Ask Arindam@Career Launcher - How to ace GD-PI stage of various b-schools!

[Apurv]

Hola,

CAT 2007 is behind us and even while we move on to IIFT/SNAP/XAT/FMS and other entrance exams, the challenge of acing the Group Discussion and Personal Interviews at various b-schools looms large!

Career Launcher's Director of Academics Arindam Lahiri is back to help you there. Ask him all your questions about group discussions, making coherent arguments, conclusions, initiating discussions, stress interviews, googly questions, controlling fish market situations at GDs, dazzling the b-school professor variety with the gift of your gab, etc.

To get started, see the following link - (Links for GD/PI Experiences)Real GD-PI experiences of successful students from their own mouths (keyboards, actually)

How does it work?

1. You first read the thread carefully to see if the question you want to ask has already been asked by someone else and answered to.
2. If not, You may post your questions here by hitting the 'Post Reply' button on top.
3. Arindam and his team, who will watch this thread will answer all your queries on a regular basis.
4. So once you post your question, you can come back to this thread in a couple of days to find your answer or even better, Subscribe to this thread by clicking on the 'Thread tools' link on the top-right side at the top of the thread.

Arindam's PG user ID is Expert@CL

Good luck

Cheers,

[diablorulez]

Hi Arindam
Thanx for useful guidance nbefore during the mock season..it helped me alot..

Here is my profile

10th-77%
12-80.2%
Btech(ECE)-81.3%

right now working in LnT Infotech..embedded development field..having 1.5 yrs of exp right now..

can u please give some pointer where to start with for GD/PI n what r the key are need to focus as per work-ex..where they target mainly n corner us..

also will they ask me ques from coll acads as now m a working guy..

ALso i want to know if i can include details about school achievemnts( though not inter its intra only)

For GD is reading newspapers n magazines enough??...any extra measure required??

[getintoiimb]

Hi Arindham
I work for a leading IT services oraganisation.
my credentials are as follows
10th 80%
12th 90%
B.E(EEE) 72% and work ex of 2 yrs as on date
now my question regarding GD is how do we handle some vague topics in the gd?
for example Left is right,Platonic relationships.is it just the presence of mind we need ?how do we go about it?
pls explain..also in PI's since i have work ex will questions be purely on work ex or on my college acads as well?
ive been reading the Economic times daily..infact for the past 1 yr and the daily nationals..what more needs to be done for GD prep?
Thanks!

[maparna]

hi expert@cl! i graduated this year in b.pharmacy wid a cgpa of 8.8. as asked above, how do we handle the gd? and wat abt my pi? will it be pharma specific only??

[Expert@CL]

Welcome PuYs ......... Hope you all are as excited as I am to get cracking on GD/PI of various B-schools. I am there with you as a sounding board..........

However, I will also expect that you share your learnings at this stage with others in this forum.

Wishing you all "All the Best".

Arindam

[Expert@CL]

I am glad that it helped you. To give some specific answers to yr specific qs........

- As a work-ex person, there is a higher probability of the panel asking you questions related to your work-ex.
- Regarding college acads there is always a possibility of a theoretical qs from your area of work, cant rule out qs from other acads areas (but low probability)
- any achievement needs to be highlighted - obviously bigger the better.
- GK is related to your interest - newspaper / magazines can improve yr knowledge of current affairs........for static GK, you may consult a good yearbook - like the India Business YearBook.


quote=diablorulez;895766]Hi Arindam
Thanx for useful guidance nbefore during the mock season..it helped me alot..

Here is my profile

10th-77%
12-80.2%
Btech(ECE)-81.3%

right now working in LnT Infotech..embedded development field..having 1.5 yrs of exp right now..

can u please give some pointer where to start with for GD/PI n what r the key are need to focus as per work-ex..where they target mainly n corner us..

also will they ask me ques from coll acads as now m a working guy..

ALso i want to know if i can include details about school achievemnts( though not inter its intra only)

For GD is reading newspapers n magazines enough??...any extra measure required??[/quote]

[Expert@CL]

The earlier message got posted twice - so deleted

[Expert@CL]

For a GD topic that you have no clue, it is best to listen for the first few minutes and then build from there. The idea in GD is that you need to remain interested in topic for discussion - whether you know or not. Also being evaluated is your ability to contribute and work in ateam.

Mostly qs on work-ex in PI, may be a few academic qs from work-ex related area.

"Reading" ET ? Make sure there are some areas that you understand as well - build competence to analyse business issuea on at least a few topics - given that you read ET daily.

All the Best......

Originally Posted by getintoiimb

Hi Arindham
I work for a leading IT services oraganisation.
my credentials are as follows
10th 80%
12th 90%
B.E(EEE) 72% and work ex of 2 yrs as on date
now my question regarding GD is how do we handle some vague topics in the gd?
for example Left is right,Platonic relationships.is it just the presence of mind we need ?how do we go about it?
pls explain..also in PI's since i have work ex will questions be purely on work ex or on my college acads as well?
ive been reading the Economic times daily..infact for the past 1 yr and the daily nationals..what more needs to be done for GD prep?
Thanks!

[diablorulez]

Hi sir

Please give some pointers how to tackle fish market situation...This is really a problem which i come to know from my friends..

[Expert@CL]

Most of your PI will have pharma related qs - but there will be other qs as well - depends on your CV........

Yr other qs are general in nature - pls be more specific.

Originally Posted by maparna

hi expert@cl! i graduated this year in b.pharmacy wid a cgpa of 8.8. as asked above, how do we handle the gd? and wat abt my pi? will it be pharma specific only??