IIMK Interview

Date: 25 Feb'09

Venue: IMI, New Delhi

Pre-Interview details: Taking lesson from the folder debacle last time, a new strategy for arranging the folder was devised..strategy being, there should be no strategy. Just put them in order. Form was completed well before time. Reached venue 90 minutes early. Talked to guys over there. Mostly IIT under-grads.

Group Discussion: Batches of 10-11 were made. Topic given was around genetic engineering and its use to improve the human breed and tackle diseases. 5 minutes were given to think and then 12 minutes for discussion.

Considering that there were 11 students and just 12 minutes, i was expecting a fish-market right from start. After 5 minutes one of the profs gave the green light. To my utter surprise no one started. Everyone was looking around like me, waiting for someone else to start. Finally i started. Introduced genetic engineering. Said that lest discuss its pros and cons. General gyaan

GD was pretty peaceful. No fish market through out. Some good points raised. I added a couple of scenarios that might happen if genetic engineering is allowed to select the characteristics in an individual. Points were accepted well. Overall a healthy discussion. We were stopped after 14 minutes and told that interviews would take place in the order of sitting arrangement. So my number was third.

As usual hunger was killing me. I had 2 paranthas just before leaving my place for interview and there i was, standing and staring at the cafeteria. I went in and had a quick bite of 2 sandwiches and a coke. Now i was ready.

Discussions with guys who arrived after interviews before me had given a hint of academic grilling. I went in hoping they would spare me.

Interview: 2 profs (P1 and P2) and ME.

ME: May i come in Sir.
P1: Boy you are already in.

ME: Thinking... ha ha.... not funny...come up with new line guys..anyways i smiled and took a seat

P2: So Anurag what do you do.
ME: Dunnhumby..retail data analytics

P2: Tesco guy..right
ME: yup...We have a JV with Tesco.

P2: So Anurag, retail is almost wiped out
ME: No sir. They are facing problems but definitely not over..

P2: So Anurag tell me what has gone wrong.
ME: Told them that sir people have cut down on spending, especially in credit-driven markets like US.

P2: How did current recession start?
ME: Sub-prime crisis.

P2: Explain how it happened?
ME: Voh maara papad waale ko...aaj wikipedia bolega..
Explained with a diagram. How cycle of credit started and then busted with housing bubble bust. Crux being that housing was used as an investment instrument. People were spending way too much. hardly any saving. So now credit has stopped, saving is not there.fear of recession and job losses...so no spending

Now today was one of those days my ears were performing below acceptable levels. So i was asking them to repeat and was concentrating a lot.

Also it was very hot in there. And me, someone who always leaves top two buttons of his shirt open, was wearing a tie and coat. And top that with my intensive sweating gift. It was a furnace in there. I wiped my sweat a couple of times. One of the profs sensed it that i was feeling hot. He got up and turned on a fan. Bhagwaan tera bhala kare baba

P1: Anurag, your company is paying you this much. Don't you see it as another housing bubble building.
ME: No sir. I spend judiciously. I save too.

P2:Going by your salary figure i am sure you save a decent amount. Don't you?
ME: Yes sir..

Smiles all around...

P1: So, What does your father do?
ME: Marketing officer with FCI

P1: Revenues of FCI?
ME: Dont know sir.. Then made a rough guess as a multiple of Dunnhumby revenues (was asked to do that)

P2: So Anurag, How much does your father get?
ME: xxx amount sir..

P2: It's a ratio of almost 1:3. Does that mean you are 3 times more productive?
ME: No sir. Salary function of industry, joining time, organizational performance...etc..

P1: Do you think its justified your firm paying you your current salary..
ME: Thinking... interesting question... first it's a decent salary and not a great one..second who cares....i cleared the interview and got the job..i dont care if it's justified or not..
Told that i am paid well because we produce that much value for our firm.

Smiles all around...i don't know why.. :)

P2: Anurag, do you want to start an industry some time later?
ME: No sir. But i do have something very close to my heart.

Enter the Gyaan session

I had actually stated that i want to work in the field of education. Bring about a system where by students get a chance to make informed decision after class 10th. Throw in my small city roots, lack of proper mentoring and humble background, and we have an interesting debate.

