How MBA from ISB helped --- an example

My Take on how MBA from ISB has helped me in my current job

Some of the Questions Answered

While I have been posting the quintessential question of how an MBA helps, there have already been a few who have shared their perspective on the same.... So here is the take from my fellow CA + MBA friend. Enjoy

Life Beyond ISB

....the moment one decides to pursue an MBA, one starts to scout for data on who all have done this before .... and how useful it turns out to be. I remember having searched the net, the network (personal and professional) and everywhere else for this data......

As much as I was interested in reading about how to pursue this dream, I was equally (or more) interested in knowing what happened to all those brave souls who had already taken the plunge.... Does it really really pay to pursue an MBA (academically, professionally socially and monetarily).

Now that it has been more than 8 Months since I flung my graduation hat in the air, I think it has been a trip worthwhile.

First Things First :
Did I advance professionally by 5 Years by investing 1 Year at ISB? - Yes I surely did

Did my Pay Packet go up more than I had earnestly expected? - Yes it certainly did (in fact more than that) - maybe the fact that I was previously working with TCS might have skewed this data a bit :) - but that is besides the point

Was it worth the risk to take a professional break after 9 years of work experience, a settled married life, a kid etc etc? - Absolutely (BTW - My family enjoyed ISB far more than me)

Was ISB a good choice for me? - Again a Yes.

What would I change in this decision if I were allowed to change? - Mostly nothing, but maybe I could have done this a couple of years earlier

Now the difficult questions:
How has an MBA helped me in my career?
Do I do things any differently now than before at work?
Do I actually use any of my MBA gyaan in my current job?
...... stay tuned for that :)

ISB Interview Experience - Class of 2010

The following is the actual interview experience of an ISB aspirant
Date: 13-10-2008
Venue: Delhi
The questions were

1. why MBA
2. Why in the specific sector, or a specific profile
3. Your interests and hobbies, what is that hobby or interest amongstall that you like most or are passionate about
4. how would you manage an event, organize get funds.5
5. As i had written i am a keen dramatist and a poet..they asked me torecite something which i did. basically they were just enjoying themselves..aisa laga maje le rahe hain..."haan toh bhaiya tumne yeh likhahai...chalo kuch pesh karo...kaafi thak gaye hain hum"...and then ustart of..beware if uv written a dance..mujhre se kam main kaam nahinchalega..
6. Whats the biggest challenge that uv faced at work.
7. finally ..do u want to ask something... .

The interview took less than 15 minutes.

All the best.

ISB Admission Information Sessions - Other Locations - Part3

The ISB conducts Information Sessions to reach out to all prospective students. This is a unique opportunity for you to meet our representatives and seek answers to any questions that you might have regarding the management programme of the ISB. The agenda for each session includes:
A presentation on Admissions (40 mins)
Question and Answer session (40 mins)
A nominal fee will be charged to attend these sessions. The following are the details of venue and dates
November 7, 2008

• Agra Reliance Webworld, Kamla Nagar 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register
• Allahabad Reliance Webworld, Civil Lines 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register
• Bhopal Reliance Webworld, Bhopal Bitten Market 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register
• Jaipur Reliance Webworld, City Center 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register
• Ranchi Reliance Webworld, Club Complex 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register
• Patna Reliance Webworld, Fraser Road 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register
• Lucknow Reliance Webworld, Faizabad Road 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register
• New Delhi Reliance Webworld, New Friends Colony 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register
• Gwalior Reliance Webworld, Opp Gurudwara, MLS Road 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register

November 15, 2008

• Ahmedabad Reliance Webworld,Satallite Road 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Register
• Aurangabad Reliance Webworld,Nirala Bazar 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Register
• Indore Reliance Webworld,MG Road 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Register
• Vadodara Reliance Webworld,Fategunj Baroda 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Register
• Pune Reliance Webworld,Natu Baug, Shukrwar Peth 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Register
• Kolkata Reliance Webworld,Camac Street 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Register
• Nasik Reliance Webworld,Nasik Road 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Register
• Jamshedpur Reliance Webworld,Jamshedpur 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Register
• Mumbai Reliance Webworld,Lokhandwala (Andheri -West) 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Register

November 22, 2008

• Banglore Reliance Webworld,Brigade Road 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register
• Chennai Reliance Webworld,Annasalai 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register
• Kochin Reliance Webworld,Alwaye 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register
• Coimbatore Reliance Webworld,Gandhipuram 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register
• Mangalore Reliance Webworld,Bunts Hostel Circle 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register
• Mysore Reliance Webworld,Devraj URS Road 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register
• Trivandram Reliance Webworld,Keasavadasa Puram 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register
• Pondicherry Reliance Webworld,Kamraja Salai 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Register

ISB Mantra for Aspirants

Hai friends,

This is a small tip for ISB aspirants. There are many candidates who have been denied admission even though their GMAT score is beyond 700+ and simultaneously, there are many otehrs who have been admitted inspite of their GMAT being less than 650. So, there is no unique formula in ISB admission. I have been reading the messages of various aspirants in Yahoo ISB PGP group. Some members, after giving their profile, asking others regarding the chances of their admission. In this regard, I want to clarify as follows.

There is no standard and clear cut formula in ISB admission process which is the same in any other international B-School. Otherwise, ISB could have used a computer and there was no need for such elaborate application and admission process

The ISB sees mainly the following things while selecting a candidate

1. How you can contribute to the diversity of the Class.
2. How your experience can help others in the Class to make it more lively and interactive.
3. Whether ISB can give you what you want to achieve in your life as depicetd in your application and essays thereon.
4. Whether the applicant in its interview depicted exactly what is stated in his or her application or essays therein.
5. Whether the applicant is sure of what ISB can contribute in achieving his or her goal as appears from the application.
6. Last but not the least, whether ISB can place you properly after completion of your course at ISB.

