PI faqs

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Outline

What are you being evaluated on?

4 Focus areas 3 Handy Tips

During Interview

Body Language Post Interview

FAQs

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Points to ponder

It's a common misconception that interviews can't

be prepared.

In fact, the same questions, differently phrased, tend

to crop up over and over again. You're bound to beasked about yourself, your strengths and weaknessesand why you should be chosen.

It's therefore a question of positioning yourself in

front of the bathroom mirror, or a co-operative friend,and rehearsing convincing answers, charmingly.

Ultimately, charm will disguise nerves.

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What are you being evaluated on?

According to experts, PI evaluation is based

on the following 4 areas:

1. Goal Clarity2. Knowledge

3. Communication Skills

4. Personality traits

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4Focus Areas

To begin with, there are four main focus

areas in any personal interview

1. Personal details2. Academic details

3. Your background

4. Current affairs

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1. Personal Details

Typically PI begins with the Tell us aboutyourself question. You have to be wellprepared for this question as the rest of the

interview would be based on the answer yougive to this question.

Questions about yourself include the following 2

major areas Strengths & Weaknesses

Long-term and short-term goals

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2. Academic details

Questions related to academic background

include the following 2 major areas

Core subjects of your academic stream and

Recent developments in that area

Engineering students are expected to be well-versed with Engineering Maths as well as their

final year projects

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3. Your background

If you have prior work experience, then you

will be questioned on the following 3 main

areas1. Your roles and responsibilities

2.Your companys profile, recent

performance and industry trends3. Sound reason for leaving your job and

pursuing an MBA

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4. Current Affairs

Interviewers also ask questions on current

affairs in the world of politics and business.

Through this, they not only try and assess your

knowledge and awareness but also your ability

to think

A candidate may also be asked to share details

on his extra-curricular achievements and the

hobbies that he has pursued.

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Some more Tips

1. Remember the 90:90 rule.

People make up 90% of their mind in the first

90 seconds.

That time includes you walking into theroom, shaking hands and taking a seat. So watchyour body language and remember to smile andmake eye contact. You want to come across aslikeable, thoughtful and assertive, but notarrogant.

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2. The critical incident question

This was a technique devised by police toprompt the recollections of witnesses and it'sbeing increasingly adopted by admission panels.

You'll be asked to recount a time when youovercame a challenge, be it persuading someoneto accept an idea, making good a mistake oradapting quickly

In such a situation, telling a lie must be avoidedbecause you need to include detail

Thus, it is recommended to rehearse a definingcareer moment and adapt it to suit the question

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3. Exit Strategy

Last impression is as important as first but oftenmuffed

A good exit can compensate for a woolly

moment in the middle of the interview When panel enquires if you have any questions,

ask (of course.. some genuine doubts, whichyou usually have)

Tell them why, after researching the industry,you decided to join the b-school

If the pedagogy of B-school feels good don't beafraid to show it

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During the Interview

1. Whenever the interviewer asks any questions, listen carefully. Do not

interrupt him midway. Ask for a clarification if the question is not clear. Wait

a second or two before you answer. And don't dive into the answer!

2. Always remain positive during the interview even if things aren't going as

well as you'd hoped. In school, did you ever write a test that you were sureyou'd failed, only to find out you passed? You never know, you might be

doing better in the interview than you think and you don't want to give up

3. Sell Yourself - Try to leave the interviewer with at least one thing about you

that might be unique from other candidates that would be valuable to the

B-school if they enrolled you. Once they've interviewed several people withsimilar backgrounds, they will tend to look for reasons to enrol one person

over the others or they might try to eliminate candidates who don't meet certain criteria

4. Speak clearly. Don't speak very slowly. Be loud enough so that theinterviewers don't have to strain their ears.

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During the interview

5. Brevity is the hallmark of a good communicator. An over-talkative or verboseperson is disliked and misjudged instantly, so keep it short

6. If you don't know an answer, be honest. The interviewer will respect your integrityand honesty. Never exaggerate

7. Don't get into an argument with the interviewer on any topic.

Restrain yourself, please!

8. Maintain a cheerful disposition throughout the interview, because

a pleasant countenance holds the interviewers' interest

9. Maintain perfect eye contact with all panel members; make sure you

address them all. This shows your self-confidence and honesty.

10. Avoid frequent use of words and phrases like, 'I mean'; 'You know'; 'I

know'; 'Well'; 'As such'; 'Fine'; 'Basically', etc.