Next 5 minutes were spent discussing my future plans. How much feasible...etc etc.. i answered confidently. They seemed interested. Agreed that idea is good. Will be tough. I stood my ground. Said i know it is required in our society.

This discussion was happening mostly between P2 and me.

P1 started looking at my certificates.

First semester..6 subjects.. All A's
Second semester..6 subjects.. All A's
Third semester..6 subjects.. All A's
Fourth semester.. 6 subjects..5 A's..he probably missed a B.
Fifth semester.. 6 subjects... All A's
Sixth semester.. training semester.. A

He looked up and asked me..I have looked at 6 mark sheets. Anurag have you ever got a B?

ME: Smiling...sir then you don't wanna have a look at seventh?

P1: Why?
ME:Smiling, I am afraid you wont like it sir...

Smiles all around... Ok, i wont look..(I had got 4 B's and 2 C's in seventh semester. :) )

P2: Good Anurag. Thanks.
Me: Thank you Sir..

Overall i think it went well.

Next stop IIMA...plsssssssss yaar GOD, help me... i dream of IIMA more than i dream of na*** chicks. I am dying to play dandia. plssssssss

Results: Got through :)

IIMI interview

Date: 16 Feb'08

Venue: ISI, Delhi

Time: 8:30 in morning

Pre-interview scenes: I started filling out the form at 11 P.M. the night before the interview. I am a very efficient person (Bhulli will understand this...) Took me about two hours to fill it out. Was just not getting what to write in "descibe weaknesses that you identified in yourself as a student"...

Now this one was a toughie, especially for someone like me who just managed to get marks without studying (comment about me in my college souvenior book...haram khoron ko mere baare mein aur kuchh pata hi nahin tha). Poor in fundas. Pure non-tech guy. So should i write that four years of studying E&C engineering were just a drag for me. I had found my solace in computers in our hostel rooms watching movies. Or should i write that i never existed in the good/bad books of my teachers, since i never attended any class. So was never able to cultivate a student-teacher bond; a very important of student life.

Anyways, it's interview and you got to be at your polite and politically correct best. So i wrote some other vague answers. So this was till 1 A.M. Then i started arranging the folder showcasing my certificates. This was the most efforts that i had ever put in my life for "organizing" something. I used color coding on folder edges to seperate academic certificates, work ex, extra curriculars, CAT related etc. Wrote sub headers on each page. Got Bhulli to endorse my "organized creation"..Bhulli tell people about it...we worked hard on it man...

It took me 2 hours to do all this. I even created a index at front page from easy navigation through folder. This was 3 A.M in the morning.

Then i slept.

Got up at 5:30 to get ready for interview. Left house at 6:30 for New Delhi.

Case Study: Case was around a hard working brilliant project engineer Asutosh. He takes a leave for a week and during that period the contractor carrying out his instructions does wrong installation. Asutosh fnds out about this when he comes back and asks him to re-do teh work. Contractor does it and produces a bill for work. Asutosh refuses to sign teh bill saying that his ompany will not pay for it. Contractor is powerful. He handles other projects as well and Asutosh's managers feel that delaying his payment or refusing it might delay other projects. So they ask him to pass it. He is alos told that is he doesnt pass it, then his promotion and an upcoming foreign assignment might be in trouble. So Asutosh needs to decide?

We were given 30 minutes to think about the case. We were to write our analysis and give recommendations. Next 20 minutes were spent on case discussion. We were 7 people in the group. Nice discussion. Good points brought up. No fish market. I made useful contributions. Think i did pretty well. Group listened. Discussed my point for along time.

I checked out the bandi sitting on other side. Only girl in the group. Awesome voice. She blatantly rejected one of my suggestions. Then i didnt check her any more. She lost an admirer..and probably the only one...she really wasnt worth checking out...but then beggars are not chosers..aajkal mandi chal rahi hai... (Taran, Bhulli.. damn it guys..dont laugh)

Case study ended at 10 A.M. After that interviews started. All people were asked acads, irrespective of amount of work experience. I was prepared to face them too. I was called in last at around 1 P.M. after 3 hours.

Interview: hi-hellos.. have a seat.

