ISB 2017 Aspirants

MBA
3004

Interview Experience of one of our Candidates - 


Candidate Profile: SCM Software development; Also ran a fast food store for 20 months. 


Experience: 4 years 9 months 


Interviewer’s Profile: 3 Alumni working with Flipkart, Amazon and Xiaomi respectively 


Interview Experience: 


Qn1: Why MBA and why consulting? 

Ans1: Explained about my technical background and analytical skills and why I like solving client specific real world business problems. Also explained how I would get an understanding of different industries and markets through peers in an MBA class. Explained how ELP and case studies would give me hands on experience   


Qn2: What was your role in the fast food store you ran? 

Ans2: Talked about managing finances, managing inventory, CRM, taking care of employees, interacting with franchisee officials and so on.   


Qn3: Provide a competitive analysis of various competitors for the fastfood store you ran? 

Ans3: Listed out Baskin robbins, Kaati zone, Just Bake and Jumboking. We analyzed the revenue model of each franchisee based store. Also I did a detailed analysis of the revenue model of the store I ran. We discussed regarding fixed cost and operating costs of the store I ran. This kind of question I didn’t expect. I fumbled a bit initially but ended up answering well. 


Followup Qn: Provide 3 learnings that you would tell to a different person starting a similar store 

Ans: Listed out a) Importance of location b)Importance of process c) Importance of customer engagement 


Followup Qn: If you were to change the location of your store how would the revenue of your store change? 

Ans: Analyzed the various components of variable cost that would change on change of location such as electricity cost, gas cost, salaries of employees and so on. Answered this question well 


Followup Qn: How important is “point of sales” machine in your operations?

Ans: Explained how “POS” helped in operations. Explained the different reports it would give and how they helped. 


Qn4: We have a team of 5 working on setting up a fastfood store. we have 2 engineers, a CA, a soldier and fashion designer. If you were to lead this what role would you give each of them 

Ans4: CA - find the tax structure Engineers - Market Analysis Fashion designer - Design interiors Soldier - Setting up of the store Explained my choices 


Qn 5: What are you hobbies? 

Qn 6: Tell us about your family 

Qn 7: If not ISB this year. What would you do? 

Ans7: I talked about a certification related Supply chain management and also told that I would try to do freelance consulting. 


The interview lasted for 45 minutes and the interview was not easy. The interviewers cross-questioned me on every answer I gave. They were more focussed on my experience of running fast food store. They didn’t question me about my IT role at all.


Read several other Real Interview Experiences here: http://www.isbmantra.com/resources/isb-interview-questions/interview-experience-manufacturing


All the Best!

'ISBmantra'

3005

Have the EEO calls started yet?

3006

Guys, are the calls for R2 still coming or I should stop keeping hope for this year 😞

3007

Have calls for Delhi interview started rolling out ? @ISBmantra.com

3008

Hi. Does anybody have an idea about Kolkata calls? are interviews for Kolkata over? Not started? is there any use of waiting for a call anymore? 

3009

Till when the calls for Delhi interview continue? Anybody who has got the call please tell your gmat score.

3010

Detailed interview experience of one of our candidates - 


Candidate’s Profile: M Com, CA and CFA Level-1 with 4 years work-ex. 3yrs in EY, 1yr with family business. 


Interviewers’ Profile: [2 interviewers. Both Alumni].  


Interview Experience: 


Two panelists. Lets call them P1 and P2. Exchanged niceties and greeted both the panelists once I entered the interview room. 


P1: So you live close by. Must have been nice not to travel too far from home.  Me: Yes, definitely. Came in couple of hours early in order to settle my nerves and get an opportunity to interact with other applicants.  


P1: That’s good. So I’ve gone through your application. Can you run me through your application?  

Me: Mentioned about CA-Final All India 28th rank, experience in CA internship while auditing banks such as PNB and BoI, global experience at EY in corporate and international tax, need for shifting to family business and work-profile in family business.  


P1: You have an interesting profile. Can you tell me about your experience where you assisted the wind power plant to reduce its interest cost? (Had mentioned this in the application).  

Me: Followed the STAR approach and explained how I helped my client reduce its interest cost by exchanging an Indian Rupee loan for a foreign currency (USD) loan.  


P2: Follow-up question on Hedge cost related to the USD loan and how much it impacts the client given the recent depreciation of Rupee against dollar. (related to interest rate that I mentioned in the answer above).  

Me: Answered. 


P2: That’s interesting. It’s good that the client had quite some buffer to cover up for the Hedge cost.  

Me: Ohh yes. We selected Citibank specifically for getting a favorable Hedge cover. Though the client is covered for movement up to INR 68/USD, beyond that rate, the client needs to shell out additional funds to cover for further depreciation.  


P1: Alright. So you seem to have done well at EY and are managing clients well in the family business. Why do you think you need an MBA now?  

Me: Mentioned about the whole transition from tax to debt finance. Need for private equity with focus on solving operational issues my clients face presently. (Lasted 2 minutes) 


P2: So you want to get into PE in the long-term. Why ISB then? Why not a school in the US?  

