – Players should be careful about purple patches

PI Panel : M (male professor – in 30’s of his age), F (female professor – in 30’s of her age), I (yours truly ? )

I was the last person in the panel to be interviewed (my PI started at around 12:30 PM)

FF: Tell me something about yourself that you haven’t mentioned in the form.

I: (Since I didn’t have more than 12 months of work-ex by the time form was filled, I didn’t mention it in the form) Started with my work-ex, working in consulting, with a pharma client, told more about my roles, my day to day work.

F: Tell me any recent analysis that you did

I: Told

M: So you are a mechanical engineer, don’t you miss engineering? How are you using mechanical engineering in your work?

I: Told that yes I am not using the technical part of it, but apart from my technical learning, engg taught me a lot other things (analytical skills, problem-solving skills and all the clichéd fundas) that I find very useful in my work

M: Tell me any 2 fav subjects?

I: IC Engine and Heat Transfer

M (I am assuming he was a mech engg as well): Ohh Heat Transfer, tell me what is LMTD..!

I: (thinking why the hell did I say HT) Sir, it is some Temperature difference, later on remembered it to be Logarithmic mean temperature difference.

M: Why is it logarithmic? Why not linear?

I: Gave some funda that rate of heat transfer holds some kind of exponential relationship with Temperature difference. Not convinced!

M: Assume you are a consultant, I am a pencil manufacturing company. Tell me how pencil is made, and assume that I am mech engg and use all mechanical jargon that u should use and don’t explain it in layman terms.

I: (Trying to remember the manufacturing processes course that made me sleep in the class) Could not recollect more than drilling, grinding etc. Was unable to answer well here.

M: Tell me about northeastern states?

I: Seven sisters?

M: yeah name them

I: Told

M: Is Sikkim a northeastern state as well? Do you think Sikkim enjoys the funds allotted for northeastern states?

I: I am not 100% sure but I think yes it forms a part of North eastern states

M: Tell me why is everyone against Kejriwal these days? Why BJP, Modi, Jaitely are against Kejriwal?

I: Told that he was not supposed to fall into mainstream politics, how he is recently doing such things like politics on caste (citing some examples from Rohit Vermula’s case)

M: Why is there a conflict between Jaitley and Kejriwal?

I: Told about DDCA Scam, several cross questions followed, was able to answer most of them

M: What do you do in your leisure time?

I: Told about hobbies, sports etc

F: You got a scholarship for your engineering from GOI, don’t you think that’s a cheating on them that you are not giving it back and are working with some consulting firm?

I: Told that I got scholarship from GOI, not some technical department, even after consulting or even after my MBA, I’ll be giving it back to the country and contributing to the GDP of the nation.

M and F: Thank you very much! Have candies

I: Thank you! Took two and came out.

Overall a sweet panel, little cross questioning without any stress at all.