Two interviewers: P1 and P2 and ME

P1: Anurag did you take CAT last year
ME: Yes Sir

P1: Did you appear for interviews
ME: No Sir. I didnt get through

P1: Ohhk. I though i had interiewed you last year also. Your face seems familiar
ME: (Thinking...Kumbh ka mela..mera bichda hua bhai shayad IIM mein hai... biceps pe tatoo...finally CAT prep has paid off... BHAI mein aa raha hun)

P2: Anurag, tell us what you do currently
ME: Sir.. and then i was cut short by P1

P1: Anurag, one thing. Your way of arranging folder is not very organized. All academic certificates are in one sheet. I should be able to just flip through them and not take them out of their place all at one time and then go through them.
ME: (realised he was right.. but i had spent two hours on that the previous night...Had it really organized.. I had color-coded them and built an index for crying out loud... Had hardly slept. Had waited for 3 hours before the interview..i wanted them to say a few words of appreciation before criticism..something like,"see Anurag, good work but...".... i wanted to cry...seriously)..Anyways, i said sorry..

P2: Anurag, tell us what you do currently
ME: Data analysis, leading team in international markets..blah blah..

P1: Anurag, why do you call your work data analysis and not statistical analysis. You use a lot of stats.
ME: We dont use statistics at all times. Some we just do data analysis without any stats.

P1: tell me one tool where you dont use statistics and still give analysis
ME: Thinking hard.. couldnt think one...(later realised EXCEL.. my bread and butter...Sleep deprivation..sleep deprivation...)

P1: What is difference between R Square and Adjusted RSquare
ME: blah blah..

This lasted for next few minutes. Went into details. Whether RSquare will increase with added variable or can it decrease..etc etc. Gave one answer wrong here. Told them that RSquare might increase or decrease with increasing variables. Later found out that it always increases.

P1: What is mutivariate regression
ME..Blah blah

P1: What is a poison distribution?
ME: Dont know sir

P1: Difference between a binomial and normal distribution. Any relation between them?
ME: blah blah

P1: Examples where is binomial distribution used?
ME: Coin toss, Resonse as yes or no, 1 or 0 etc

P1: What is residual error?
ME: blah blah

P1: Anurag you use a lot of statistical techniques. HAve you heard of AREMA?
ME: Yes sir, i have heard of AREMA

P1: Can you explain it?
ME: Sir, I dont know.

P1: You should know AREMA, as you are in data analytics.

A couple of more stats questions. Answered them

P2: Anurag how many kind of akali dals are there.
ME: Sir i know of only Shiromani Akali Dal...(uske baare mein bhi kuchh zyada nahin pata tha..)

P2: How are nirankaris different from Khalsa Sikhs..
ME: believe in formless god, they look at god everywhere, touch each other's feet, etc..

P2: Tell me about maharaja of patiala (i studied at patiala).
ME: blah blah

P2: Capital of uttrakhand?
ME: Dehradun
then he asked me capitals of jharkhand and assam..answered both

P2: Which city in India has highest per capita income?
Me: Dont know sir

P1: Make a guess. At least tell us the state.
ME: Mumbai..(later found it was Chandigarh.. capital of my home state...i dont deserve to be called a punjabi)

p1 looking at P2.. i am done..
ME: thinking... me too..

Thanks Anurag. Have a juice. We kept it for you as we made you wait for 3 hours. Me wishing good afternoon.. bye bye...

Came back to office. Was talking to one of teh colleagues. People commented that saara stats pe ho gaya. They will try and pin you down on your weak areas. One gentleman said,"Abe agar tujhe kuchh aata bhi hai, aur kitni hi detail mein aata hai...interviewer can take you to point beyond which you will not be able to answer". Then came the LEGEN......

wait for it....

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..Keep waiting...

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DARY...LEGENDARY dialogue..

Agar tu kamre mein enter hua aur interviewer ko teri shakal pasand aayi to he will ask you,"Bata, tere baap ka kya naam hai". Agar usse teri shakal pasand nahin aayi to puchega,"Bata, mere baap ka kya naam hai". One way or the other, he will get you.

I thought of GLADIATOR's famous dialogue,"Death smiles at us all. All a man can do is smile back".

Next stop IIMK....

Result: Got through :)