As the day and week passed by, it was disheartening to get not shortlisted one after another for the institutes I have dreamt of. However, It was not a gloomy picture as a whole – there were some silver linings as I got a call for IIM-L, one of the old IIMs. Also, there were calls from new IIMs which I was least bothered about at that time. I picked up all my courage and embarked on a roller coaster ride for next few months. As I was not getting much time to prepare due to compulsions of work, we formed a group of MBA aspirants and started preparing on our own. We conducted mock GDs and PIs and gave tips to one another how to improve ourselves. It was the best part and not to mention it was fun.
It was 20 th of February, 9:00AM. Interview venue: Blu Radisson hotel, New Delhi. It was WAT-PI round of CAP (Common Admission Process) for admission to the new IIMs. I woke up early morning and got dressed in formals and took a metro ride to the venue. Honestly speaking, I was not at all worried about my performance or whether I would be selected for the final merit list or not. Although I was very much serious about the Interview as it was the first interview of the season, I was looking at it as a warm-up round for my interviews lined up later. I was done with the WAT and waiting in front of the room for my name to be called for PI. One of interviewee invited me and I walked with him to the hotseat. It was normal in the beginning. I introduced myself and told them about my work experience as I have prepared for it. Then, there was a surprise. I was given a topic to speak for one minute. It came as a shock but I was prepared. The offered to change the topic if I want but I declined politely. I spoke and it was good. There were some cross questions and I was done with it. I was satisfied as I had performed well and it was just the beginning.
Later on in next few months, I was again waiting for my turn for PI round of IIM-L. This time I was caught with anxiety and nervousness and when I was in front of the panel, they grilled me and I couldn’t counter them as I was acting very cautiously. I came out and with little hope for making it to the merit list, I rode back to my room. That day, I learnt an important life lesson: Always do your best as per the moment and life will reciprocate this. Not to mention, I was not selected.
Now, I was back to square one. Then there came a ray of hope as I was selected for almost all the new IIMs. Initially, I was confused due to numerous advices from friends and well-wishers. About IIM-T, it was my least of preferred ones because I was a bit hesitant to come down so far south. I had never been to southern India and I was concerned about culture, food and language. After lots of brainstorming, I decided to pull myself out of my comfort zone and explore a new culture and meet new people. After landing at IIM-T, I can proudly say this was the best decision I have taken myself and this will be the best experience ever and I am definitely going to become the person I have ever dreamt of.
Which ABG company would you want to work for and why?
When I think of Aditya Birla Group, a picture of legacy and pride comes to my mind. Not to mention, It is the dream of every MBA graduate to work with ABG. As rich is its success story, so diverse is it’s presence in different sectors of economy.
It is like a dream come true to be working in any of these areas but I would like to be a part of ABFRL- Aditya Birla fashion and retail limited, the lifestyle division of ABG. The reason for choosing ABFRL is that I have been previously working with certain renowned brands of ABFRL. As a HR consultant, I was in touch with the HR team and top leadership of these verticals and gained a lot of insights into working of these industry. I came to know about the work culture and ethos of ABFRL. The familiarity with ABFRL gives me an edge above others and gives me a slight advantage while choosing it over other business interests of ABG.
This article is written by Md Danish Zafar- Class of 2020
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