Overall, it is the principle of mutuality that matters i.e. how you can contribute to take ISB to its next level each year including the jump in your pay at ISB and how ISB can contribute in achieving your stated objective as per your application. I hope this would help all those ISB aspirants in a small way.

All the Best

ISB admission information sessions - other locations - Part-2

The ISB conducts Information Sessions to reach out to all prospective students. This is a unique opportunity for you to meet our representatives and seek answers to any questions that you might have regarding the management programme of the ISB. The agenda for each session includes:
A presentation on Admissions (40 mins)
Question and Answer session (40 mins)

A nominal fee will be charged to attend these sessions. However, the schedule for the Information Sessions for other locations other than Hyderabad is yet to be announced for subsequent months as on date.

Tentative interview dates for Round-1 for the PGPM at ISB for the academic year 2009-10

The following are tentative interview schedule for the Round-1 for Class of 2010.

All the best for the prospective ISB students for your interveiw calls for round-1.

Jai Hind - A salute to our Nation on 62nd Independence Day

I salute Indian National Flag on the occasion of 61 years of our independence.

On this August 15, we have celebrated 62nd Indian independence day in our Ayyakhar Bhavan, Queens Road in Bangalore at 8:00 am. On this occasion, our Chief Commissioner of Income Tax spoke and mainly emohised on the concept of "Ahamkaram" (Self-ego) and said that we should go away from self and try to help others within our own way. He said that there can there views on an issue. One is my view, two is your view and three is our view. Unless we take correct view taking into consideration of my view and your view, we cannot think of giving a helping hand to others.

On this eve, I also salute our Indian, Mr. Abhinav Bindra, who had achieved the first gold medal for India in an individual capacity in air rifle shooting event at Beijing Olympics, 2008. We had to wait for more than a century to get a gold medal in any olympics in an individual capacity. India is a billion country now!

The economy is on downtrend as suggested by the letest GDP estimate of 7.7% for the fiscal 2009 by PM's Economic Advisory Council. This is a downward estimate from its own ealrier estimate. The reasons for dpwnturn could be

• The tight monetary conditions prevailing in the market with the corersponding rising inetrest rates.
• The sluggish industrial growth. The main concern is the deccelration in the capital goods sector which is in single digit (5% for the period from April-June, 2008) when compared to the robust double digit growth in the same period of last year.
• The inflationary trends. The inflation tocuhed almost 16 yeras high last week. This inflation is mainly driven by incresed global prices of agricultural commodities, and oil. It is also fuelled by the relentless increase in the prices of steel and cement in India. All the developed countries are also facing their worst inflationary pressures on their economy.
• The global slow down mainly driven by weak US economy. The US economy is still reeling under sub-prime crisis. But, still to come is the credit card bubble which is yet to catch the Indian media. I will discuss this issue in this month seperately.
• The not so encouraging liquidity in stock market which in egenral reflects the sentiment towards Indian economy.

Everything is not so gloomy. The Indian economy will bounce back from the next fiscal by which time new government at the centre will bring in stability to the economic policies as well as the inflationary pressure may subside paving the way for reduced interest rates. These aspects will increse the credit offtake by the banks, will fuel the infrastructure, real estate and housing sector which are very sensitive to the interest rates.

The following are the highlights of the Prime Minsiter Sri Manmohan Singh on the eve of independence day

1. For the first time in history, we have had four years of nearly 9.0% economic growth. India is among the world’s fastest growing economies. Our economy must grow at the rate of at least ten per cent every year to get rid of poverty and generate employment for all.
2. Our growth is critically dependent on "Saat Sutras", namely agriculture, irrigation, education, health, employment, urban renewal and infrastructure.
3. India will have 30 new universities, 8 new IITs, 7 new IIMs, 20 new IIITs, 5 new Indian Institutes of Science, 2 Schools of Planning and Architecture, 10 NITs, and a 1000 new polytechnics.
4. The world today sees India as a major knowledge power whose people are skilled, competent, hard working and peace loving.

The complete speech of the PM can be seen by clicking here

ISB: Programmes Expenses for PGP 2009-10

The following is the information in respect of expenses relating to one year PGP programme for the academic year 2009-10. The School awards institutional grants and corporate-sponsored scholarship assistance in addition to facilitating agreements with financial institutions to provide long-term, low-interest loans.

*Note: As advised by the Counsel of the School, Service Tax is not applicable on the fees charged for the PGP programme. This view is not accepted by the Service Tax Authorities. The matter is under adjudication and should the decision go against the School, the School reserves the right to collect the service tax amount from the students in addition to the fees. The present rate of service tax (inclusive of cess) is 12.36%.

*Note:

1. USD amounts are approximate and will be likely to change depending on the exchange rate.
2. The School realises its fee in Indian Rupees. There are options available to make payments in foreign currency also; in which case the amount realised must be equivalent to the amounts fixed in INR.
3. It is mandatory to live in the campus.
4. Tuition fees cover course packs provided but certain courses require mandatory text books over and above the study material supplied by ISB.
5. Every student is required to have a laptop. You can buy one from vendors identified by the School (ISB will help you to get special rates) or bring your own. Rates may vary according to the model opted for.
6. Expenses pertaining to meals can differ depending upon the plan opted. The residential facilities have kitchens for people who would like to cook.

