How To Utilize Your Time After CAT

Now that you’re done with your CAT exam, get ready early for the events that lie ahead. Candidates now have about two and a half months to be ready for the next phase of the selection process i.e. Personal Interview Round. You should start by reading publications like The Hindu, Economics Times, etc. every day as a habit to enhance your general awareness and learn about the most recent international news in sports, politics, and the economy. Aside from reading newspapers, you can read editorials, blogs, posts, novels, and pretty much everything else you can get your hands on. Anything that can broaden your horizon of thought, teach you how to think critically and how to analyze a situation with a different lens will be helpful.

Personal interviews are something that many of us dread, but we must realize that the purpose of PIs is not to frighten us, but rather to help the panellists to learn more about us than they already know from our resumes. Our goal should be to stand out, to do that we must consider and identify things that are unique about us and express them skillfully.

Let’s look at the 4 aspects of preparation for the Personal Interview Round.

1. Profile and HRQs

Knowing yourself is the main “funda” of a personal interview. Therefore, prepare your CV thoroughly. You should be well-versed in your strengths, weaknesses, UG courses, work experience, general knowledge, your name’s origin, your favourite sport or pastime in-depth, your hometown in-depth, etc. When writing about your pastime, be cautious and provide details. Never generalize. This will prompt them to have inquiries about that specific area only and not from the other side of the spectrum. Such topics can be the subject of in-depth inquiries. One way to get ready for this set would be to frame stories around each of the significant events that have occurred in your life up till the date of the interview. Use the STAR approach i.e. Situation, Task, Action, and Result, which will assist you in structuring your responses.

2. Academics

In case you are a fresher, get prepared to answer questions from and about your UG course. Especially the practical applications, of the subjects that you have already studied. So, prepare the fundamentals thoroughly. Take out your first-year textbooks, read through all the concepts and take notes if needed, as the panellist may decide to test your knowledge of them.

3. Work Experience

Working professionals are expected to answer questions about the roles and responsibilities they undertook while working. Understand the company you have worked for: the organization’s founding year, CEO, CFO, annual profit, quarterly results, etc. When discussing your work history, make sure to highlight the difficulties you encountered and how your team overcame them. You can employ the STAR method and demonstrate how your presence benefited your company, here as well.

4. General Knowledge

Now general knowledge can be divided into 2 parts: Static GK and Current Affairs. Note that no amount of preparation can help you cover all Static GK, but reading the monthly compendium published by various websites and going over the major dates, facts, and events is a good place to start. It is best to read newspapers for current events. Another method is to follow the daily current affairs updates posted by UPSC preparation websites.

Additionally, a few analytical questions or guesstimates might also be directed at you. It doesn’t matter if your answer to the question is right or not. What matters is, how you approach the situation. These questions will assist the interviewer gauge your capacity for analysis.

Finally, keep in mind that communication is the key. While sitting for the interview, try to maintain some type of structure, and frame your replies in straightforward terms. Don’t haphazardly hop from one point to another. Practice paying close attention to what is being asked and in case something is unclear to you, make sure to ask for clarification.

Kanika Sharma

Kanika Sharma is pursuing her masters from IIM Kashipur and is currently in her first year. She is a trained classical dancer and a baking enthusiast. She is also one of the admission coordinators of IIM Kashipur and an active member of the institute’s Cultural Committee. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.

Journey of the Best-All Rounder – MBA 2019-21

IIM Kashipur is not just an alma mater but a memorable transition phase in my life. My journey can be described as an enchanting process where an undergraduate introvert walking into IIM Kashipur sans experience of the corporate world and the fear of competition in some corner of the heart. Eventually, I became an enthusiastic extrovert MBA Graduate walking out of the campus full of confidence, zeal, and the ardour of competing with anyone, anywhere. I would consider IIM Kashipur as a platform that teaches cogitative knowledge, discipline, pragmatic solutions for complex problems which helped to prepare culturally sensitive, tolerant, ethically, and socially responsible manager in me and changes the view to look at real-life business problems and associates yourself with the society. The stimulus culture teaches you the concept of “self-development” through case studies, group discussions and peer learning sessions, B-school competitions, POR, group projects, sports, clubs, presentation, fun with friends, constant race against time and comfort prepared me for the real fight-the so-called Corporate Life. Indubitably extracurricular activities including clubs and sports were tranquilizers for me. It imparted team building and never give up attitude in me unknowingly. Discussion and tête-à-tête at mess or canteen with your peers not only increases your network (net worth) instead of gets you to introduce a variety of prospects, people, and stories. I am grateful to develop a network with world-class faculty and learning from them. IIM Kashipur also taught me learning is not just from doing but observation can also be a big friend. The talented seniors acted like the best mentor and guide anyone dreamed of. Every team be it a competition, fest, club was one of the best teams I have worked in ever before. This conversation cannot be finished without talking about the lush green campus life of IIM Kashipur in the womb of nature which makes it the best place to live.

