10 tips to ace your B-school interview

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 strengths 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 favorites 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, strengths 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.

The author, an alumnus of IIM Calcutta, is an MBA preparation expert and has been involved in MBA coaching for almost six years. He has also written the best-selling 'An Introduction to CAT-Tips from an IIM Alumnus' published by Pearson Education. He can be contacted at bsiddharth_2001@yahoo.co.in.

Words from Horse Mouth - Navjot Singh "Siddhuism" - Part 1

I am sharing with you some of the best expressions and sentences delivered by flamboyant, cricket commentator and Politician Navjot Singh Siddhu.

1.    It is better to prevent and prepare than to repent and repair. 

2.    An optimist is a person who calls bullshit a fertilizer. 

3.    Nobody travels on the road to success without a puncture or two. 

4.    Successful people are like the tree with the most beautiful fruits because these are the first to be stoned. 

5.    He is so unlucky that even if you put him in a barrel full of nipples, he will still come out sucking his thumb! 

6.    He is as confused as a child in a topless bar. 

7.    India have certainly erased the tag of tigers at home, pussy cats abroad! 

8.    If fate gives you a lemon, make lemonade. 

9.    The ball went so high that it could have got an airhostess on its way down! 

10. Statistics are like miniskirts. They reveal more than they hide. 

11. Statistics are like miniskirts. What they reveal is suggestive, what they hide is essential. 

12. A half century is like kissing a virgin; you just have to go on! 

13. The ball missed the bat like a kiss in a Hindi movie. 

14. It is not the color but what is inside the balloon that makes it fly. 

15. ... you got to choose between tightening your belt and losing your pants. 

16. As uncomfortable as a bum on a porcupine. 

17. He is like a one-legged man in a bum-kicking competition. 

18. You cannot ride a bicycle without getting blisters on your bums. 

19. Good intentions die unless utilized. 

20. The scoreboard is running faster than an Indian taximeter! 

21. As a rule man is a fool, When its hot he wants it cool, And when its cool he wants it hot, Always wants what its not! 

22. Laugh and the world will laugh with you. Cry and the world laughs louder. 

23. Easy to criticize an egg, difficult to lay one. 

24. Every dog is a lion at his own door. 

25. The dog that barks last, barks best. 

26. You are not rewarded for having brains, you are rewarded for using them. 

27. Some students will drink from the fountain of knowledge, others will simply gargle. 

28. To err is human - but not too often. 

29. Bad habits are like comfortable beds - easy to get into, very difficult to get out of. 

30. Experience is a harsh teacher it gives you the test first and then the lesson. 

31. Experience is like a comb that life gives you when you get bald. 

32. Wickets are like wives. You never know which way they will turn. 

33. His slower ball was so slow that my mama can run faster than it. 

34. He moves so slowly on the field like Jack of Jack and Jill who goes to fetch a pail of runs for the opposition. 

Amazing Story

I was reading some of speeches from eminent business leaders and came across this wonderful story from Azim Premji about the power of education and cascading effects of educating one child.

The story is about a poor Scottish farmer named Fleming. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the boy from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.

"I want to repay you, " said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life." "No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer. At that moment the farmer's own son came to the door of the hovel.

"Is that your son?" the nobleman asked. "Yes," the farmer replied proudly.

"I'll make you a deal. Let me take him and give him a good education. If he's anything like his father, he'll grow to a man you can be proud of." And that he did. In time, Farmer Fleming's son graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin. Years afterward, the nobleman's son was stricken with pneumonia. What saved him?

Penicillin.

This is not the end. The nobleman's son also made a great contribution to society. For the nobleman was none other than Lord Randolph Churchill. And his son's name was Winston Churchill.

I think this is the only way for accelerating economic growth and development for the entire world economy. Those who know, share there information. You never know when you end up making a farm kid into Alexander Fleming.

"Company Bus" or "Kingfisher Bus"

I would really like to show the concept of “Kingfisher Bus lines” to our FMG team but thought other way round, not to make it public, let me to have a talk with dr. Mallya (don’t be surprised by doctor, donation dene se sab kuch milta hai :P)

~~ Background mein se ghabrayee hui aawaj: “Abbe saale, tu phir se aa gaya?? Abbey aadmi hai ya dev anand, kab retire hoga?

~~ Background mein se khushi ki aawaj : “Kingfisher Bus lines, wow, wow, hmmm, hmm….” ~ (Hold on guys, I am sure only guys will do this, aage toh pado, ya title mein hi khush ho jaoge)

I know it’s very unusual topic where people will say “abbey, yeh bus ke bare mein kya likhega? Bus to bus hoti hai”

But bhai saab or bahenji (take suitable title if you are sure enough) agar bus kingfisher ki ho toh bahot kuch likh sakte hai!! Oohh…sorry guys again raising the hope.