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Body Language

1. Do not keep shifting your position

2. Your posture during the interview adds to or diminishes yourpersonality. Be a little conscious of your posture and gestures. They conveya lot about your personality

3. Sit straight. Keep your body still. You may, of course, use

your hand gestures freely

4. Avoid the following mannerisms at all costs:-

Playing with your tie Theatrical gestures

Shaking legs

Sitting with your arms slung over the back of the adjoining chair

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Post Interview

1. Make sure you thank the interviewers as amark of respect for the time they have sparedfor you

2. As you rise and are about to leave, make sure

you collect up your pen/ pencil/ all otherstationery

3. After getting up, place your chair in its

original position

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FAQs

11. Which other calls do you have?

12. Which specialization you are planning to take?

13. Why IIM Kashipur?

14. Questions regarding Kashipur and Uttarakhand.

15. Tell me something about yourself which is not written in theform.

16. Justify gaps between 12th and Engineering or after

Engineering(if any).

17. Why is your academic record bad?

18. What are your favorite subjects in UG?

19. A situation when you failed, how did you handle it? What was

your learning from that?

20. Why did you switch jobs? What was the reason?

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FAQs

21. What is your greatest achievement ? What do you plan to achieve after

MBA or what are your goals?

22. What would you do if I told you that I thought you were giving a very poor

interview today? (Stress Interview)

23. How have you handled criticism of your work?

24. Tell me about your least-favorite manager or professor?

25. Sell this shirt/tie/pen etc. to me?

26. Questions on your ability to estimate and come up with an approximate

answer. Ex- How many cars are there in India and some related question on

how you would fare if you went into tyre dealership etc.

27. Analysis questions. Ex- How would a company like Ashok Leyland (whichmanufactures trucks) be impacted if the golden quadrilateral road is completed?

28. Do you want to become an Entrepreneur?

29. If you convert all IIM Calls, which one would you join and why?

30. Most important learning/lessons learntCollege level, in your job?

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FAQs

31. Who is your ideal in life and why?

32. What is your biggest failure and what have you learned from that

incident?

33. What will you do if you could not get admission in any B-School thisyear?

34. What will you do if you could not get placed in MBA?

35. What is the difference between MBA and PGDM?

36. Tell us something that you dont have in your life but you want tohave?

37. Do you think MBA is necessary for success in corporate world?

38. Which was your favorite subject in 12th and why?39. What are ethics for you?

40. What is the meaning of your name? Is it true for your personality?

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FAQs

41. What was your role during the job?

42. Why are you leaving your Job?

43. Which Companies were the competitors of your firm?

44. Who was the main client of your firm?

45. Tell some qualities of a good manager?46. Any situation in which you have faced an ethical dilemma,

how you handled it?

47. Which incident has affected your life alot?

48. Give example of a situation where you have worked in a

team.

49. Why dont you take some work-exp. and then do MBA? (for

fresher)

50. What is the biggest problem that India is facing currently?

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Hints to Selected Questions

1. Talk about your life from school to college to work

experience. Communicate your strengths and your achievements,ensure there is some flow and try to direct the interview towards

your strength by mentioning your interests/passions.

2. Avoid saying Entrepreneur unless you have done some

work in that regard.

3. Without work exp., I am energetic, fresh with ideas and can

be molded. I am free of any bias.

4. Analytical skills gained will help me. No need to specify anystream, say you are open to any stream and you would take a call atthe end of first year.

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Hints to Selected Questions

17. I was focusing on co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, I did notrealize the importance of academics, but now I realize that and will make up forit in all future endeavors.

22. In a stress interview, try to be calm. Have a slight smile on your face and do

not get angry.

24. This is not a question where you can vent your anger. Try not to be specificand be diplomatic in your answer.

25. Try to come up with something interesting and make them smile (may be).

26. Try to dig up facts and connect it to the questions. Approach and reasoningmatter more than the answer.

29. Be diplomatic. Say your focus now is to convert your call.

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The bottom line is

It is good to prepare certain questions and avoid pitfalls in those.

Be sure about what you say.

Be rigorous in what you wish to project about yourself before the panel.

The plain old trick ofpracticing before mirror is still relevant in age ofFacebook, use it.

Be dressed up formally and be on time for interview. Keep documents

neatly arranged in folders. Keep at least two sets of photocopies ofdocuments and a couple of photographs.

Remember you are not the only one who has to appear before the panel, sotry to think of something that you believe is something that sets you apart.

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All the Best

While you may not be questioned on all the abovementioned areas, it is always better to be prepared inthem.

We do understand that a lot of time and effort has tobe invested but the opportunity to be a part of the

IIM community is a once in a lifetime opportunity forlearning, self-discovery and growth.

All through this, we are here for any help that you

may require in your endeavors towards your quest fora seat at one of Indias premier B-Schools.

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Disclaimer

Media & Public Relations Cell, IIM Kashipur prepared this

document based on prior experience and interaction with

faculty members who were part of Pl process of IIMs at

some point of time.

IIM Kashipur or any other IIM in no manner takes

responsibility for usage of the document.

This copy is intended for the receiver only.

Strictly for private circulation. You are free to share this copy for non-commercial use as

long as you attribute the work to the Author, i.e. Media &

Public Relations Cell, IIM Kashipur.

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