0% found this document useful (0 votes)
7 views4 pages

IIM A Interview Experience Insights

The document details an individual's interview experience for IIM A, held at the Welcome Hotel in Delhi. The interview included an analytical writing task and a series of questions on finance and math, where the candidate demonstrated knowledge but also faced some challenges. Ultimately, the candidate reflected on their performance, noting areas for improvement, and celebrated their successful conversion to the program.

Uploaded by

rk5542000
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
7 views4 pages

IIM A Interview Experience Insights

The document details an individual's interview experience for IIM A, held at the Welcome Hotel in Delhi. The interview included an analytical writing task and a series of questions on finance and math, where the candidate demonstrated knowledge but also faced some challenges. Ultimately, the candidate reflected on their performance, noting areas for improvement, and celebrated their successful conversion to the program.

Uploaded by

rk5542000
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

My IIM A interview experience -

Welcome Hotel - ITC, Delhi, 16/02/2024 at 1:15 PM

Profile - BCom | PWD | 0 Workex, 1yr gap

AWT - We were given a 100-150 word article on "how Gen Z does not read and hence
they are dumb, also because they watch YouTube."
- We had to tell what's the assumption in the passage and give areas where the passage
strengthens or weakens it.
One side was available for writing - Wrote 300 words or so

Interview: 1st panel, 1st Interview - 2:12 to 2:36 PM


Two Panelists - Males

P1-
What are you doing these days?
Told them that I'll be starting an internship at a debt financing startup.

P1 Asked me more about that, if it's an NBFC, do they do credit rating etc.

I just lost track of P1 P2, darr hi itna tha!

So why MBA?
Gave prepped answer, talked about finance, my shift from CA to finance.

What is the di‘erence between cost and management accounting to a layman?


Answered, gave examples and what not. Mentioned that managerial does not include
cost (which upon reflection I realized was incorrect). I picked out the pen from my
pocket, dismantled it and explained, spring, refill nikaal kar samjhaye costing.

So Akshat, we are not finance profs, we don't know much about finance.

What's the di‘erence between ROCE and ROE?"


Had a long discussion on it, involved various examples, went to level 5 depth.
Ismai bhi i used the pen factory example, we talked about ROIC (Intrinsic
Compounding), The asked me "If 100 rs se you earn 25 in 1st year, 2nd mai you earn 30,
so in 3rd year will you divide 30 by 100 ya 110, if we give 5 as dividend and do 10 ka
CAPEX"
I said 110, idk if it should be 120, i think it is right, not sure, please check

"So, which is better?"


Explained that both have there merits and limitations
Explained when should both be used over each other.
"What's IRR?"
Drew it and explained on paper, calculated with an example, went to level 5.
Again took factory example, they were laughing loudly, i said "sir i create content, i have
been using this example since last 3 years...."

"How comfortable are you with math? What are you comfortable with in math? Don't
worry, we won't ask you formulas!" Fairly, not good at calculus though.

"How to calculate the minima of a function?"


Gave some answers. Interrupted and said 'oh no you don't know, never mind'.

"Again they asked what are you comfortable in?"


Said, "Sir, I am very fast with number crunching," gave an example from my past. They
were laughing and seemed impressed by my skills. But one of them said, 'now we have
calculators for it.' I gave an answer which I can't recall. They seemed impressed and
convinced.

"What's better, 6% annually or compounded semi-annually?" Explained


with reason.

"Calculate semi-annually rate."


I used 1.03^2. They asked me to compute. I used (a+b)^2 formula, made a slight
calculation error but covered it and gave the right answer.

"So you know geometric mean?"


"Yes, sir."
"Write the sum of GP formula?" Wrote
it.
"What's the assumption?" R
> 1 I wrote.
"What if r < 1?"
I wrote that as well.

"What's the sum of infinite GP when r > 1?"


Foolishly wrote r < 1 formula. They said that's for r < 1. I wrote a rubbish formula. They
told it was wrong.

"They asked me to write a GP with r as 2, a as 2."


Wrote. "Haan sir, sorry, My bad, it slipped my mind, I knew it." Explained why it'll be
infinity.

"What are your interests in news?"


"Sir, I follow stock markets..." "What's the recent news you got excited about?"
Said Paytm saga. "Said 'that is less of a market news, anything else you can think of'".
We talked about HDFC Bank, LIC operating for 9.99% stake. HDFC ke valuations se
lekar sab kuch, including numbers like PE, NIMs, GNPA, CAR etc.

"What are your other interests?"