Medical Insurance

• It is mandatory for all students and their dependents living on campus to have medical insurance.
• The ISB will arrange to purchase a group medical insurance for all students and their dependents.
• The premium of this will have to be paid by all students in addition to the other fees at the time of registration.
• The premium is aproximately in the range of INR 1,300 to 4,000 depending on the age of the insured - these amounts are approximate and subject to change.
  Miscellaneous Expenses
• Please also budget for some miscellaneous expenses which may vary depending on your needs and preferences (like schooling for children, sightseeing, etc.) Exchange Programme ExpensesIf you wish to participate in the exchange programme certain expenses have to be borne by the student depending upon the travelling and accommodation costs incurred. It may vary from USD 6000 to USD 10000 (approx.) depending upon the school you have been admitted to.

ISB admission information sessions - other locations

The ISB conducts Information Sessions to reach out to all prospective students. The agenda for each session includes:
A presentation on Admissions (40 mins)
Question and Answer session (40 mins)
City Address Date Timings Registration

1. Bangalore ITC Windsor August 24, 2008 10:00 am - 12 noon Register
2. Bangalore ITC Windsor August 24, 2008 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm Register
3. Chandigarh PHD HouseSector-31-A, Chandigarh August 10, 2008 10:00 am - 12 noon Register
4. Chennai Taj Connemara August 31, 2008 10:00 am - 12 noon Register
5. Chennai Taj Connemara August 31, 2008 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm Register
6. Kolkata Taj Bengal August 10, 2008 10:00 am - 12 noon Register
7. Kolkata Taj Bengal August 10, 2008 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm Register
8. Mumbai World Trade Centre, Cuffee Parade August 2, 2008 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Register
9. Mumbai Taj Lands End August 3, 2008 10:00 am - 12 noon Register
10. Mumbai Taj Lands End August 3, 2008 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm Register

A nominal fee will be charged to attend these sessions.

ISB Campus Sessions - August to November, 2008 at Hyderabad

The best way to explore what the ISB has to offer to its students is to visit its sprawling campus on the outskirts of Hyderabad on any of the following Fridays, for an On-Campus Information Session. At these sessions you can learn more about the ISB and about admissions into its Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) in particular. You will also get the chance to interact one-on-one with our Admissions Staff and the Class of 2009. The agenda for each session includes:
Venue: ISB, HyderabadCampus Tour: 6:00 pm– 6:15 pm
A presentation on Admissions: 6:20 pm– 6:50 pm
Question and Answer session: 6:50 pm – 7:30 pm
Date Timings Registration

1. August 1, 2008 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Register
2. August 8, 2008 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Register
3. August 22, 2008 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Register
4. August 29, 2008 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Register
5. September 5, 2008 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Register
6. September 19, 2008 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Register
7. September 26, 2008 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Register
8. October 3, 2008 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Register
9. October 10, 2008 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Register
10. October 17, 2008 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Register
11. October 24, 2008 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Register
12. October 31, 2008 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Register
13. November 7, 2008 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Register
14. November 14, 2008 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Register
15. November 21, 2008 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Register
16. November 28, 2008 6:00 pm- 7:30 pm Register

It is also to be mentioned here that the ISB conducts admission information sessions at other big cities. For other cities, please click here.

ISB - Application deadlines for the Round-1 & Round -2 for the Class of 2010 (PGP 2009-10)

Admission process for PGP 2009-10 has already commenced. As per the website of ISB, the application deadlines are as follows:

For Indian passport holders

For Non-Indian Passport Holders
For all international applicants, the rolling application process begins in June and goes on till January. The applicant , if shortlisted will be interviewed within one month of the application submission date. However, in exceptional situations it might take more than a month. The applicant will be informed about the decision within three weeks from the date of the interview. International candidates may need additional time to arrange for their visas, housing, and financial aid, and to work on their English proficiency, hence they are encouraged to apply early.
For any further information or assistance please mail them at PGPAdmissions@isb.edu

Course commencement date: Mid April, 2009
Disclaimer: The candidates are requested to check the ISB's website for any change or extension in the deadline.

ISB - Curtain Raiser for the academic year 2009-10

Hai Friends,
All the best for all those people who are aspiring to become tomorrow's global leaders at Indian School of Business, which is ranged as Top-20 in the global MBA rankings by Financial Times. Now that the admission process for Round-1 has started, think about it seriously, prepare with acumen and hit the bulls eye in your first attempt. I also wish all the best for re-applicants who missed the bus in their earlier attempts. In this blog, I would try to give the information about the ISB admission process, the details of admission information sessions conducted by ISB at Hyderabad and other big cities, actual interview experiences of candidates appeared in the previous years as well as in the current year, the opinions of persons who passed out from ISB, the Indian macro economic scenario, the inflation trends, the monetory trends, the growth in the Gross Dometic Product, analysis of various emerging sectors of Indian economy, emerging employment opportunities and much more.

Round - 2 2008-09 Telephonic Interview Experience - 1

The following is the telephonic interview of candidate held on 23-01-2008 (Round-2)

The profile

GMAT: 740/4.0,

Work Ex.: 5+ yrs of exp in IT services,

good acads and extracurriculars.

