So this is that time of season already. If you’ve IIM calls, this is the worst happiness you’ll ever experience in life. You’d have splashed all FB walls, dropped explicit hints to your friends that you’re headed to IIMs and even started CAT gyaan session to juniors over evening tea breaks.

Just then it hits you, you still need to clear the dreaded interviews. For my introduction, let’s say I’ve had a good enough experience in this department. I’m a typical introvert who had back to back rejects in interviews for eternity.So how did I prepare for interviews?

1) Practice: I practiced infront of mirror for hours. I asked my college friends to take my interview and give me feedback. Once I was comfortable with this level, I moved up one level above. I asked senior IIM alumni, buddies appointed by admission committee and my friends in IIMs to grill me in interviews. Gave tons of mock interviews in coaching (poora paisa wasool kiya!). I would come back and practice yet again infront of mirror for hours (it kinda feels stupid at start but you’ll get used to it).

2) Shadow interviews: One of my best learning came from shadowing interview.There were mass recruitment drive in my office and I got permission to shadow senior people in interview. So I would silently sit in corner and observe interview process for different interviewers and interviewees. Did this for 25-30 odd interviews. Also, I read last year interviews on PG. You get a sense of kind of q’s asked if you read interviews on PG over the years.

3) Prepare stories: This was the easiest part (since I’m bak-addicted).I figured out critical moments of my life (personal and professional) and made full fledged stories around it. Did a lot of research so that they’re interesting, factual and highlight some character. So next time I’m asked any random question, like tell an experience where you showed innovation, I’d have a full fledged story to throw at their face ?

4) News: I took my CV and marked all points on which I could be questioned for facts- cities I have lived in, companies I have worked for, history of person after whom my school is named etc.Read everything about anything closely associated to me (like partition in 1947 as my family had moved at that time,etc). Obviously watched lot of news, read tons of newspaper and magazines and WIKIied 100 times more than PGed and FBed in that duration.

5) Lastly and more importantly, I made a point to myself to not to make this a matter of life and death. Jo hoga dekha jayega. Once you’re in this trans mode, you don’t get tensed in interviews.Bas karm karte jao, fal ki akansha mat karo types ?

Best of luck for the awesome journey ahead!

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