About the Author

Hemraj Bairwa is alumnus of IIM Kashipur. He is the best all rounder of MBA 2019-21 Batch. He is currently working as Management Trainee – Logistics and Supply Chain at Tata Steel BSL. He was one of Dare2Compete Top 10 College Champions 2020 from IIM Kashipur and has aced a number of coveted corporate and b-school case study competitions.

You can connect with him on LinkedIn

( We thank the Alumni Relations Committee of IIM Kashipur for serving as a bridge to beget  valuable insights about the journey of becoming a gold medalist from our erudite alumnus. )

Journey of Gold Medalist – MBA-WX 2018-20

While I was posted at a small village in West Bengal, on a fine evening, my husband called me and said- “I want to do MBA from IIM Kashipur and classes are held at Dehradun, will fly down to Dehradun, will enjoy the chilled weather away from city hustle bustle”. I was taken aback and reaction was like- “Are you insane!! you will fly from Mumbai to Dehradun for enjoying chilled weather, you can do your MBA from Mumbai also”. But he has his own logical reasons and somehow he convinced me to join him in this journey to fulfill my dream to have an MBA from IIM. In the process, my transfer took place from rural village to Mumbai, the city of dreams. Then the journey from Mumbai to Dehradun started. The airports became my second home where I took some rest after office, and airplanes became my study room on weekends especially during exam, the backseat of the car became my bedroom while travelling from Delhi to Dehradun, no matter how hostile the weather is. The travelling in shivering chilling weather and sleepless nights became part of our life on weekends. Then, at Dehradun, green blanket at FRI was so soothing to our tired exhaustive sleepless eyes. During the course, we learnt management and was practically implementing management as well, that credit goes to my husband, Nitesh. I believe “where there is Will, there is Way”. It was the determination and focus that made this exhaustive journey thrilling. Every success has its own recipe, the recipe of my success of becoming Gold Medalist is my late father’s blessings, mother’s support, professors’ guidance and above all my husband, who is my strongest motivation, inspiration and his belief on me make this challenging journey complete with a gold medal.

About the Author

Bithika Karmakar is alumnus of IIM Kashipur. She is the gold medalist of MBA-WX 2018-20 Batch. She is currently working as the Assistant Manager at Punjab National Bank. She is Skilled in Management, Banking, Financial Analysis, Team Management, and Retail Banking. Earlier at Union Bank of India,she has handled operations in the branch, looking after the loan department domain and other regulatory banking affair relating to payment remittance, handling and resolving customer

You can connect with her on LinkedIn

( We thank the Alumni Relations Committee of IIM Kashipur for serving as a bridge to beget  valuable insights about the journey of becoming a gold medalist from our erudite alumnus. )

Journey of Gold Medalist – PGP 2018-20 batch

My journey with IIM Kashipur started much earlier when I appeared for the CAP (Common Admission Process) Interview on Feb 14, 2018, and the panelists were Prof. Patra and Prof. Batra, it was a very interesting discussion ranging from Climate Change Policies to estimating the number of 4-Wheelers sold per year in Delhi NCR. Obviously, back then I did not know they were from IIM Kashipur, but in the first term itself, I got to learn subjects on Statistics & Entrepreneurship from them respectively, which was a delight!

I personally believe, before starting our MBA journey, we must jot down some pointers as our goals, which we want to achieve before the course ends. These goals can be different for different students, depending upon our needs and the bigger picture, which we are stitching for our professional careers. 