Interviewers- luwalin d'souza (i guess i got the spelling correct), sandeep khurrana (alumni)

1. i was asked to talk on the word 'finicky'. i asked for its meaning and they said i should try to guess its meaning and talk if i wasnt sure what it means :). but they gave me another 'passion'. i believe i did pretty well there and got a good feedback from luwalin.
2. asked about the work i do - explained it
3. do you enjoy your job? if you enjoy your current job
4. then why mba? what roles after mba?
5. dream companies if any?
6. i had mentioned about the ngo's with whom i worked. asked me to describe my work there.
7. what activities did you do in the last one year with them?
8. then asked questions about an accomplishment that i had mentioned in my application- explained it
9. asked questions regarding the issues that happened in sydney test (i had mentioned cricket big time in my app)
10. any questions for them. asked one and they answered it well

Impression: Overall it went fine, but the only worrying factor is that it lasted only for 20 mins (definitely not more than that) .

Round - 2 2008-09 Hyderabad Interview Experience - 1

The following is the interview experience of a male candidate at ISB, Hyderabad on 23-01-2008 (Round-2).

Profile:

GMAT: 760,

Education: BIT Mesra,

Work Ex.: 2 years and 7 months of Work Experience at Oracle Hyderabad.

Interview Details:------------ ------Funny it might sound, I actually had to ask the lady in the admissions office for the essay paper and for the interview as well. Even though I had arrived on time, I guess they forgot me. After finishing my essay and waiting for 20 more minutes(my interview was scheduled to be at 1225), I had to remind her that I was here for the interview. Anyways, better late than never. As I entered the interview room, the admission committe, which comprised of a lady (Hema, the admission officer) and an gentleman(an alum from 2006 batch, I forgot the name though) got up and gave me a warm handshake(pretty nice gesture).

The first question they asked was, what happened to your locks(at the time of application, I had grown my hair really long, which I chopped off a few months back). This humor helped me calm my nerves.

Alum: What is the best thing you like about your job at Oracle?

Me: Blah, blah, blah, blah......

Alum: What, apart from technolgy, have you learnt at Oracle?

Me: Blah, blah, blah...Alum:

Why MBA?Me: Blah, blah, blah...(which included my idea of starting my own venture).

Alum: What kind of business do you want to start?

Me: More blah, blah, blah...

Alum: So, shall I strike your name off the prospective placement list?

Me: No, blah, blah...

Hema: What kind of companies are you looking forward to for your placement at ISB?Me: Blah, blah....(which included a description abt the consulting company)Alum: What is your fallback option?

Me: Blah....

Alum: With three years at Oracle, and the kind of salary you command, it wont be possible for you to get that salary kind of salary post ISB? So, how important is salary to you?

Me: Blah, blah, blah

Hema: Tell me more about the team dynamics that you have learnt at Oracle?

Me: Blah...(which included a description of diversity at work, i.e. a chance to work with people belonging to all parts of India).

Hema: What are the characetersistics of these differnt people?

Me: Blah, blah...

Hema: What are the main competitors of Oracle?

Me: Blah, blah..

Hema: How is Oracle gonna do in future?

Me: Blah...

Hema: Ok, assume you work for McKinsey...( a case study)

Me: Blah...

Hema: Any questions for us?

Me: Yeah, blah, blah...

Round - 2 2008-09 Mumbai Interview Experience - 1

Th following is the interview experience of a male candidate on 17-01-2007 (Round - 2) at Mumbai.

Profile:

GMAT: 750/5.0,

Education: IIT, Delhi 2004 passout,

Experince: in manufacturing.

The interview panel consisted of two members, one washema from adcom, the other was some guy probably in his mid 50s. I can safely say that he was some hi-figuy coz he knew the MDs of both the companies i haveworked for.

These are some of the questions that were asked:

1. what do you think chemical engg means? ( i am achemical engg.)
2. i was then asked what does 5S mean (something thati had mentioned in my application)
3. Now comes the exiting part, he asked me about oneof the achievements i had mentioned in my application.i spoke for some 5 mins after which the man says: "uhave spoken for 5 mins and yet i have not heardanything that i wanted to hear". i was taken aback. then he rephrased his question.. i started harpingagain about some of the things that i had done on theshopfloor. finally he said that i was not structuringmy answers well and these sort of answers help nobodyin a group.
4. then he asked about my post isb plans. i said iwanted a role in general management. he told me that iwas too young for a GM role so there will be nocompanies offering me that sort of a role. he evenmentioned that u can even think of becoming the PM ofIndia but the reality is that u cant.
5. then he asked me how would i improve theproductivity of my plant. i gave some crappy answersbut clearly he was not satisfied.
6. then the lady chipped in and asked me to rate myself on my people's skills.
7. "ques for us" as usual

His Advice: don't bluff, keep itshort and simple and be thorough in ur application. u can also try and work on ur spontaneity rather than too much preparation.

Round - 1 2008-09 Bangalore Interview Experience - 1

Here is teh interview experience of a candidate whose interview was in Bangalore

Profile:

Sex: Female

GMAT : 730 / 5.5

Work ex: 2+ yrs in IT some involvement with family biz

My interview was scheduled at 11:30 AM. I reached thevenue at 10:30 ( yeah didnt want to take a chance withBangalore traffic). There was a lady sitting near thereception kinda place of the interview area. I gave her the copy of my interview email. She verified my timings and handed a paper which had the topic for the essay - "Composed". I just wrote whatever came to my mind in the next 10 mins and expected the lady to tellme to stop writing the essay after sometime. But nothing of that sort happened and I realized that I coulda gone for like another 30 mins easily writing/editing the essay. The scene after writing the essay:Spoke to some fellow candidates outside the panelrooms, read (acted :) to show im cool) some mags,stared around, tried analyzin the reaction of the pplcomin outta the panel after interview etc.

