IIM Lucknow Interview Experience - Avik Mandal (IIM Lucknow, PGP 2017-2019)

Interview Experience:

I had an interview panel comprising of 2 professors (P1: Female & professor of Marketing at IIM L; P2: Male & a professor of Operations at IIM L)

(My panel number was 5 & I was 5^th to enter for the interview in my panel out of 7 members)

Went in and greeted the panel.

P2: So, you have more than 3 years of work experience. You should go for executive MBA via GMAT. Don’t waste your time in PGP.
Me: Explained about my passion for MBA in the IIMs. Also explained the importance of PGP course and the future benefits of it. (The panellists seemed to be not satisfied).

P1: Tell us about your job responsibilities in BPCL.
Me: Explained in detail about my job responsibilities in BPCL. Briefed my job responsibilities in domains of Supply chain management, Operations Management, Project Management & HSSE. The panellists were seemed to be happy.

P2: So, Avik do you remember calculus?
Me: Yes.(I have gone through the basics of Mathematics)

P2: Ok. That’s nice. Write the integration by parts formula(Gave me a pen and paper).

Me: Wrote the formula.

P1: Ok. So, you remember the formula. That’s very good Avik. Now tell me about L Hospital Theorem of limit.

Me: Explained the formula in writing.

P1: Ok. Then solve the problem using L Hospital (gave a problem on Limits)

Me: Solved successfully.

P2: Think that you are selected in IIM L. What specialisation you will like to choose?

Me: I have not yet decided about it. I will go through all the subjects in the 1^st year and then I will decide. But now if you ask me I will say that I have slide inclination towards Strategy.

P2: Why Strategy? Why not others?

Me: Explained the importance of corporate strategy in the company. Gave the example of Nokia & explained how due to lack of proper strategy the company failed to sustain in the market.

P1: (Taking the Nokia example) Do you think this is the only reason for this?

Me: Explained some more reasons. But P1 was not fully satisfied.

P2: You are from West Bengal. So, tell me about your views on Mamta Banerjee?

Me: Explained in brief the recent initiatives about Mamta Banerjee. Also explained my views about those initiatives. (The panellists were happy)

P1: Ok, Avik. Thank You. You can leave now.

Me: Thank you!!!

Verdict: Converted in the 1^st list!!!

About the author:

I am a Mechanical Engineer from Jadavpur University, Kolkata with 3.5 years of work experience in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. In IIM Lucknow, I am Core Member of Media & Communication Cell. My hobbies are Photography and Sketching.