It was during my second year of work, when I realized I was really interested in Marketing and had to make a career out of it. Pursuing an MBA degree was one of the assured ways to help me in fulfilling my vision and focusing on high-value employment opportunities with great career prospects in top FMCG companies. I just had two months in hand to give my best shot at CAT, SNAP & NMAT to get into a premier business school.
My Profile:
General
10th (ICSE): 94%
12th(ISC): 93%
B.Tech, Electrical & Electronics: 9.91.
Work-Ex: 24 months in Global Business Development Field.
Cracking CAT with just few months of preparation seemed like an uphill task for me, so I concentrated and placed my bets on the other two. I scored:
SNAP-97.4%
NMAT -210
Yess! Just managed to cross the cut off for both by God’s Grace. I had great deal of apprehension, whether I would stand a chance among the top scorers. However, my parents and friends advised me to just give my best.
With one month in hand, I prepped up myself. Kept myself abreast with all the current affairs, took part in Mock-Discussions, practised writing good content, in a legible handwriting (WAT).With the help of my close friend, practised all sorts of HR questions for the interview.
14th February 2019
SIBM Lavale Campus
SIBM Aspirant Relations Team had made the process really smooth, comfortable and hassle-free. Divided into groups of 6, each headed by a coordinator, we were welcomed with an inspiring speech by the director of SIBM Pune, Dr R Raman. We were given a kit, which comprised details of the proceedings and refreshments.
1. Group-Task
We were each given a puzzle, which needed to be solved individually for around 3 minutes, and then collectively by the entire group for around 5 minutes.The task in hand was to
, “Submit maximum number of puzzles by the group”.
Catch: Be as engrossed as you can with your own puzzle for the 3 minutes, but after that, make sure you work as a group to achieve the goal. Take the lead if possible, involve all your team mates, gather them around, and try to work out the solution!
2. Group-Discussion
A case study about a company which decided to go paperless, and convert all of its previous documents to digital soft copies .We had to list the challenges faced by them, estimate the cost for doing the same and provide a full-proof business plan.
The discussion process was quite calm; everyone was given a chance to contribute their viewpoints. Having a work experience, gave me an edge, as I could relate well to the scenario given.
3. Written Ability Test
A short video was shown and we were asked to describe the video and give a suitable title for the same. The duration of WAT was 8-10 minutes and there was a space limit rather than a word limit. Due to sufficient practise, I was quick enough to word a short write up. The title given by me,
“Depression-Open the Pandora’s Box”
4. Personal Interview
Before entering for the interview, I was given a chit,
“End world hunger or Stop a war”. A minute was given to compose my thoughts and collect the points after which I proceeded for the interview. The process began with me stating my viewpoint and giving suitable justifications on the topic. The interviewers were pleased with my answer. The following questions were asked by them:
1. Tell me about yourself
2. Why SIBM, Why should SIBM select you?
3. How are you different from any other candidate?
4. What are your biggest achievements and why not continue pursuing engineering (due to my marks)
5. About Work experience
I spoke fluently, with a great deal of confidence and smiled frequently.
Verdict:
Converted, Merit List
Do not get bogged down if you have just crossed the cut-off. You are still in the game as much as the others. Just be confident and give your best.
- Sancy Isaac George