Inside the interview room:I1 : The person who greeted me outside I2 : The observer I3 : The lady. There were 3 ppl (2 guys 1gal)...all looked reallydignified

I1: Tell me abt ur family biz

Me : Blah blah...

I1 : whats ur role in it

Me : Blah blah...

I3: wots the diff factor abt ur family biz's prod (ihad mentioned tat its a new tech tat we hadintroduced)

Me : tried drawin some stuff in paper to tell the techaspects I3 handed over a marker... without even seeini was abt to start drawin some crap when I1 told metat the marker is not for boards n I3 gave me theproper one ( i felt tat it was a test of my presenceof mind n i had failed...tried to forget that thoughtn went ahead with the blah blah..)

I1 : stuff abt my team skills

Me : blah...

I2 : (speaks for the 1st time) u say tat u r a gudmotivator..tell me in terms of points as to how do ugo abt motivatin ppl

Me : (blank mind) fumbled some crap .. but wasconfidently tellin the crap n said in the course tat idont follow a structured process n hence cant put myans in terms of points ( i was happy with thefrankness :) )

I3 : i ll give u a case...after isb u wan 2 choose 5ppl for u biz...wat qualities wud u want in them

Me : I chose a manufacturing firm...Since she toldqualities i was conc more on that than just tellin oneshd be a fin person, one HR ...ex: one person shd ve exp with startups, one shd knowhw to handled white collared n blue collared workers,one shd be jack of all trades, one shd be ve worked inthat field ...etc

I1 : u forgot to mention abt the person whose gonnatake care of the production

Me : told tat the 1st person(one with tech exp in thatfield both in india n abroad) whom i had mentionedwill do tat

I1: what abt marketin??

Me : (accidentally) the 1st person...(then) apologizedn said that i had forgotten to include that person :)

I3 : where do u see urself as a mgmt person?

Me : didnt clearly get the question...n asked her toexplain... I1 came to rescue n rephrased it...

I1 : what do u think are ur best mgmt skills (somethinlike tat)

Me : total crappy ans

I1 : whos ur fav CEO?

Me : i actually told them "i think u ll be bored askinthis q frm mornin cz almost all s/w guys wuda told the same ans n prob shd stop askin ... yes NRN itis....blah.. ."

I2 : wat kinda companies u lookin for post isb?

Me : no company on mind...more interested in the rolen responsibility

I1 : any questions?

Me : asked them abt the entrepreneurship prog isb has(apparently i refered to the wrong prog name when iasked the question n they were wonderin wat itis...then i explained them the prog I1 kinda smiled nconsulted I2 n told the name n answered my question)I tried gettin their focus outta my blunder with theprg name n conc more on my questions with the prg...so hope they pardoned me for thatIf u see i had fumbled many places...but tried to beconfident(not over confi though) abt the fumbling nerrors :)

abt the interviwers:cool ppl... will make u feel totally comfy

Round-1 2008-09 Telephonic Interview Experience - 3

This is the interview experience of an R1 applicant who has been admitted to the Class of 2009.

Profile

Acads: Good, BE - Biomed, Gold Medalist in the program MS - Biomed,

USAWork-exp: Healthcare industry in USA - 6.5yrs to date Comprises of R&D, Customer Relationship Mgmt(Mktg) and Program Management

GMAT: 710/5.5

Interview: Telephonic -

She had a phone call scheduled at 6:30am ET. Got a call at 6am from Mr. Srinath preponing it by 15min. Interviewers were Ms. Hima Bindu and Mr. Srinath.

Questions:-

1. Talk about "Sunflower" - spoke only for 3-4 min and used a decent analogy.
2. Then, we went thru my application details. First off, came the standard Q: Walk me through your career progression/ Talk about yourself.
3. Ms. HimaBindu asked me why I didnt want to pursue my career in R&D and why I opted for CRM and Program Mgmt roles. I told her that my initial experience was to build a solid foundation in the healthcare industry and to learn about the products, processes and business. CRM was to enhance knowledge about Customer engagement and to tie in how we make products to what the end user/customer wants, etc. Program Management was to go thru the entire product life cycle development. This is just the gist...but went thru some details... I told her if I wanted to continue in R&D I could have but it wasn't were I wanted to grow in my career.
4. Then the discussion evolved around my goals... Strategic Marketing...she said why not opt for Mass Media... my reply was that Mass Media would be good but not in line with my aspirations. I would like to continue in Healthcare industry and whatever experience I have garnered would help me take the next step - Market research, developing marketing programs for products I already know about, etc. The sole reason for doing an MBA to build a solid foundation in business principles - specifically in my area of interest.
5. She asked me to give an example of a product that I thought was well-marketed... Discussed one... There were some interrupted questions, answered those and went back to what I was initially talking about.
6. Then, we talked about my extra-curricular activities and about the most challenging professional relationship I faced and how I handled it.
7. Then I asked a couple of Q's and that was it.

The interview lasted for about 30min and went reasonably well.