Ok..No arguments. “Bus toh bus hoti hai but bus mein aane wale different hote hai” yes, this blog is dedicated to all the one who pays 1250 INR (for TG1) every month (for kingfisher Bus lines it will cost one zero more…..12500 INR) rahene do yaar….apne ko toh yehi bus chalegi. I mean we Indians always know their value of money. (sorry to Mr. Mallya, no bus hostess this time)

Ok now start, but please don’t get amused with the observation. I am just taking all in refined way…I mean light way…so have a fun!! Mind it if you have else go and find it!! J

Yeah, though three fourth of my soul was destroyed by “ishqiya” (my last night movie adventure) but, I am technically alive. And by the way when I was walking towards my bus stop yesterday morning with my friend, My friend saw 2 new Volvo bus (saicare likha hota hai). “kya bus hai yaar teri, full aaram” he told me. But I knew the fact, I smirked and said “Abbe Hata saawan ki ghata, baawala hai kay?” But hey bhagwan, yeh tera kaisa insaaf hai, engineer toh mein bhi hoon (without KT), toh mere liye(Tech M) aisi bus and Unke liye (Capegemini, TCS, Cognizant) woh bus kyon? Kyon? Kyon? last two words were echo effect…

And even though a mole on your back would interest you more than my bus travelling life but please believe me I am writing here because some of my friend (suffered from company bus) has requested me to do so…and I am pretending to understand every word of their difficulties they have shared with me by putting into un digestive filthy style.

Now I am starting with the ladies (Ladies first yaar, always), although this is my new job, with every job I am exposed to, I am more convinced that the most meaningful things in the day of working woman are finding out 50% discount on any famous shopping mall, discussing MIL issues and pretending to be good cooker by collecting every recipe they found by word of mouth communication. Even in my bus… concept yehi hai….– Ladiej will be Ladiej .

‘Oyee kake…issues pe dhyan de….objective yaad rakh yeh blog likhne ka….delivery pe dhyan de’.

“Haan haan pata hai”

So let me highlight some issues here which I had borrowed from few of my colleague (waise I don’t have any specific issue except agar ‘kingfisher Bus lines’ hoti toh woh south Indian cleaner ke jagah every morning I will get to see those beautiful bus hostess..woww)

Well people wants comfort every where now days and comfort in company(Tech M) bus like google in china so don’t have much choices.

They have told me about non technical requirement like Head rest, seats are not comfortable, arm rest, cleanness, Freshness…fine…but they didn’t stopped here some have even told me about technical issues like suspension problem, silencer problem, noise, Air Condition, …etc etc…yeh to shopping list ban gayi yaar.

In short, it’s very much uncomfortable. I mean we want to be fresh and at the best on our job when we get down from bus every morning but things doesn’t seems to be at place, headache, backache, neck ache….what not!! So if you are reading this blog and again if you think you can help out all those people who travel by company bus then please don’t wait for me to give any approval, please go ahead and do something about it!! Upparwala dua dega J

But seriously man when I think about the company bus I missed one girl, I think she got the new job…. Lucky na… Actually she used to talk a lot on a phone in bus and I know everything about her family, dad, mom, neighbor, uncle, aunty like, I am her family member except her name…ya everyday I hear what she speaks on a call….

My observations doesn’t stop here, I can be more creative than Ram Gopal verma nowdays… I see people in bus reading newspaper like they are reading their own article. They don’t even bother about who sits next to them. Some of the distinct relatives of Homo sapiens who engulfed themselves in their cells to listen music like they all are testing music player of Nokia. Some of are carrying everyday new books and making me wonder how they can finish one book in one day.

Now I think I should tell you that what make you to write blog here where I can not hear anything back. Well it’s like tickling the nose of a taped Thakur Saab, when Ramu kaka is on annual leave. You can have all the fun touching his nose in all the sensitive places while he mumbles “Ramu kaka ko chutti se wapis aane de, fir tujhe thappad marwaunga.”

So now I really hope that I covered all the issues related to company bus and explained you the concept of “Kingfisher Bus lines” (guys now you can imagine what all things you will get in “Kingfisher Bus lines”).

