Topics
- Workers quit their job after they had to do overtime and night shifts. The HR department and Operations department want to get them back. Suggest measures to deal with the situation.
- Come out with consensus on top 10 toughest jobs out of 20 difficult jobs given (Coal miner, Electrician, etc.)
- Your team is up for its appraisal shortly. You are provided a list of candidates, each with their little bio (strengths/weaknesses/quirks). Your group has to discuss and rank them based on consensus.
- A company is planning to launch a new product in the Indian market. It has a limited budget and thus must ensure it spends its budget wisely. Your group has to discuss and decide the importance of product launch/distribution/promotion/advertising etc.
How Do You Answer A Case Interview Question
“There is a software engineer who has been hired as a trainee by a company. He specialises in hardware. As the end of training period approaches, his performance is found to be not satisfactory and is informed to leave the company once the training period. His manager feels bad for him and writes a recommendation letter, which might help him in his next job. However, this engineer uses that recommendation letter against the company by taking them to the court and challenges his dismissal. How will the company resolve this peculiar situation?”
You can try to approach the case in the following manner. It might help you in finding a fitting answer to the above situation.
- Analysis: You need to solve the problem with the perspective of the “company”. But you can certainly examine the situation that affects all the stakeholders. Begin your analysis by asking questions like - what do we don’t know about this situation? And make assumptions to solve the problem. For example, is this recommendation letter written on the basis of a personal or professional relationship? Is it written on the company letterhead? Who hired a software engineer? Was the manager aware of the situation? Maybe not (this is your assumption). Don’t try to hijack the discussion by the “I think the company”. Just try to understand the situation better.
- Problem definition: After you have done a proper analysis of the situation, you need to determine the order of priority based on which the situation must be dealt with.
- The court: What to do with the court case?
- The superior: What to do with the manager? Could his/her error of judgement be a deliberate one?
- For the future: How to ensure that such an incident is not repeated in the future? This means re-examining the recruitment, and recommendation process.
- Objective: What do we hope to achieve out of a range of solutions we are going to discuss? Where will we absolutely not compromise, and where we might? This must also be determined in the order of priority.
- Alternatives: Next comes searching for alternatives. Members of the group might have a different approach to the alternative. But, everyone should try to come towards a few common ones. For this, you can do a shortlist method.
- Recommendation: After discussing alternatives, it's time to come up with unanimous recommendations. In case the opinions are divided, you can take a vote. The recommendation with maximum votes may win. However, the group is not obligated to come to an agreement. Your panel is interested in your thought process and logical thinking and nothing else.
- Plan B, C, D: This is about having a contingency plan. You are expected to go through all possible scenarios of the case and have an action plan for each.
Resources
What Happens At A CD/PI At NMIMS Mumbai? - Yashwi's Experience
Case Study Pedagogy – Studying Through Reading, Discussing And Analysing
Personal Interview
What is a Personal Interview?
Personal Interview (PI) is one of the primary tools to judge the abilities of a person. The thing is, when there is a face-to-face interaction between the interviewer and interviewee, it is possible to record not just verbal responses, but also body language and other non-verbal cues. The goal of the PI round in b-school like NMIMS is to measure the suitability of candidates for their MBA programmes.
PI at NMIMS
- Average Duration: 20-25 mins
- No. of Panelists: 3
- Medium: English
How To Crack An NMIMS Interview?
- Dress appropriately: A candidate dressed up for the interview indicates commitment for the task and situational requirements.
- Eye contact: Having eye contact is good because it is equivalent to awareness and acknowledgement. But don’t overdo it by staring at your interviewer.
- Know about your b-school: It is important that you know the environment you aspire to be a part of. It may also help you answer questions related to pedagogy and practices of the management school.
- Be okay with criticism: There may be moments in your interview where your panellists will be scrutinizing your profile. Don’t get emotional or aggressive. Take it as a learning experience and answer their following questions honestly and with humility.
- Back up your claims: Back up your claims of being a team leader, innovator, etc with real-life examples. This showcases your ability to take responsibility for your actions.
Resource
The Ultimate Guide To Interview Preparation
Hacks To Nail Your B-school Interview Processes This Season
Things You Should NOT Do In GD And PI
Statement Of Purpose
What is SOP?
Statement Of Purpose (SOP) also known as Personal statement is an essay or a statement written by an applicant. The purpose of an SOP:
- SOP is where you tell your story.
- You say who you are, what have you done so far, the decisions you have made in life and how it has affected your personal and professional life.
- The SOP is an important differentiator that shows the admissions committee that you are ready for the next step in your career.
- You basically justify your reasons for doing an MBA, applying to the particular program and how it will help you achieve your goals.
- The SOP is about goals and future plans.
How To Write An SOP for NMIMS?
When you are writing an SOP specifically for NMIMS you have to think deeply and find out the real reason why you want to spend 17.5 Lacs to pursue an MBA program in NMIMS. Ask yourself three questions:
- What is it that you want to achieve? (professionally)
- Where are you now?
- How can an MBA help you achieve your goal and add value to your current work?
How do you structure your SOP?
Ideally, your SOP should contain the following parts:
Introduction
- Should not be more than 1 paragraph. Be crisp and clear about your introduction.
- Give the reader a brief idea about your self-belief, inspiration and determination to do an MBA.
- Keep the intro within 5-6 sentences.
- You can also use the first paragraph to explain who you are, what you want and why you think the MBA and NMIMS is meant for you.
Body
- Body of the SOP can be divided into different paragraphs.
- Each paragraph can revolve around one central idea.
- Your flow needs to be consistent flow and each paragraph should be stitched well with one another.
- You can dedicate each paragraph to the following points -
- Background and achievements
- Academic and Work experience
- Your overall personality
- How will your MBA fit the continuity of your career goals?
- Commitment and Motivation for MBA
- How can an MBA help you achieve your long term career goals?
- Try to mention real-life examples that validate your communication, leadership skills, problem-solving and other skills.
Conclusion
- End your SOP with a couple of statements that strengthen your image in the mind of the reader.
- Make your evaluator think that you are meant for an MBA from NMIMS.
Resources
The Ultimate Guide To Resume And SOP Writing
How To Write SOPs For The B-School Interview Process - A Guide From An IIM Alumni
You Are More Than Your MBA Entrance Score
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Comments
Lakshya Joshi
is there any word limit for the sop for nmims mumbai sop
23 Jan 2023, 04.03 PM