Profile of an ISB admit - Class of 2009 - 4

Round: One

Class of 2009

GMAT - 740 /5.5

Education - BE in Electronics and design technology

Work ex - 5 years ( 4+ in IT(TCS) and 8 months teaching)

International work ex - 1 year

Profile ofan ISB admit - Class of 2009 - 3

Round: One
Class of 2009

Work Ex.: Senior Applications Engineer at Oracle with a total of 3.5 yrs

GMAT : 710 and 760

Acads : Excellent

Extra Curriculars : Decent (President's Scout, NSS wing at college , social activities at Oracle)

Profile of an ISB admit - Class of 2009 - 3

Round: One
GMAT: 760
IIT Delhi, GPA: 8.3
Workex - 2 years 5 months as of dec-07 in software product development

Profile of an ISB admit - Class of 2009 - 2

Round: One
Acads: Btech Production engineering and management (NIT calicut)
Total workex: 5.5 years 2 years at Ashok Leyland, rest at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO..
GMAT: 710/ 5

Profile of an ISB admit - Class of 2009

Round: One
Class: 2009
GMAT: 760(50, 42, 5)
BTech: IIT, Guwahati: CPI 8.96
XII: 89.2
X: 87.4
Workex(till april 2008): 1.5-> India
Since May 2007, Singapore
All in Embedded software development

Round - 1 2008-09 Mumbai Interview Experience - 2

The following is teh interview experience of a male candidate on 17th of November, 2007 at Mumbai for a duration of about 15 minutes.

Profile:

GMAT: 760

Work Exp.: 7 years of IT experience with over 5 years of Project Management experience

Extra Curricular: 8 years of Social Work experience

Essay Topic: Orchestra.

All they asked me was about my job, my short-term and long-term persectives and how doing an MBA fits into those plans. All the other questions were based on my responses to these 4 questions.The interview was far from pleasant but I wouldn't term the behaviour of the panel as aggressive either. They were scrutinizing very carefully every answer and trying very hard to find chinks and weaknesses in my responses. I got an opportunity to ask them questions and asked them a couple of questions. This was the easiest part of the interview.

Round-1 2008-09 Mumbai Interview Experience - 1

The following is the interview experience of male candidate on Novemebr 16, 2007 at Mumbai.

The panel consisted of two members. The essay was on 'Sunset' - 100 words - I think I rambled on about beautiful colours, romanticism, melancholy, hope, and god know what else.

The interview was very casual - unfortunately - I don't think it went very well for me. They started with my profile - I'll just briefly mention it here - as my interview was mostly about my profile.

1) Did my architecture from Chandigarh - its one of the oldest andbest colleges for architecture

2) Did a masters in Building Engineering and Management from SPA,Delhi - again one of the best

3) Joined Cushman & Wakefield in their project management division -worked there for 2 years

4) Started my own business in project management and have been workingon my own for the past one and a half years.

1. First question was why - after such a good progression - working greatin the company - you left all of a sudden to start your own business. I mentioned that I was working on a project and the client asked me if I could provide them with project management service - I discussedthis with a colleague and we decided to go into business togetherservicing the client.
2. He then asked why I wanted to leave my business which was juststarting for and MBA. I mentioned that till date I have been pluggingin holes in my education - after architecture I realised that actualconstruction was something I hardly knew about so I joined construction management and now after working for more than a year inmy own firm I realised that I needed to learn more about finance and HR.
3. Next they asked about my essays - specially the second one - simplestuff - nothing major.
4. Then they came back to my business and how I though ISB would help meout. I mentioned that even after getting such a good start and workingfor one of the largest merchant bankers in the world - I was unable to really expand my business and even after one and half years I'm still stuck with the single client.
5. He asked me what areas I though I neededto improve and I mentioned finance and HR - as resourcing was one ofthe major problems I've been facing - and I really do not know how toexpand.
6. Then they asked me if I would like to major in finance - and Ireplied yes - alongwith entrepreneurship.
7. They asked me if after oneyear I would get an offer from a big real estate firm or a finance firm - would I take up that offer. I mentioned that as of now my intention was to come back and expand my business - however you never know what can happen in a year.
8. Then things started going bad - he asked how specifically I felt that an MBA would help me in resourcing as well as generating money toexpand the firm. I was confused at first - and then mentioned that if I understand more about finance and HR - study other cases such as mine I'm sure I would be able to run a better business. Didn't seem to go down too well with them. He worded the same question a bit differently and asked me that at the start of your business - when you're not sure of the finance - you're planning to spend 18-20 lakhs in a course - which would result in huge EMIs once you come out - add to that business expenses - how would this help out your business. I knew I was dead - but nevertheless I smiled and mentioned that I felt this 18-20 lakhs was an investment in myself and I knew that I would do well after an MBA.
9. Then they asked me if I had missed out something in my application or hasn't come up in my interview. I mentioned that I'm not sure if its important - but while filling my application - I missed out the factthat I love to read. Reading is such an integral part of my life -that it didn't seem important. Only after reading my application later- did I realise this.
10. Then they asked me about any recent book I hadread - so I mentioned 'The Count of Monte Cristo'.
11. Then it was the standard dialogue of whether I wanted to ask them anything. By now I felt that I had already bumbled enough - so I said no and said goodbyes to both of them.

Round-1 2008-09 Hyderabad Interview Experience - 2

The following is the experience of a female candidate whose interview was on Novemebr 06, 2007.

1. Tell how to manage a team and what skills are necessary?
2. Work - Experience
3. About Quality metrics...mentioned in Essays
4. Quality case study....what are the metrics are to be taken care of when u r given a job to improve quality of food in your cafeteria
5. About Stock Market(mentioned in Essay)
6. Any Questions u have? That's it.....was quite OK...

Round-1 2008-09 Hyderabad Interview Experience - 1

Here is the interview experience of male candidate at Hyderabad on Novemebr 05, 2007.

The topics for the 100 word essay was 'Change'. He is given a A4 sheet with a box of space demarcated in which you have to write your essay. I would say you have about three fourths of the page to use. Also remember to get your Application Number with you. You have to put this down in your essay sheet.

