IIM L Interview Experience

Date: 8th march
Cat percentile : 99.97
There were 8 students in the list but two were absent.

Essay and GD:
We were given a topic to write an essay for 20 minutes and then 15 minutes more to discuss the same topic. The topic was " Beginning of a journey does n't guarantee success"

I started my essay with " Well begun is half done" but what about the other half? Later followed on with examples of hare and tortoise, edison, football cricket and all other. Added valuable points how we can turn a good or a bad start into success. Overall a very simple topic and I wrote a decent essay will give 8-9/10

GD was chilled out, I chipped in with valuable points like continuous evaluation is required . Redefining of goals , review of achievements etc, Gave examples again of edison, football..
Only 6 people were there, all chilled out. I think we were finished in 12 mins and profs felt that we have nothing more to discuss and said that is fine.

Interview:
P1: Prof to my left, Prof. Sanjeev Kapoor
P2: Prof to my right, Prof Krishna Kumar ( Not sure though)
M: me!

P1 came and called me in..
Pleasantries and P2 asked me to sir. Thank you etc.

P2: xxx, You have done elec engg from IIT Kanpur. You have done very well till +2, what happened there?
M: give my reasons.
Some discussion follows, both look convinced.

P2: Ok , tell me the recent developments in elec engg.
M: I speak about smaller and smaller chips, new semi conductors etc.

P2: But that is all electronics? tell me about electrical.
M: Sir, I am more focussed towards electrnoics and communication, at IIT, we are taught all three and have to pick one or two for specialisation. Still in electrical, the nuclear deal can be said the latest development when concerning India. India is going to upgrade from 4000 MW to 20000 MW of nuclear power by 2020.

P2: Ok, have you heard about clean gas tecnology in power?
M: No sir!

P2: Ok fine. What do you read apart from electrical engineering?
M: Sir, I am a follower of football and read anything and everything about it. I am also into blogging.

P2: good, football ok!
P2: Who is the current world champion?
M: Sir, Italy won the last world cup in 2006 and spain is currently ranked 1 in FIFA rankings.

P2: When is the next worldcup.
M: 2010 in south africa.

P2: which is the most important position in football?
M: Sir, people think it is the central forward, but I believe it is the goalkeeper. I think his mistake can be very costly. One mistake of the goalkeeper can cost us a match. Attackers get numerous chances to score goals. But, once a goalkeeper lets an easy one in, the whole team omes under pressure. He is the most important player on the pitch.

P2: do u know pele? What was special about him?
M: Sir, he is regarded as the best footballer ever. He had this amazing knack of cutting through defenders, but he was a team player, his goals were full of passes. One of his goals is very famous when from midfield he took teh ball and the goal was scored after 13 passes.

P2: Good!
P2: Do you play football?
M: yes sir, but had to quit.

P2: Oh, because of the operation?
M: Yeah sir!
P2: Ok

P2: what else do you read?
M: Sir, I am not that big a reader. But the last two books that I read are, Atlas Shrugged and Kite Runner.

P2: And? ( he didn't hear kite runner properly)
M: Kite runner sir!

P2: who is teh author of atlas shrugged?
M: Ayn Rand

P2: What is so special about this book?
M: Sir, the imagination is very vivid. One can find any all kinds of emotions in this book. She has seen the world of today so early. Her imagination of reservations and fight between capitalism and socialism is very much what is happening and has happened.

P2: The book is very thick and has very small print( says to p1 and me). How much time it took you?
M: about one and a half month.

P2: good! Have you heard of the book alchemist?
M: yeah Sir, I have heard the name of the book, not read it.

P2: Do you know the name of author?
M: No sir!

P2: Thats fine.
P2: Suppose in your job it is necessary to bribe the customer to get business. What would you do?
M: Sir, I am not in favour of bribes. One should try other means.

P2: Suppose there is no other way. And your company, although does n;t encourage bribes but sees no wrong in it either and has funds allocated for it?
M: Sir, in that case, I will have no option. If the company can get no business, we are losing everything.
P2: Ok

P1 takes over
P1: Yeah, bribing is called facilitation fee. There is nothing wrong in it?
M: Sir, well it is not ethical but when you have no other options, you have to go for it.

P1: Right!
P1: Can you tell me the probability of you getting into IIM L?
M: do you want a mathematical answer, or you want me to take a prediction?

P1: Give a mathematical answer.
M: Sir, for that I would need some stats and also .

P1: What do you need?
M: No of seats and no of calls given .

P1: assume 500 calls and 100 seats.
M: Sir, we would need to assume that there will be no absentees in the interviews and everyone who gets an admit joins.

P1: Ok, then.
M: then probability of my selection is 499c99/500c100 which will be 499!100! 400!/500!99!400!=100/500=1/5

P1: suppose we have 50% reservations for girls?
M: we will need to reduce the number of girls candidates called from 500 and the calculations would change.

P1: Fine.

P1: So, you are from Bokaro Steel City, Tell me about your family?

M: Sir, My father works with Bokaro Steel Plant and my mother is a homemaker. My elder brother is a mechanical engg working in pune. My younger brother is studying mechanical engg from NIT Jamshedpur.

P1: Oh all engineers. good very good.

M: Yes sir (smiles)
P1: The guy who left before you asked me to ask you a question. Should I ask you that?
M: Sure sir!

P1: What is the size of a football field?
M: Sir, it depends what kind of a match it is. For international matches it is 70-80 yards in width and 110-130 yards in length. For domestic matches , it can be different.

P1: It is meters?
M: No sir, yards.

P1: Good, why do you think he asked me to ask you this?
M: may be because i spoke about football in the GD.

P1: Good, how does this answer tell me that you are suitable for management?
M: Sir, this answers shows I am well informed about my hobby and follow it with passion. Thus, this shows that I will do justice to my management studies and will do the same in my work thereafter.

P1: How many interviews you have had? All over?
M: No sir, this is the fourth, I have IIM C left.

P1: which calls you have?
M: A C I KL

P1: Which you don't have?
M: B and S.

P1: ahh, you have so many calls, you will convert one of them, and will get into management, very good chances.
M: yes sir, i am very confident of converting at least two.

P1: Good, that was I asking tell me your probability of getting into IIM L.
M: Sir, I would give myself 70%.

P1: Why 70 and not 100?
M: Sir, 10% weightage is for work ex. and 5% for grad score. So, I am basically competing for just 85% and I have doen reasonably well for 70%. So I said 70%.

P1: Fair enough!
Looks at P2.
P1 and P2: That will be all, Thank you.
M: Thank You sir!

All in all feel good, they never stressed me out. P2 laughed throughout the interview. P1 was also very cordial.