19th Feb 2012 - My IIM-A Interview experience...proof of Murphy's Law coming true whenever it has a chance to come true, which is always...which again proves Murphy's Law...
(P1 – Male (Smiling & Friendly); P2 – Female (Very Smiling and Very Friendly))
(P1 – Male (Smiling & Friendly); P2 – Female (Very Smiling and Very Friendly))
P1 – Have a seat Jagannath
Me – Good evening Sir! Good evening Ma’am!
Both: Good Evening
P2 – So Jagannath, Tell me something very interesting about yourself…
[Though about starting with hometown and talking abt germany
Me – I am from Chennai and…
P2 (interrupting me) – And why do you think that is interesting? Ok, what is the population of Chennai?
Me – 45 Lakhs
P2 – So you are one among 45 Lakhs. Why should that be interesting?
Me – In the context of the present interview group, I could see that I am the only one from Chennai here, rest all being from Mumbai or Pune, So I thought you might find the diversity I brought to this process in that way as interesting…
[Nod and slight laughter from P2]
P2 – Ok. Continue…
[Spoke about German internship]
P2 – Where all did you go in Germany
[Told a few places like Dusseldorf, Cologne]
P2 – Ok. Germany
Me – Countries like Greece , Italy and Portugal Germany
P1 – Ok Jagannath. You work as a Sales Engineer in Sain-Gobain. Tell us something about the product you handle and competition
[Talked quite well about it. This went on for about ten mins, with P1 asking me market shares, innovations in product and new developments in the market. I answered quite well and was getting very comfortable and relaxed]
P1 – Ok, good. Now I am giving you three options. Choose one of them so that I can ask questions in that option – Differentiation, Geometry, Statistics…
[Mind voice – Enna vecchu onnum comedy keemedy pannalayae >
[P1 gives some list of numbers and tells me to find mean median and mode. I do it. Then comes the Aapu]
P1 – So tell me, if I plot these values, would I get a smooth curve?
Me – With some corrections and adjustments we might get a smooth curve sir.
P1 – What will its shape be?
Me – Bell
P1 [giving paper and pencil] - ok. Plot it and show…
[I take it and draw the axes and just start marking the points when he interrupts]
P1 – what you are doing, even a school student will do. Ok, tell me, if I make the mean, median and mode to coincide for these values, will the curve be closer in resemblance to the bell curve or farther?
Me – I am not sure about that sir…
P1 – Just hazard a guess…
Me – I think it will be closer to the bell curve…
P1 – You shouldn’t have chosen statistics. You are not comfortable in it…
Me – Actually I am not comfortable with any of the three topics sir. But comparatively I thought I can handle statistics better…
P1 – Why is that? You graduated in 2009 only. You should have studied all this in your engineering…
[I give a sheepish grin]
P1 – Ok. Choose among the other two now…
[I felt a little like Vadivelu…Ivan evlo adichaalum thangaraan…remba nallavan…]
Me – Differentiation Sir.
[P1 gives some equation and asks me to find maxima and minima. I do some derivative crap and come up with some answer. The he asks me to plot the graph for the equation. I do…and lo behold! Both maxima and minima tending to infinity…]
P1 – So what do you think?
Me – Yes sir. I got confused. Both are tending to infinity…
[P2, all this while is browsing my file and interrupts now]
P2 – Jagannath. You have done this course called HR Skills in your second, fourth and fifth semester…so what skills that you learnt you are using in your current job?
Me – I learnt effective communication skills which have been of immense help in my present job…
P2 interrupts me – Leave aside communication skills. Tell me some HR Skills that you are using…
[I am completely nonplussed, basically because I don’t even remember what they taught in that stupid 1 credit course]
P2 – Ok. Do you remember anything you learnt in this course?
Me – We were basically taught effective communication, interview mannerisms and how to attend an interview…
P2 – So what are these mannerisms?
[I told about the posture, hand position and stuff…]
P2 – Do you agree with all this that they taught?
Me – I have found it to be the most relaxed way to sit in an interview, so I agree with them…
P2 – What is this Mullaperiyar?
Me – It was a dam built in the Tn-Kerala Border ma’am…
P2 – When was it built?
[I got reminded of some history spot quiz…]
Me – 1888…
P2 – Are you sure?
Me – Not entirely, but I am sure it is somewhere in the 1880s to 1890s…
P2 – So what is the issue with it.
Me – Kerala’s issue is that it is built mostly of limestone which is dissolvable in water, and also the dam is very weak and susceptible to seismic disturbances…
P2 – Oh. Only dissolution is the problem?
Me – no Ma’am. Even the seismic withstanding capability…
P2 – Have any tremors occurred recently?
Me – According to reports, there were mild tremors even in October 2011…
P2 – So have Kerala built any dam downstream to this dam
Me – Yes
P2 – How many?
Me – Only one
P2 – Sure?
Me – Yes
P2 – What is its name?
Me – I don’t remember Ma’am…
P2 – So what is TN’s contention on the issue…
Me – TN gets about 140 cu. Units of water from the dam which serves for irrigation and farming purposes in the water starved Madurai
P2 – Ok, Jagannath. Thank you…
P1 – Thank you Jagannath. Have a toffee…
[Mind voice: Adhu onnu dhaan korachal…]