The interview panel had 3 guys (1 Ad Com and 2 alumni) and went on for about 40 mins. The questions ...

1. Talk for 10 minutes about yourself.
2. Details of your experiences.
3. Why do you think your entreprenurial idea will be successful. Quite a bit of discussion on this.
4. I am a quality analyst, and they gave me a situational question. Much of discussions centered around this.
5. My work experiences - 3 positive experiences - 3 negative experiences.
6. Questions about my international experiences.
7. Clients, our company products.

None of the anticipated, why MBA, why ISB, what after MBA questions.

Round-1 2008-09 Delhi Interview Experience - 4

The following is the experience of a male candidate whose interview was held on Novemer 02, 2007 at Delhi.

It was not ususal 'why mba' or 'why ISB' stuff. there were only two members in my panel. one was ISB Alumni and other i think (a lady) from the admission comm.

1. they mostly stressed on the job i had done.
2. they wanted to know all abt what i had written in my application. spl. my achievements as to them my achievements seem quite 'wonderful'. so nearly 15 min. were spend on this only.
3. they also asked me abt my short term career plan and how will i use the things i learnt from my present job.
4. they also inquired whether i have done something 'inspirational' ... and this was a bouncer for me. anyway i somehow responded (how well i don't know !!).
5. they asked me abt my failures but contrary to my expectations they didn't ask me 'what i learnt from them'.
6. then finally they asked me abt anything that i would like them to ask from me. to which i showed them something on my extra-curricular (trekking). as they never asked me anything except my job so i wanted to show them something on my extra-curriculars also. i don't know whether it was right or wrong?
7. finally they asked me if i have any questions for them. i asked them abt the things they are looking in an individual for this prog. spl. regarding long term career goal. whether one shld have concrete plan. but i also mentioned that i think over a period of one year (if one is selected) there will be tremendous change in personality, perspective etc. etc. hence after that one will be in a better position to have some concrete plan to which they responded in affirmative. it was more like a discussion. they explained me this in detail. this was what i can recall (hopefull 90 %).

i don't know whether this can be termed as good or bad but i came out satisfied.

Round-1 2008-09 Delhi Interview Experience - 3

The following is the extarct of interview experience of male candidate.

Location: Delhi; Date: 1-Nov-07 ;

Panel# 2 (3 people, don't remember the names)

Profile:

GMAT 700,

Experience: 4+ years in IT

Questions

1. Explain your current role. >> I told abt the same.

2. Are you happy in ur current job?>> I said "Yes"

3. Then Why ISB?

4. Something abt Table Tennis (was in my application)

5. 2 Incidents where I handled a difficult situationand came out successfully and one where I messed upthings.

6. A question on the million dollar essay.

Then my turn to ask questions. All in all, a not bad type of interview, where one cannot make out anything.

Round-1 2008-09 Delhi Interview Experience - 2

The following is the experience of a lady candidate on 30th October, 2007

Profile:

GMAT-770,

Experience: 2.5 years IT with 1.5 years as a developer and 1 year in Business Development

Extra curricular – Good

Essay topic - Doctor

The Panel consisted of a lady and a Gentleman The first question was why I had shifted to a different profile (from Software Development to Business development) and how the nature of work is different.

How have I contributed to the business development initiatives given my software development background?

Discussion about my extra curriculars, how I contribute to the in-house newsletter), name of the newsletter, what I am writing for the current issue (I am on the editorial team). Here I talked about the company initiative I am a part of wherein we go and teach in a Govt. school twice a week. (Article that I will be including in the next issue)

Something about my Toastmasters experience that I had mentioned in my application.

Something about the award I had received in my Company.

My fav cuisine (mentioned food in my app)

Fav author – Salman Rushdie – What I like about him (from app)

Post MBA plans?

What other profession would I have been involved in, no strings attached – Answered that I would have liked to be a writer ;-)I guess by this time they had run out of questions…..

so they asked me whether there was anything that I had prepared for and would want them to ask about - Replied No- The lesser the questions the better, and also something about how I would not like to sound clichéd and prepared to the regular questions.Then I got to ask them a couple of questions.All in all I'd say a very maneuverable interview. The kinds that makes you feel you did O.K. because it's all about stuff you know, however this would be the case with everybody….Just keeping my fingers crossed.

Round-1 2008-09 Delhi Interview Experience - 1

The following is the experience of a candidate whose interview was on October 30, 2007 at Delhi

Profile:

Sex: Female

Age: 24

GAMT: 730/5.0

Experience: 2.5 yrs Consulting experience

The interview panel consisted of 2 ppl...ISB dean and one other professor whose name she does not remember now

My interview went nothing like i expected or i had prepared for...no "why MBA" or "Why ISB" stuffthey kept discussing about my job...i have an experience of working with the Govt. of India...so they kept asking me about how do I handle them and how do I convince them etc. etc...it was a short 20 mins affair...they asked a little bit about my hobbies and dts iti believe its pretty different from the experiences what ppl have posted...but whtever i gathered from the scene was that the dean was interviewing ppl only about their jobs....n no general stuff so i wud suggest that be really confident of ur job stuff and everything related to that wtever u've written in the application or ur experiences etc...

Round-1 2008-09 Telephonic Interview - 2

Following is the telephonic interview of candidate on October 30, 2007.

Topic for speaking is Blosoms

Interview:-

1)General courtiesies. .How are u ? Are you getting late for office etc?

2)How much do you like London? (he stays in london)

3)How do you like your company?