"Music, doing a diploma in classical, play guitar, ukulele."

"What kind of guitar do you play?"


"Acoustic."
"What kind is acoustic?"
I said - "We don't need amps etc for it..."
"No that I know, do you play the Hawaiian guitar?" (God knows what it is.)
"I am not sure what it is?"
He explained. "No sir, I play the normal one."

"You play guitar & you learn Hindustani classical?"


"Sir, I started guitar in 8th & Hindustani 3 months back." Told him my music life journey.
"I also learned piano briefly at school & classical as well for a while but my teacher had
to shift."

"You play Hindustani music on guitar?"


"No sir, on harmonium."

They seemed convinced.

Gave me a to‘ee (Eclairs not Pulse sadly).

_______________
More conversation-based. We laughed, they were helping me a lot to get to the right
answer.

1 panellist was bitter but the 2nd one was so good.


_____________ Regrets:
1) Managerial accounting wala question.
2) I need to be a good listener; I often gave answers which were not even asked (2-3
times overall).
3) I was trying to get through quickly thus making errors; could have been more calm.

What did they think about me?


Smart, confident, bit cute, humorous but having performance anxiety and trying to run
away as fast as he could.

Overall - I'd consider it better than IIMK but 2% less good as L.


Could have I studied more?
Not really.

Could have I given a better interview?


Definitely, I could work on my 'quick quick I wanna run away attitude'.

_____________

Result - Converted.

Common questions

Powered by AI

Humor played a pivotal role in alleviating tension, helping the candidate bond with the interviewers and defusing potentially stressful situations, such as when incorrect answers were given. It indicated confidence and an ability to handle pressure, positively impacting interview dynamics by creating a more relaxed and engaging atmosphere, which likely aided in the candidate's overall success .

The interviewee initially made errors when explaining differences in cost and management accounting and incorrectly recalled formulas during the discussion on geometric progressions. Despite these errors, they used examples to clarify points, such as dismantling a pen to explain concepts, showcasing the importance of clear communication in interviews to connect with non-expert panelists and convey complex ideas effectively .

The structured yet conversational setting, inclusive of AWT and personal interest discussions, allowed the candidate to demonstrate a breadth of skills beyond academic knowledge. However, the setting also highlighted areas for self-improvement, such as the necessity for better listening and managing nervous responses to questions. This reflective self-evaluation post-interview indicated the candidate's awareness of the importance of both content mastery and interpersonal skills .

The AWT assumption was based on the notion that Gen Z not reading books implies a lack of intelligence, which was challenged by considering both the potential drawbacks of relying solely on platforms like YouTube for information and the multiple ways to gain knowledge in the digital age. The task required identifying areas where such assumptions could be either supported or weakened, examining the stereotypes about reading habits and intelligence .

The candidate utilized humor and relatable examples, such as a pen dismantling demonstration, to ease the tension and engage with the interviewers despite their anxiety. However, they acknowledged post-interview that they needed to improve their listening skills and avoid rushing through answers, suggesting areas for future improvement to manage performance anxiety better .

Using examples like a factory effectively illustrated financial metrics such as ROCE and IRR, making abstract concepts more tangible and relatable, which can help panelists without specialized financial knowledge understand the candidate's reasoning. Such examples demonstrated the candidate's ability to contextualize and simplify complex ideas, which is a valuable communication skill in interviews .

The candidate's preparation was thorough but could have been more focused on listening carefully and reducing response speed. They correctly identified the need for further improvement in being calm and avoiding premature conclusions or answers, suggesting that while content knowledge was strong, situational awareness could be enhanced for better results .

During the interview, the candidate discussed concepts like Return on Capital Employed (ROCE), Return on Equity (ROE), Intrinsic Compounding, Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and the differences between compounded interest rates (annual vs. semi-annual). These concepts were explored in-depth with examples, such as calculating returns and understanding scenarios where different financial metrics might be applicable .

Despite several errors, such as incorrect explanations of financial concepts and mathematical formulas, the candidate adapted by acknowledging mistakes, using humor, and effectively correcting their approach. They engaged the panelists with familiar examples and showed resilience by continuing the discussion without succumbing to nervousness, ultimately leading to a successful interview outcome .

The candidate mentioned their personal interests in finance and music to establish a personal connection and add depth to their interview responses. For instance, they discussed their recent observations about stock markets and explained their experiences with musical instruments to demonstrate their diverse interests and ability to continue learning in different fields, thereby enriching the conversation beyond purely academic achievements .

You might also like