In a two-part InsideIIM interview, Pratik Ranjan—Principal at Boston Consulting Group and IIM Lucknow alumnus—breaks down exactly what makes recruiters stop and say, “Let’s interview this candidate.”
Both videos are embedded below. Give them a watch, then scroll through this deep-dive to lock in the lessons.
Why Pratik’s Story Matters To Every Indian MBA Aspirant
From growing up in Jamshedpur to solving board-level problems across London, Dubai, and rural Uttar Pradesh, Pratik has lived almost every career pivot an Indian MBA dreams of. He has already mentored 40,000-plus aspirants and adjudicated BCG short-lists, which means his insights bridge classroom theory and real hiring practice. Whether you study at IIM Ahmedabad, FMS Delhi, a Tier-2 engineering college, or a smaller private institute, his playbook translates.
Part 1 Recap – Setting Your Five Non-Negotiables Before Day 1
Pratik opens by urging incoming students to write down five concrete goals—from founding a start-up to meeting a life partner—before orientation week. The reason is simple: campus FOMO is brutal. If your list isn’t ready, you’ll chase everything and master nothing.
He also debunks the obsession with “Day-Zero” brands. Your peer who joins an e-commerce start-up on Day 3 may outrank you in two years if that company scales faster than a traditional FMCG. The real metric is the growth curve, not the interview slot.
Another headline moment: consulting can grant you boardroom exposure up to seven years earlier than peers in direct-entry corporate roles. But the glamour comes with gritty fieldwork—think approving rural micro-loans while a local strongman rests a revolver on the desk.
Part 2 Recap – Killing The “John Doe” CV And Building EQ-Driven Spikes
Too many students shoehorn their achievements into the standard B-school résumé template and fade into a sea of look-alikes. Pratik calls this the “John Doe” trap. Instead, he advocates building two or three unmistakable spikes of Emotional Quotient (EQ)—evidence of deep, sustained involvement:
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A national-level Bharatanatyam career
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A failed but bold logistics start-up
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A grassroots data-science project that saved rural schools ₹50 lakh
Whatever your story, show transferable impact or transferable skills. Those are the only two currencies that travel from one industry to another—and they matter far more than weekend certificates in generic digital marketing.
For applicants from NITs, Tier-2 universities, or Big Four IT consulting, he maps two realistic bridges into MBB:
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Start in a back-end or knowledge-centred team and pivot internally.
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Leverage two to three years in strategy roles at a Big Four, then apply laterally with quantified wins.
How To Prep For 2025 Consulting, Marketing, Or Product Interviews
Pratik’s seven-layer interview plan (summarised in prose below) has already helped hundreds of candidates crack HUL marketing roles and BCG final rounds:
Begin with rock-solid fundamentals—Kotler’s core concepts or Porter’s Five Forces—then shift into personal consumer stories. Analyse why Wheel flaunts lemons and roses on its detergent pack or why Dove champions “Real Beauty.” Immerse in each target firm’s brand portfolio, rehearse live cases, and treat every line on your CV like a potential ten-mark viva. End with genuine group-discussion etiquette: synthesise the room, don’t bulldoze it.