4)Wht is the maximum size of team that he has lead.? (he was working as a team lead here)

5)How good i am as a team player?

6)Whts you post ISB plans?

7)They asked abt one social service project that i was working on..

8)How have i improved my application over last times? (I am a re-applicant)

9) You have any questions here..?

According to him, these are all the general questions that they asked.

Round-1 2008-09 Chennai Interview Experience - 2

This is an interview experience of a female candidate whose interview was on 27th Oct., 2007 in Chennai.
Profile:-
Age: 24
GMAT- 710/5.5
Experience: 2.5 yrs in IT Products.

As soon as she reached the venue, she was asked to compose a 100 word essay on"Green Shoes". Waited for few mins before being called inside. The panel consisted of 5 members. She was asked not to get tensed and stay cool.

According to her, the questions were adhoc with the next question being framed from her earlier answers.

1) How big is your team and how different are you from the rest in your team?How differently are you treated at your workplace( work wise) compared to your team members and why is it that way?

2) Why an MBA at this point ? you could wait for 1 more yr and then apply

3) One exp when the proj went wrong what did you learn from it. She talked about her proj exp. they asked her what do you suggest must bed one to prevent these errors. She said modular level testing should be done ( they were talking about modularlevel work)

4) which do you think is bettter? getting applications done thru vendors or building in-house products ( her company builds in-house products)

5) Among Infy, Satyam and Wipro which company would you choose as a vendor. All three companies are vendors of her company. So she said it depends on a case by case basis.

6) From your exp what do you think is the diff between Infy, Satyam andWipro. Here she said she is unsure though she said all three have large resources and that there are cases of wastage of resources.

7) why do you think they have large pool of human resources and why are theyrecruiting in huge numbers

8) What would you do when you want a shift in company and it doesn't happen ask for reasons and if they are justified go and correct myself and ask for a shift again in 6 months.

9)How will you react if they turn you down again1

0) Most embarrassing situation at office

11) Most difficult situation you faced in work

12) On what criteria were you chosen for best software engg award - Had put that in her resume

13) Have you ever goofed up at work. what were the consequences.

14) how will you react if you happened to do all the work and yet your peergets promoted along with you. She said as long as she was promoted, her peer's progress doesn't matter

15) in tht case how will you react if you were left out for a promotion.

16) if you are planning to go back to your org what postion do you think they will offer. Her company is one of the recruiters. so she was asked this question.

17) what position are you seeking immediately after an MBA from ISB.

Any questions ? she asked them few questions.

Her comments: Though there were five ppl on the panel, and the questions seem like a stress interview's, believe me it isn't. These guys are very professional. It was more like a conversation. At no point did i feel pressured. though ifeel i could have answered some questions in a better manner. When i left the place i felt great, but on retrospection feel like i goofedup. From my exp the main criteria they are looking for is maturity. (maybe theydo this for people with lesser exp)hope this helps.

Round-1 2008-09 Telephonic Interview Experience - 1

Here are the details of an actual international / telephonic interview experience of a female candidate on October 29, 2007. 3 people were there in the panel. Hema, Kannan, and Menon.

The questions:
1. They gave her a word and one minute to think about it and talk. She thinks it is replacement for 100 words essay of personal interviewcandidates.
2. Where are you calling from?

3. How many Mercedes Benz cars are on German roads (I am fromGermany)? She made a wild guess, but asked about wild guesses and She does not remember what She answered.

4. Business question: Given a video game product of 1000$, how wouldyou sell it to Germans?
5. What are your post MBA plans?
6. Where do you go for cycling? (one of her hobby)

7. What was your experience with Israeli security officers (She wrote itsomewhere in her essays)? After that Hema asked her if She has any questions for them. She told them that she visited ISB in August and all my questions are answered at that time.

The interview lasted for 20 minutes and she thinks it ended quite abruptly.

Round-1 2008-09 Chennai Interview Experience - 1

Hai Friends, I have come back after a long time.

Best of luck to all those who are preparing for applying in Round-1 for the academic year 2009-10 for doing PGPM in ISB (Class of 2010). The admission process will start most probably from July 01, 2008. This year, many more candidates will be interested in ISB. Why so? Because now ISB is rated as No. 20 in the Financial Times' Global Fulltime MBA Rankings 2008. So, start early, prepare well and get it.

In this regard, I am again giving a series of actual interview experiences of candidates appeared in Round-1 last year i.e. 2007-08. Here is the first one. The names are not given to protect the privacy of the candidates.

Profile :-

Sex: Male

Age: 31

Educational Background: Finance( Banking),

GMAT- 710,

Work Exp- 13 yrs.

Place of Interview: Chennai.

The panel consisted of 3 men. His short essay (100 words this time) was on `progress'. Some questions asked were :-

1. what did you learn at company x and company y

2. tell us one event which u recollect a lot when you think about your job at company x

3. similar question about company y

4. questions bout my team and work at company y (discussions about this went on for about 10 mins)

5. How did you come to know about the ISB

6. Why MBA? Why ISB?

7. tell us three things that you expect from the ISB?

8. where do you portray yourself after 1 year at ISB?

9. how do you feel about surviving 360 days sleeping less than 4 hrs per day?

10. One case study - regarding financing an existing client company whose promoter dies and the legal heirs struggle to run the company profitably

11. Tell us about your family

12. Do you have a network which you can look up to incase the campus placements do not offer you the renumeration that you deserve for a senior profile (its seems people with work exp above 8 years are called 'senior profiles')

13. Do you have anything to ask from us? (i had a few things in mind, but strangely i said no).