PGPX IV - 2009-10: Application Process and Beyond

[thecrab2000]

No standing...its an informal setting and you sit and talk about the topic given.

Originally Posted by viky2008

I have a query related to extempore talk/speech. Is one required to stand while talking on the topic or is it more informal ie sit and speak your thoughts ?

[reddytm]

Hello All,
I had my interview yesterday, Oct 14th in Newark. Mine was with panel 1, Dr. Sahay, and two other profs.

There was no presentation. They just asked me to handover the presentation and certificates. While the interview was going on they glanced over the stuff.

1. Started off with why MBA why PGPX.
2. Asked me why I am pursuing an MBA when I already make a decent salary as an IT Architect.
3. What do I know about IIMA. I said a few things, and among them had mentioned this forum. They asked me what I thought of the forum and what exactly are people taking about.
4. Then they asked me a few questions on the presentation.
5. What are my plans post PGPX. I mentioned a Mid to senior level IT Strategy role in a Telecom company. Prof. Sahay than shot back saying there is no such role in India. As expected I was a bit taken aback, and mentioned that I found it difficult to fathom that companies can execute without strategizing. We talked about that a bit.
6. Prof. Sahay asked, me how my experience would be the first few months after I get to IIMA. I guess they wanted to know How I would adjust in India after staying in the U.S for 12 years.
7. One of the professors asked me about my thoughts on the Telangana issue and how I would solve it (I am from Hyderabad).

I don't think I did the interview well. But I feel the interviews are being conducted really well. I don't think any amount of preparation would suffice. The panelists manage to bring out the real 'you'.

Good luck to all.

[BuffetFan]

Originally Posted by ravulapati

Hi guys,
Had my interview today in Newark. I had the second panel (not the one with Dr.Sahay). I think they were catching the flight later in the evening and seemed to be in a hurry. They canceled the high tea also. It was kinda quick interview for all of us in the evening session. At the most 30min I think. Met the afternoon candidates and it was good to have a chat with them.
Anyway here was my interview:
After handing out my printouts.. they asked me a couple of questions about my company and the threat of flash ( I work for a harddrive manufacturer). Then the extempore topic. The topic I was given was : "I am convinced that He (God) does not play dice." by Einstein. I should say I am ashamed that I did not know this quote (esp being an Electrical Engineer). I blabbered about some stuff exactly the other way... I actually talked about evolution and that there is nothing for a chance and everything has a reason (see how stupid I am!!!). Anyway later they told me that it was about theory of relativity.... and asked me about that. I said I do not remember that and made a comment saying working on the computer is taking an evolutionary toll on and that some day soon I will not be having a brain.... anyway this was a major screwup and I felt terrible.
After this mishap we started talking about other topics. One of the panelists asked me if my wife was a practioner? (She is a medical resident and I told them) and then a couple of questions about her and if she is interested in working in India. Then back to my work profile and a few questions about that. Why MBA? Why IIM-A? What other schools? Told them about ISB. Why will I choose IIM if I also get into ISB.
You can party with the young guys at ISB -- I said I am past the age of drinking all night and going back to work the next day. They just laughed. Then one of the panelist was like you live by yourself ( my wife actually is in a different city) so you should be partying. I said I party but no more all nighters... and this discussion went on for some more time.
ISB is in your hometown so why do you want to come to Ahd?
What schools in US? Told them and they asked me the reason for those schools. I told my reasons and also that I am waiting for IIM result before I apply there.
Back to work questions and what exactly I do and a few questions about flash technology and stuff.
This was the time when one of the members was like "are we done?" and the other panelist asked me about what will my wife do if she comes back to India. I said if I am in Hyd there are a lot of corporate hospitals and they would love to have her work there and then the discussion about corporate hospitals and stuff. We talked about Apollo in delhi being fined for overcharging patients and stuff.
This is all I remember. I talked for about 60 to 70% of the time and the other time the panelists were talking. I think I started off on a bad note, probably recovered a bit but I think I finshed on a high. Lets see what happens.
Good luck to all.

ravulapati,

It is interesting they asked you about flash drives. In my interview when they asked me about other interests and what books I have read, I told them about Clayton Christensen (sp?) and disruptive innovation.

They asked me what that means. I gave example of hard drives Vs flash drives and how flash drives is a disruptive product that was targeted for a different market but now is taking over the hard drive market.

To All, sorry for my weak i/v experience post earlier. I was bummed about the fact that they didn't ask me enough about my experience. Unlike most of you with good education and EC, the only thing I have to ride on is my experience. I felt they hadn't read my essays and didn't ask me enough so I could stand out.

[__Will__]

Thanks expedite

is your interview also scheduled at same place? When?