For instance, from Day-1 my goals (plans) were to enhance my presentation skills (by taking lead in Group Projects while Presenting), networking skills (by joining ARC), and learning consulting mindset (by going beyond the scope of group projects & participating in case study competitions). I was also very clear with my priorities, top being the academic, then ARC & Prep-Cell responsibilities, and then case study competitions. Again, these priorities can be different for different students.

In my engineering, we had the options to select our Majors, and mine were Mechanical Design & Operations. And, since I was familiar with Operations Concepts, I preferred to choose Strategy, Marketing as my Majors and HR as minor. As I believed, these involved more of case-studies and classroom-based discussions, which is difficult for me to learn on my own. Finance & IT-Analytics, I decided to learn by my own, which I am continuing even today (Currently focusing on M&A Synergies). Learning should never stop!

About the Author

Vishvendra Singh Tomar is alumnus of IIM Kashipur. He is the gold medalist of PGP Batch 2018-20. He is currently working at the COO’s Office, L&T Technology Services Limited in the field of Corporate Strategy & Business Operations (Program Management). He  is a seasoned professional with an excellent proven track record on both professional as well as academic fronts. He has around 4 years of work experience, ranging from Product Analyst to Consultant during his association with PepsiCo (GVIC), Samsung Engineering, Dictiondock and L&T Technology Services (in chronological order).

You can connect with him on LinkedIn

( We thank the Alumni Relations Committee of IIM Kashipur for serving as a bridge to beget  valuable insights about the journey of becoming a gold medalist from our erudite alumnus. )

Guest lecture by Mr. Gaurav Saxena

IIM Kashipur welcomed Mr. Gaurav Saxena, VP and Zonal Head, Birla Sun Life Insurance. The topic of discussion was ‘Distribution Dynamics’. Mr. Saxena shared his views on different distribution channels and how good distribution is directly related to successful products. He shared numerous examples of companies which have managed to succeed on the basis of a good distribution network and the challenges companies face when it comes to reaching the masses. He also discussed the distribution strategies of insurance companies in India.

Green MBA at IIM Kashipur

Dr. Yogendra Saxena, Chief Sustainability Officer, Tata Power Ltd and Dr. Aditya Batra from Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi addressed the students and answered queries on employment prospects and course contents on the Green Management courses.
Dr. Saxena shared how the word ‘green’ is being misused around the world and what are the challenges that lie ahead. This course in association with The World Bank will be offered at IIM Kashipur and will be the first of its kind to be offered among B-schools across India

Welcome PGP 2014 | Inauguration Ceremony

IIM Kashipur welcomes its fourth batch PGP 2014!!
Speaking on the Inauguration Ceremony Dr. Ghosh,Dean IIM Kashipur, said that we understand that students come here with two considerations. One – placements, and Two – Choice of place. “You will be equipped with success mantras here”, he said. “Organizations do not create jobs for you, it is for their own survival and growth and they need people, and they need the best ones. So what you would require is, “One – the basic understanding of the concepts of management, Two – on how to implement them in real life situations, and Three – the environment within which a manager works”, added Dr. Ghosh.

The ceremony witnessed the presence of . Mr. Alok Kumar Singh, Plant Head, Pantagar works, Tata Motors Limited and Mr. Vikram Sharma, the HR Head.

MDP on Supply Chain Management

Management Development Programme (MDP) – 23 to 27 June 2014, on Supply Chain Management, was inaugurated today at IIM Kashipur campus. Objective of the MDP is to build a multi-disciplinary team of knowledge workers who can understand interdependence of various business functions and levers that drive their performance. This program will also enhance the understanding of the participants in various cross functional areas like marketing concepts, customer’s relationships, apart from that looking the whole business in the perspective of supply chain process.

Executive PGP Inauguration

IIM Kashipur marked the beginning of Executive Post Graduate Program (EPGPM) on 4th August, 2013 under the guidance of its Director, Dr Gautam Sinha and Dr Somnath Ghosh, Dean Academics. The Chief Guest for this event, held at IIM Kashipur campus, was Mr S K Dubey, Plant Director, Mahindra and Mahindra.

Other pioneers from various fields also graced the occasion. The first batch has 30 students with an average work experience of 7 years in diversified fields.