So here I am back again after a long time with my IIML interview experience.
This was my 2nd and last IIM interview of my life and I wanted to make most of it.
Venue: Hotel Monarch Luxur, Infantry Road, Banagalore
Date: 27th March, 2009
Time: 10 AM
Though I have been living in Bangalore for last 2.75 yrs but I was not familiar with the part of Bangalore that contains this hotel. I reached there well in time but had to do a bit of walking (1 km) to search the exact place. When I entered the hotel I was asked to go to Banquet Hall on first floor. When I entered the hall I unexpectedly found a big crowd (around 100) and got confused whether I reached the right place. Then I saw one of my company mate sitting there in that crowd which confirmed I was at the right place.
While I was checking my panel number somebody patted my back. It was one of my hostel mate from IITD. We were meeting for the first time since we left college. I chatted with few people out there and then the process began.
Each panel was allotted a room in the hotel with mine being Room No. 5. We were asked to sit in a pre defined order. My number was 8. No. 7 was the only one missing in the group. We were given a page to write an essay on a given topic. The table was covered with a bright white cloth and the environment inside that small room was peaceful. But the cloth and the table with a spongy top made it difficult to put paper and write. Anyway there was no alternative. Those who had hard file folder used it underneath paper. Mine was a bit spongy so I used the table top . Everyone was allowed to use a rough paper.
GD
The topic was "Patience is like a bitter tree which gives back sweet fruits." I heard better instead of bitter and got confused, so got it cleared. I think it helped few others.
I used 3-4 minutes to jot down the points and then wrote the final essay. After 20 mins we were asked to stop and return back the paper. Aftr a minute we were asked to start the GD on the same topic.
3 people (including me) tried starting the GD but 2 (including me) of them gave chance to the 3rd fellow. He started very slowly with an example. I was the first to interrupt and tried giving a structure to the GD. Various point were discussed and everyone gave others a chance to speak. Everyone participated. I think 2/9 spoke a little less. 5 (including me) did most of the talking. After 20 mins we were asked to stop. Moderator complimented the quality of discussion that we had.
Interview
PR(ofessor): Professor from IIML
AL(umni): He didn't look like a professor, behaved as a dude. He was the person who had conducted the GD. To me he looked like an alumni.
YT: Yours truly.
The candidate before me asked me to step in after 30 seconds. I opened the door of the room exactly after 30 seconds by my watch.
AL: Nishant, give us 2 minutes.
YT: Sure sir. I closed back the door.
I waited for 3-4 minutes.
"Nishant, Nishant" I think AL called from inside.
YT: May I come in sir?
AL: yeah sure.
YT: Good Morning Sir
AL: Good afternoon!! (with a smile)
PR: Take your seat.
Now something interesting happened. As I was in the process of pulling the chair back and sitting, my eyes were on the table. During that time AL lifted the plate filled with eclairs and pushed it towards me. At the same time he spoke something which was not very audible. Moreover, since my eyes were not looking at him directly I was not able to read his lip. I heard something as "toffee" and guessed he must be offering chocolates.
YT: No sir, its OK. By this time I sat on the chair.
AL: What OK? Give me your certificates. He stressed on the last word. Then I realized that the word that i guessed as "toffee" was actually "certi". He had asked for my certis.
YT: Oh sorry sir. Here it is. I started opening the zip of the file folder.
AL: Give it to me as it is, unless there is something inside which you want to hide from us. (with a smile)
YT: No sir, its all yours.
AL started looking into it.
PR: Please introduce yourself.
YT: (hey what a start!!) I am an Electrical Engg......(it contained IITD, my company, my work .... then the number of Patents that I have filed)
I was allowed to complete half of my prepared answer as PR got interested on listening about patent filing.
PR: How many of them have been patented?
YT: None sir. The whole process requires at least 2 years. It gets published between 6-18 months and then after that only it is finally patented.
PR: When was the first of them filed?
YT: 15th August
PR: OK what kind of patents you have filed?
YT: Sir its mainly realted to multimedia and mobile TV, a field in which I have been working. One of the idea goes like this....Explained one of the idea (It is in Mobile domain wherein my MNC company belongs to).
PR: The idea looks interesting and may be technically challenging. But do you think in this kind of world where hardly anyone has time to talk to others, people will have time to use these kind of features.
YT: It depends upon how appealing the feature is for the user. It may not be appealing for you but it may be for others. Moreover, in this world where products from different competitors generally have almost same features, companies use these new kind of features to make a mark in the market and show themselves different from others.
PR:Yeah, I can find one use where in if I am interested to know more about a girl in a video your idea will be helpful.
YT: (smiling) definitely sir....
AL: You have so many extracurricular interests....which one excites you most?
YT: Sir, Dramatics
AL: Which was the last role you played? or is it u r more interested in writing ?
YT: No sir I have acted too....Last time i did a skit in my company.
AL: No... not skit. I think u understand the difference between skit and play.
YT: Yes sir....before that I played a role in play called Sultan.
AL: Who wrote that play?
YT: I don't know sir. It was a local play. The last script that I wrote was about a murder mystery.
AL: From where u picked up the play?
YT: It wasn't picked. We wrote it of our own.
AL: you mean it was original.
YT: yes sir.
PR was listening all this time. He interfered
PR: I tell you something. There was one of those guys who said there is nothing in this world which is original. Everything is a copy. Einstein, Edison everyone used something or other to come up with their invention.
YT: Sir I would say ....that is not copy but evolution. You use your knowledge on existing set of things to come up with things that serves human society.
AL: okok...but someone must have inspired.
YT: For that play it was Byomkesh Bakshi. I watched the serial during my childhood. I thought it is easy to show mysteries in a serial where you can show different places, times,etc easily but how can we show it on a stage where there are so much of restrictions.
AL: hmmm...can u name some writers of mystery genre?
YT: (I thought of saying few names but i was not interested in talking about them in interview as I was not sure about their writings) I was thinking..meanwhile he immediately made the question more generic.
AL:What do u read?
YT: (I thought he is still taking about mystery genre) Sir I don't read much.
AL: What!! You don't read?
YT: I mean I read but nothing specific.
AL: What was the last thing that you read?
YT: The White Tiger
PR: What is this.....it seems everyone these days read the same novel. OK the ntell me..why the novel is named white tiger?
YT: (Thinking....tried to answer something than thought it will not be a good attempt). Sir give me a sec.
Then came up with a answer.
Sir the main protagonist is the novel was very aggressive, emotionless person who was only interested in what he wants and nothing else....like a tiger which is very aggressive.....(PR interrupted)
PR: No no...that is not the case. Tiger is the shyest animal in the cat family.
YT: Yes sir....but when it sets its sight on a prey it doesn't stop before it gets it.
AL: (He was trying to help) This doesn't sound convincing. Anything else which you can draw something in common?
YT: Yes sir...White Tiger is one of the most uncommon tiger which is found at very few places . Same is the case with the novel's main protagonist who turned out to be a very uncommon character.
AL: hmmm...
AL: OK Nishant...what other call you have?
YT: Apart from L I have call from K.
AL: OK Nishant thats all....please send ***** after 30 seconds. (I was not able to understand the name)
YT: Thank you sir.
Overall it was a feel good interview. Interviewers, especially AL, helped me to come up with answers.