Me: (Knew this was coming). Explained the benefit of 1 year MBA, focus on India, how its helps given that my long-term goal is to come back into the family business that is India-centric.  


P1: Cuts me off in the middle. No, so why not USA? All major PE funds are based out of USA. How does being in India help?  

Me: (Laughing gently) Yes agreed. But ultimately even if the partner sits in the US, he needs to contact the Indian partner while investing in India. He can’t take decisions independently sitting in the US because problems are very India-focused that only the Indian PE team can understand and solve effectively.  


P1: Makes sense. Tell me something that’s not mentioned in your application.

Me: Mentioned about an NGO project and how ISB will provide me an opportunity to develop leadership traits to take up a leadership position in the NGO project. Gave a background about the NGO in which I’m a member and how there is a need for the leader of each department to manage diverse teams that include engineers, CAs, construction contractors, surveyors, etc since it involves constructing a spiritual township for 12,000 devotees in Gujarat. The need to work across diverse teams, develop leadership skills and get an opportunity to apply them at ISB. So that I could take the leadership position in the Infrastructure and Logistics Team as a part of the NGO project.  


P2: Fair enough. 

P1: You mentioned about conflict-management as something you look to develop while at ISB. Wouldn’t you have done that while managing a team at EY? 

Me: Explained the assignment where I did manage conflict amongst 14 overseas EY partners as a part of the newly set up GCR team at EY. How I convinced them to provide competitive bids in spite of facing opposing views by all the partners.  


P1/Me: Asked a few follow-up questions on my role and how the GCR team that I was a member of managed to reach a consensus with overseas EY teams, which I suitably explained. Added how that is typical only amongst the Big 4 consulting firms and need to develop a holistic view to conflict management rather than focused on Big 4 specific issues.  


P2: We are done. Any questions?  

Me: Asked about how the permanent and visiting faculty are allocated between Hyderabad and Mohali campuses and if there is a process for them to shift campuses so that all students get access.  P2: Looked at P1 to answer. P1 provided a detailed reply.  


Me: That’s great. Thank you so much for your time.  


P1 & P2: Thank you.


Read several other Real Interview Experiences here: http://www.isbmantra.com/resources/isb-interview-questions/interview-experience-manufacturing


All the Best!

'ISBmantra' 

3011

@ISBmantra.com - Any skype interviews for overseas applicants in R2?

3012

Any R2 calls received for Candidates who have applied Bangalore as centre ?

3013

Detailed Interview experience of one of our candidates: 


Candidate Profile: Chartered Accountant working with KPMG for 3 years in Deal Advisory and Private Equity Taxation. 


Interviewers: 3 interviewers – all alumni 


Interview Experience:  


Qn: What do you do? What is your work like at KPMG?  

A: I work in Deal Advisory and PE taxation. My job is basically to add value for a buyer or a seller in the process of acquiring or divesting companies, setting up businesses in different locations and structuring businesses. Apart from this I am also involved with Toolbox as a pro bono volunteer.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

FollowupQn: Tell us about Toolbox, what do you do there? 

A: Answered


FollowupQn: What kind of people are involved with Toolbox? What is the age group like? 

A: People from all fields are involved with Toolbox, such as teachers, engineers, finance guys, marketing experts, lawyers, etc. A lot of senior people are currently associated with Toolbox with more than 10-15 years of industry experience 


FollowupQn: And do these people take into account your views in meetings and discussions? 

A: Yes they do. They never make us younger volunteers feel like we are inexperienced. On the contrary they encourage different viewpoints since they believe young people often bring a fresher dimension and approach to problems. 


Qn: You work in Deal Advisory. Tell us about an interesting deal you worked on.  

A: I am currently working on a roads investment which has both debt and equity so that involves looking at different modes of investments and regulations…This really tests our ground knowledge and is very good learning.  


Qn: How big is your team at KPMG? 

A: On an assignment its two to three people. My manager, me and a junior executive 


FollowupQn: How do you handle if a team asks you to give a deliverable within an unreasonable deadline? Does that happen with you? 

A: Yes it happens often. We try to meet deadlines as far as possible but if it’s too unrealistic then we mention that upfront and caveat appropriately because all deliverables have to meet certain quality criteria and we cannot mess up the deliverable up front. 


FollowupQn: Okay and if I reverse the situation... what if you need a deliverable within a certain time from another team? 

A: I speak with the concerned team and ask for a realistic estimate and communicate accordingly to the client. 


FollowupQn: And if they don’t deliver within the time or quote a very long deadline? 

A: We can fairly estimate how long a piece of work should take and if necessary we request the team to turnaround the project quicker so that the client isn’t hampered. If required, my Partner gets involved and speaks to the other Partner to ensure quicker turnaround. 


FollowupQn: Have you ever faced a client who gives you heat? What do you do then? 

A: Yes I have, in fact one of my clients is very good at picking the phone and giving us heat… If its people issues or sensitive matters then I make note and report to my Partner to help guide me take the proper course of action. 


Qn: What about costs? How do you track employee costs in your firm? 

