Interview Date : 5th Feb, 1 PM
NMAT Score : 232
Program Interviewed for : MBA CORE(Mumbai Campus)
GD Topic: In the wake of growing pollution in the country’s capital, how would yu rate the ODD EVEN implementation and the inconvenience caused? Chalk out a plan to improve this strategy by including measures which may help curb down the problem in hand.
Review: Since, it was a very debatable topic with everyone boiling to voice out their view, the CD very soon lost its vigor(although, I won’t call it a Fish Market). The good part was that somehow we managed to arrive on the consensus. But before the final plan could get completely chalked out, the panel declared. “Time’s Over’..!!!
I managed to START the discussion by referring to the similar plans that had been made in the past(Julius Ceaser being the first to implement it during 4th Century BC followed by the recent examples of Paris and Beijing) and the long term impact they had on the society and the environ of those places.
I pitched in a few more times with decent points. But most of the time I was paying attention to the points made by others. I knew that I had done my job. And was aiming to keep it calm and simple.
PI Review:
3panelist- Left, a man in his 50s (L); Middle, a lady in 30s (M); Right, a lady in late 40s(R)
Me: Greetings Panel
All three of them smiled in return nodding their head.
M: (who was doing some paper work gave me a nod and asked me to take my seat).
M: So tell me about yourself in short.
Me: Myself (name)…from (hometown). After the completion of my graduation in Computer Engg, I worked for (IT company’s name) as a Software Test Engg for Data warehouse Projects. I have done a white paper in “topic name” which was successfully published in an international journal(journal’s name). Apart from this, I have a keen interest in motor cycle trips. I have done a solo trip from Bangalore to Ladakh covering over 5k km on my two wheels.
L: Did you do this white paper while you were in college ?
Me: No sir. I worked on it while I was working with my company.
L: So, how was this topic related to the area of your work ?
Me: (My topic was based on Opinion Mining for which I had made a web application. It involved the concept of NLP and data mining.)
I him how my job being a test and data analytics revolved around handling data and realising its importance in nowadays with the concepts of Big Data and SMAC coming up so big. Moreover, while I was going through a white paper in which the author had tried to predict the mood of the shares just by analysing meaningful tweets(such is the power of social media), I got an insight of delving deep into the topic.
R: So what methodology did you use?
Me: explained.
R: Is it just theoretical research or have you worked on some stats also?
Me: It is a web application wherein I used Netbeans as the platform. I have done my statistical research on the reviews for banks like Axis, HDFC and few others,
R: What kind of parser did you use?
Me: Stanford parser(explained)
R: why Stanford parser, why not bagOfWords?
me: Explained her the reason which revolved around the typical dependencies provided by the Stanford parser.
(She seemed content)
M: You are doing good in your IT field, dont’ you think you should go for MTech instead of MBA (WHY MBA??)
me: Explained how being a test engg helped me in interacting with the clients..understanding the business scenarios and it was this aspect of my work which I loved the most. So Mba became an obvious choice of bridging this gap.
M: dealing with clients for a business scenario is different, and clinching or sealing the deal is completely a different scenario. How will yu survive it?
me: explained how when I was the vice chairperson of the fest, sponsorship fell in my bucket…how I lured the companies which had never sponsored for us b4…my strategies of negotiations…and how after the fest I sent a CD to those companies who had turned us down, capturing the good moments of the fest in…how the sponsor companies were benefited…
M: do you read on a daily basis if yes then when do yu do it?
me: I prefer The Indian Express and go through it during my leisure hours.
M: Tell me one recent news about your company?
me: told, how my company filed a request for going for IPOfew days back and recently it was approved for 2000 crore by SEBI.
M: What do yu know about CSR and how is yur company performing it?
me: explained CSR. Explained that last year my company had invested Rs 76 crore equivalent to near about 1.44% of its. Told about other initiatives by them and how they consider it more of ISR(Individual social resp) than CSR.
L: tell me about your bike trip..(4-5 back to back questions from all three of them)
me: I started..they intervened…and asked specific questions on my trip itinerary which one could answer only if someone had actually made it…’which route did yu take manali- leh of srinagar- leh and why’…’starting and end point for a biker(zozi la and baralacha la)’….talked about the tunnel that is being built on that route..its connectivity..and stuffs…
M: Whats the most imp lesson that yu derived from this trip which you will bring to the class..??
me: I thought for a while…recalled few lines …”The most difficult part is to start. Once we start something…we realize that we are smart enough to figure out things on the go. It is not that intimidating as it appears”
L: So why did you leave yur company on 22nd December?
me: My last client was supposed to visit us and me having a good rapport with them was asked to accompany them for coming 15 days which would relocate me to Bangalore for this tenure. However, I was having my XAT exam on 3rd Jan, which I couldn’t afford to miss. So I had to choose btwn my job and the exam and I having made my mind for the MBA this year, I stuck with my later choice and decided to take this risk.
L: So did yu get a call from XLRI?
me: Yes Sir..!!!
All of them smiled together…!!!
PS: This post is just an attempt to reflect what I went through. Please try ignore the grammatical and spelling mistake if any…!!!