In the context of CAT and other management tests conducted in India, it is for a small percentage of aspirants that their journey culminates to an interview with a top B-School of the country. It was at 23:13 PM on 17th Feb, 2021 that this dream came true for me! I had received the interview call for SJMSOM, IIT Bombay and my interview was scheduled in the morning slot on 03rd March, 2021. WAT was scrapped and the interview process was to be held virtually, all attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic.
I am an Electrical Engineering graduate and had graduated in the year 2016. I had qualified the Electrical Engineering paper of GATE in 2017 and was working with an Indian Telecom PSU- BSNL in the Enterprise Business division. CAT-2021 was my second attempt and I scored 98.81% overall. As the interview score forms a substantial part of the final evaluation criteria, I knew that I had to perform well in the interview to convert the call.
As you must have heard already, SJMSOM has one of the finest interview processes among B-Schools which is driven by the meticulous planning and dedication that is put in by the Admissions Team of the institute. This can be experienced first-hand in each activity undertaken by the team and the unique steps that they take to make the admission process seamless. Two such steps which I felt were unique- the allocation of an ‘Interview Buddy’ who would help you with all your queries about the upcoming processes and the second was the ‘Gather’ platform that was used to conduct the interview process.
We were divided into small groups, accompanied by a member from the SJMSOM team, in the virtual platform. We utilised the time waiting for our interview slot to interact among ourselves and getting all our queries answered. That eased the usual anxiety accompanying interviewees. Eventually I was called in to the interview room, albeit virtually!
The panel that I was assigned to consisted of three members. Initially I was asked to introduce myself and I went ahead with the usual introduction, mentioning my academic background, professional experience, hobbies and extra-curricular achievements. As I had qualified GATE, I was asked why I didn’t join an M-Tech Program previously and instead opted for an MBA program. After I had explained my choice I was asked several questions related to my professional experience, on the Indian telecom sector and regarding the emergence of satellite based broadband connectivity in particular. In case I didn’t know the answer to some question I politely stated that and the panelists went ahead with the next question. Although the interview lasted for around 17-20 minutes I didn’t feel stressed, as it progressed just as any other regular conversation.
I had got positive vibes during the interview and knew that I had had a decent one. When the results were declared on 5th May, 2021, my conviction turned out to be true! I was waitlisted but I knew that I would convert it, going by past year standards. I have received my confirmation as of now and I am eagerly waiting for the induction program to begin, tentatively on the 10th of July, 2021!