I think now I should try to utilize my Sunday by doing something which helps my country and takes it to glorious heights our ancestors dreamed about. For a start…. Let me check what’s coming on HBO……

consequences of basanti . . . lolzz

Yesterday, I met one of my old friend after long time for a dinner. We sat in the corner of restaurant, far from the reaches of the clanging vessels and quarreling forks. We spread our feet underneath the table, spread napkins on our laps and sat there for hours. I started looking around but not thick crowd was present. Every time  we saw girl with thick, tumbling hair and antimony black eyes, I rolled my own eyes on her from top to bottom where he flung awkward gesture at me and asked me “What?” and every time he saw a brooding laughing guy and stare at him admiring his freedom and looked at me for sympathy I asked him “what?”

We cursed the “Friends” who refuse to join us, who preferred their private celebrations to our pleading invitation and we thanked each other for the companionship we sought and gave. We watched people eat, drink, celebrate and rejoice the last day of this week. We drowned our sorrow down the guts, and filled our sacs with food that tasted sad and bland. The aroma not aroma but stench of desperation and the morsel not food but a compromise in the name of joy.

For a moment I forgot about him and closed my eyes to take that dive into my past of similar unparalleled  instances. But he held my shoulder and shook me out my suicidal quest into another night of despair. 
A group of friends over a birthday cake, a couple and their soft dialogues, a family of four, few waiters running around in their skewed bow-ties and hurrying speeches, a burly manager with his notepad and a busy restroom door that swayed every 30 seconds to the pushes of everyone else we found uninteresting and not worth mentioning. We didn't talk much but we just reaped the muted nuances the world callously scattered around us, bit by bit.

He looked like an old man, experienced but unaware of his experiences. He looked lonely to me, lost but careless. We didn't talk much as we feared the voices would disturb the quivering balance we have between us.

But I can’t hold anymore without asking “dude, what’s the matter?”

He looked directly into my eyes and told me “You don’t have your basanti (girl friend) right? So, you won’t understand”

I doubled laughing after hearing that from him. But after few minutes I read consequence of having basanti in his eyes JJ

Answer i am searching for.....

I has been great weekend. Something happened I mean I met the person whom I always dream of. I don’t know how do I define it but when something begins to consume you, best option is to let it all out.

 

If you are consumed by anger, bury your head in pillow and scream your head out. If you are consumed by the hurt of a betrayal, you have two options, confront the person who betrayed you and let it go, or bury your head in a pillow and cry your heart out. If you are consumed by self-doubt, as I am right now, tell someone, and if there is no one around to listen, just put it out there, the cosmic energy will take it somewhere. But what if you come across a person whom you have had always anticipated to cross in your life journey, What if that person has same mindset, what if that person is as good as you always dream of, and what if you tell this to her. I don’t know what to say here, I even don’t even know, never met, never seen. But what if you take a chance and confront your thoughts?? Is it right thing to do?? Sigh!!! God, Plz help me!!

 

Anticipating something is canning ability of human, and when you see something which you had anticipated, how will you react?? I don’t know. It’s now over 15 months to run this blog, never had any such comments from any person whom I call come under same orbit!! And the timing of getting comments is just perfect!! Making me to think beyond my obligation.

 

Before few day’s I was wondering, what is the point of writing here, unless I know someone is reading it!! I always wanted someone to read it, someone to understand what I want to say always. And believe me for a guy like me, who is just 26 and in the process of evaluation of second inning of life, this is just an another opportunity to declare what you think and to find out someone who even thinks the same, like to read, like to write. For me, my blog is a means of testing the waters, if I may, to see whether I do indeed have it in me to make what others may want to read. And many-a-time, the absence of any sign tells me that I don't have it in me. I try to avoid the bellowing sound that resounds in my head telling me that I am perhaps wasting my time, and I would be better off doing something else but I dream of ripping dividend from it and I hope I will get it soon. I hope you will understand it well. So it’s got a blogging, dream and somewhere writing a book J

 

And then I wonder, what if one’s virtual writings are liked primarily by people who know and like what one is in real life, the content of what you write, notwithstanding. I mean is it worth to take a chance and go ahead to know a person on the line of lifetime? The fiercely independent person who believe in traditional and cultural virtues may perhaps want to vociferously declare – NO!! but again a passionate person who loves to writing, “who wants same like mind, independent and have dream of something to do type of partner” declares – Yes!!

 

So I don’t know I am making any sense to the one who is reading it. Do I have the right to ask you? No. But when my thoughts consumed with the questions of ‘whether all of this make sense’, I just float all the question out here from mind, hoping somehow, somewhere I will find an answer, an answer either one I want to hear, or an answer for which I will have to develop the courage to hear……