I had an interview at Chennai for the GMP program at XLRI. It was a wonderful experience. I would not say it was a perfect interview, because I could not answer a few questions that I though I should have. But overall, it was good. The professors were very friendly and the whole thing was like an informal talk. It went for 20-25 minutes.
I felt there were quite a lot of GK/awareness related questions, and less about why MBA/why GMP/what post-MBA/goals/strengths/weakness etc. I was also hoping to get a few questions on the five essays that I wrote, but none came up. So I would believe that the interview will have a less weightage than GMAT score, academics and other things (like work ex, company worked with etc).
I had the impression that the professors would like to take a stress interview and tear me apart. But it was completely opposite. In fact, one of the professors looked happy with my response and even said "Good". I do not know what that means though. I hope it means good.
I was very happy with the attitude of the professors toward the interview, and I thought it was very comforting and soothing. Especially, because I reached 15 minutes late to the venue. I , along with my wife drove from Bangalore and a missed-turn on NH7, and the Chennai traffic delayed us by 2 hours. Then it took some time to search for the college and park it there. I had taken my formals (jacket, shirt, tie, shoes et-al), and slipped into them in my car itself in the Loyolla College parking lot.
Here are a list of questions I was asked:
0. About my 10/12/graduation marks, to verify that I am the person who filled in the application.
1. Why are you late, what happened?
2. Tell me about yourself, what are your interests outside work.
3. What are the four most developed states in India. ?
4. What are the states constituting the BIMARU belt.
5. How is the manufacturing sector doing ?
6. What are the 4 major things that India exports.
7. About Abdul Kalam's vision 2020
8. Was it a mistake not to select Kalam for a second term for president ?
9. What is the difference between Computer Science, and Engineering ? Is it an engineering discipline or technology. What are bachelor of technology, and bachelor of engineering.
10. Between Barack Obama, and Manmohan Singh who according to you is a better leader ?
11. About my home town - Baharagora in Jharkhand - sudden impulse to education, why ?
12. Maoists, Naxalite problems in Bengal and adjoining Jharkhand.
13. What are Maoists demands ? How can one solve them?
14. Why should we take you ? - 2 reasons.
It was over before I could think of whether it was going good or bad. I thought I did not answer any question completely, and concretely. I had an idea on each topic being asked, but manage to answer only in bits and pieces, especially about Kalams 2020 vision, and about manufacturing/exports. In the end I asked a question - why not Bangalore as a interview venue, and then I picked up a candy and walked out.
However, I feel it went good.I was confident and I think they would like to consider me.
As usual, I will keep my fingers crossed.
4 comments:
Some people in popular forums have suggested that the interview will carry substantial weightage. I disagree.
If interview weightage is substantial, then how do you justify people being judged in a 10-15 mins session, without been given a chance to justify why they want to do an MBA or some other important questions which could prove ones worth. All they (most of them us I believe) were asked were a few GK questions, a bit of this and bit of that. This would definitely judge awareness (which otherwise you can google), and a bit of personality. But nothing more than that. No offense to anyone, but the interviews were quite sub-standard. I felt more number of candidates were packed in a tight schedule. I know that the profs are really experienced to separate the chaff from the wheat, but it can not be termed as the sole deciding factor. This even leads me to believe that the decisions were already made before the interviews were roled out, based on academics/xat/gmat etc.
Its already 26th march, and no signs of the results. Many people have called up XLRI adcom office to find the exact date of results, but of no avail. No one knows the exact date. Not even the adcom.
And its so unprofessional from the ad-com's part that they do not give any information about when the results can be expected. Even after the interview, I expected a mail from them saying "Thanks for attending the interview, you can expect the results by [date]. "
I don't know if this kind of attitude is acceptable in future when competing with better behaved ad-coms from India and abroad.
No wonder, even after so many years of legacy of the GMP program, it still lags behind other schools in India.
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