[gmat_buf123]

I would disagree with you based on the placement report that I saw. Of the second batch 19% got into management consulting and another 15% into financial services firm. 34% is a substantial amount of the pool to be considered fringe.

Now I'm not trying to say that PGPX is the best thing out there for career changers, which I don't think is the case, the question I had was a pretty simple one - if you know of anyone who got placed in a managment consulting firm what level was the person placed at?

Now that is the data that you don't find in the placements statistics as the only designations that get highlighted are the CXO levels.

Cheers!!!

Originally Posted by NOTHING1954

I think you should look at the data on placement of students of past batches.

I think the placement profiles of IIMA's two-year PGP and the companies that recruit the 2-year PGP students are distinctly different from the recruiters and the job profiles for the PGPX students.

I don't think there are many Finance and Management Consulting jobs available for the PGPX graduates; the feeling I got, on going through the placement report is that most of the IT guys go back to the IT industry, probably into client facing roles and a few of them manage to get into Management Consulting jobs.
Others from other industries generally go from public sector to private sector- for example from BSNL to ADAG/ Reliance Comm, From ONGC to Reliance Industries; some people go into DLF etc., may be from army or government service.
I think getting into Finance jobs is very very difficult unless one had prior experience and or educational qualifications in Accounting , auditing, banking and Finance.
I don't think the question regarding the level of jobs offered by Mckinsey is all that relevant; in fact there were very few mangement consulting jobs for the garduates of PGPX second batch- you can check the stats on IIMA website.

[sst04]

I had my interview on 14th at Newark with panel 1
details as follows
1. Talk on a topic- case study about what to do if market research and subsequent product launch goes flop in the market
Questions that followed...
2. Do I know about Einstein or if he is among my favourite personalities.
I replied that I know him as a public figure and nothing else
2a. When did he publish his theory on relativity
2b. What was the sequence of publication
2c. When did he win Nobel prize and for what
2d. Why didnt his relativity theory get the Nobel
2e. How and when was his relativity theory proven
2f. Who proposed a theory similar to Einstein before Einstein did
When I replied that I had no idea about the last q, the second professor said, let me pull up your application and then started
3. How long are you in this company
3b. What is your previous experience
3c. What is the difference between Infy, TCS , Wipro
3d. What is your current role and questions related to that
4. Which other US schools have I applied. Why
5. What 3 irritants would you face when moving from US to India
6. Where do I live in India. One of the prof was familiar to that area and we conversed related to that
Finally, I left after about overall 25-30 min with them. I dont know what to make of it as overall it was just a conversation with no deep questions or any brain numbing tactics. hoping for the best !
During the short interaction by the panel at the lobby foll tidbits were revealed
1. shortlisted about 350 candidates out of which they are looking to select 80-90 students
2. results will be out by month end or in the worst case by Nov 6-7
3.Interview is neither a selection nor elimination round. They believe in gauging the candidate in person with the rest of his her application
4. They do not have quota for IT or non IT candidates though they would liked to see more gender and functional diversity
5. They would love to see more foreign citizens but Indians tend to get higher GMAT scores and they cannot go too low on GMAT just to get more diversity.
Also program seems to attract more of NRIs wanting to return to India rather than foreigners
6. Global ranking may help to attract more candidates and they will try for rankings once they meet the minimum eligibility criteria this year
7.They will have 1 section of 80-90 seats only

[forbidden_apple]

Originally Posted by thecrab2000

No standing...its an informal setting and you sit and talk about the topic given.

Do they give you time and can you make notes on this extempore topic?

[NOTHING1954]

gmat_buf123,

I double checked the placement statistics of PGPX 2nd batch.
As per the report, the jobs from consulting sector (non-IT consulting) were only 6% and in Finance sector also it was 6%. In terms of function 13% graduates have gone into consulting roles ( I would expect this to include IT consulting).
The only well known consulting company name I came across was Mckinsey; there is some thing called PRTM- I am not sure whether it is consulting company or Finance company.
It is possible that the statistics you are quoting are from the PGPX first batch placement report.There has been a significant change in the placement profile between the first and the second batch.
I don't know how things will be for the 3rd and the 4th batches, given the kind of massive shift that has happened in the last one year in the condition of global and Indian economies.

[thecrab2000]

They give time to collect your thoughts for about a minute. I started speaking in 30 seconds as I was very comfortable with the topic given to me.

Originally Posted by forbidden_apple

Do they give you time and can you make notes on this extempore topic?

[thecrab2000]

PRTM is a management consulting firm.

Originally Posted by NOTHING1954

gmat_buf123,
there is some thing called PRTM- I am not sure whether it is consulting company or Finance company.