A: We have weekly time sheets which we need to fill to show hours spent on a project 


FollowupQn: Okay that’s the internal thing... what about clients? How do you deal with costing within the team and what do you do if there is a cost overrun? 

A: We try to maintain smaller teams and quick turnaround times. If there are excessive cost overruns due to the complexity of the project, we do request the client for additional fee. But sometimes the client may not agree in which case we do take a hit because of the need to maintain client relations. 


Qn: You said you want to do Management consulting post MBA. Why is that? 

Ans: Yes because I am more interested in how a company goes about its decision making process and want to be more involved in the “why” of things. Right now my work is more around the “how” of things that is we help a client execute a decision. I want to be a part of making that decision. 


Qn: Why MBA? 

Ans: Because for an MC role it is very difficult to get into an associate role without an MBA. Plus an MBA will equip me with the right problem solving skills and attitude which is required to deal with the diverse problems businesses face these days *elaborated a little around this* 


FollowupQn: And why ISB? 

Ans: Because of the peer group it attracts. Also the kind of global faculty the school brings to the table sitting in India. Also one cannot deny the one year advantage. 


Read several other Real Interview Experiences here: http://www.isbmantra.com/resources/isb-interview-questions/interview-experience-manufacturing

All the Best! 

'ISBmantra'

3014

Interview Debrief of our Successful Candidate from Round 1(Reapplicant turned convert).Brief profile details - Background : Energy Sector, Qualification: Engineer GMAT : 730 Experience : 3 Years 6 Months Location : Hyderabad
What went wrong last year?(I am a re applicant). Told them I got the feedback that I was not clear with my goals. 
They asked are u now? And the answer was a resounding yes with me adding that I have focused in my goals and carefully analyzed them.
Describe your usual day at work? I answered the full schedule explaining how I  plan and control the operations of the refinery to meet targets. Counter 1- But do refineries change the plan so often? i said its a new refinery with lots of challenges so changes have to be made even at midnight and then I have to communicate it to all concerned and ensure that the plan is adhered to.
How do you see the oil industry moving? I feel people have a misconception about the oil industry drowning. According to me this slump has just thrown more options into the pool and has given other players to snatch the initiative from OPEC by bringing in options such as Iran mix and Shale into the pool.  Moreover the oil refineries are going to expand in the next two years to cater to the demand of the country. So yes exciting times lie ahead. 
Why according to you the market is expanding? 
With more industrialization, smart cities coming up and individuals being more capable of purchasing automobiles the market is definitely going to ask for more. Do the renewable sources not come in? Yes as i said more options come into the pool with everyone trying to improvise. So all this makes the market really exciting in the next couple of years.
What are the diverse skills that you have inculcated in the past year?
 I tried to explain a problem at work where I lead a team but the interviewer gestured towards my essays and asked about the skill set I had mentioned about in the essays. So went about the three examples that i mentioned there.
You were in the placement team of college. It is a very responsible job. What were your initiatives and one thing you feel the department people accused you for at the end of the year? After explaining the job I took some time to recall the accusations. the interviewer joked saying people never forget accusations. i said I was very aggressive and dominating.  
Follow up- Have you improved now? I said yes after interacting with people with such rich experiences at the company I understood that it is important to understand others' perspectives about a certain work also.
Any questions for us - 2 questions: 1. How do you decide upon the composition of the class?
 They answered it patiently though not convincingly. 2. Has the energy summit been discontinued and can i restart it?- They had no idea about the summit but said that if you want to start anything the faculty and staff are very supportive.

3015

Can anyone suggest a good essay consultant ???

3016

Can some evaluate my profile please . I am aiming to get into ISB in particular. 10th - 97.6 %

12 th - 91 %

BE ( ECE ) - 81.3 %

Work exp : (7 yrs in total)

1.  2 years -in TCS as Asst System Engineer in banking consultancy 

2.  2 years - RBI ( Reserve Bank of India ) as Assistant in Department of Banking Supervision . 

3. 3 years - as Inspector (Officer ) of Central Excise ,Central Board of Excise and Customs , Ministry of Finance, GOI

Extra curricular : accolades  in singing , drawing , debate competiotions . JAIIB certification , best trainee award , association with NGO  

3017

Any accepts for round 2 yet?

3018

what are the strong points of ISB YLP. do you any alumni whom i can connect with


3019

I want to apply for October Cycle. Will giving GMAT in September be apt?

3020

Hi Guys, i come across this free course : https://www.prepathon.com/crack-cat-quant-2017-intro

3021

Is ISB accepting GRE scores for the PGP admissions?

3022

Jason Baran, spokesperson for the GRE® program is back to answer your  GRE® related queries. Join the thread and post your questions now: https://www.pagalguy.com/discussions/live-chat-with-gre-global-spokesperson-mr-jason-baran-pagalguy-5802503074480128  
 

3023

 

Gm jolly people, I have compiled a blog about my gmat prep expericnes and my admits in various colleges. This bears a key to many mystique questions that are only delt with experience. Feel free to go through and share. Hope it helps make you better future decisions. Good Luck !

https://mymbajourney2017.wordpress.com/