Posted by TCYonline.com on June 10, 2010
Contributed By Ashish Kolvalker
This was probably my best – but didnt get me da result expected 
.
Date and time: April 16th – 9:30 am
Place: Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Mumbai
Reached at around 2 pm on Sunday the 15th and spent that evening at TISS – met many new PG friends – Vachan, Rajiv and of course later Saki and Ram (whom I already knew)… the stay overnite was nice – doesnt feel as if u are in Mumbai when inside the campus at TISS 
– small in size but really nice to have a walk in da evenings etc – and extremely conducive atmosphere and surroundings for study – and well – the latest news is that TISS has become wi-fi – all da info was poured in from Babu who met us on Sun evening and answered a lot of questions from our side…
Woke up early in da morning – got ready and went to the main lounge where there was a smal crowd – not as much as expected – we had a small presentation on the know-how of TISS by a second-year’ite of the HRM/LR program… later we came up and were grouped into different batches (as put on da notice board) – and were led to da different classes for the GD/PI – Mine was in class XI – 8 of us (2 absent) – 4 boys 4 gals… so even ratio
GD: Globalisation is a mixed blessing for the youth of today (it was the same topic for all the batches in my main group) – the other group had got Gandhian values etc etc… ( though the topics are being changed evryday – so dont go by them 
)
Very decent GD – chipped in a lot of times… was surprised by da female junta as some spoke real well, and real fluently. By da way we ourselves decided that we wud use paper, and recollect our thoughts for sometime – the 2 supervisors didnt have a prob with it – though when we decided on the topic as globalisation and started writing, one of them said ‘Isnt this a GD ?? ‘ – and well – one of the ladies started rite away. Two of the females seemed to be dominating the show – though all guys spoke well too – and well – chipped in a lott of good points – though the youth aspect was kinda fading away with all the industrial and economic aspect takin toll of da topic :mg: – all of us spoke without majorly cutting others – as we had been reminded that domination of the GD wud lead to getting -ve points.
Rating: 8/10
After this – we were led into a room, and were told that there is still some time for the PI. Hence we moved off – grabbed a vada-paav for a quick bite and then came back – to our disbelief the PI’s had already begun – apparently the people were being called RANDOMLY. Was surprised at this – but there was nothin we cud do. We just gave our names, and sat there hopin for a quick call. I was called in just before the lunch call – though they dedided later that I too shud be pushed in after lunch . So i went ahead, ate somethin and returned. The wait before the PI was long. The PI finally happened at around 3 to 3:15 pm. I was all jittery before as I had heard my panel had been stressing the people in da morning and blasting on GK… finally I was in…
PI: The panel – Oldish smiling lady – L (did almost all questioning)
Elderly man in between – E
Different lookin elderly person with long tied hair – D
Bakra moi 
– B
B (enters and wishes all – sits)
E: Whats these documents? (pointing to my change of name docs)
B: (Explains what were they)
E: But why did you change your name ?
B: blah blah
All 3 of them: Ok ok
L (smiling eternally :mg: ) – So u are working in XXX – how long?
B: blah blah
L: Oh – thats a lot of time – wat are u working in?
B: blah blah (cool workex questions :mg:)
L: Ohk so such a nice field – why do u want to come into HR?
B: Blah blah blah blah -( some kind of an answer which I had thought of… explained properly – wat do I get — EXPRESSIONLESS faces from all except from L – she is smiling in an understanding manner – E is checkin my papers/docs/certificates)…
E: So what do you know about HR as a field?
B: blah blah – tell them the basics
(all shaking head except D of course )
L: Ok – so Ashish tell me bout what you think of women in this present day corporate world? And what are the issues faced by them ?
B: blah blah – sexual harrasment, ego problems from men, etc etc
L: Ohkie – so wat are the things companies have been doin to prevent such things like sexual harrasment?
B: blah blah
(trying to maintain eye contact with all – but E is busy with file – doesnt look at me AT ALL – and D is well – blank – stone-faced – no expressions! )
L: Ohkie – so tell me about the reservations issue now -
wat do u think bout the reservations issue in the private sector?
B: Blah blah blah blah
L: Ohk cool – (looks at others for their turn)
D (all of a sudden): What are the different central trade unions in India?
B: (says somethin which goes kinda unheard)
D: wattt???
B: blah blah (explains)
E: Ohkay yes yes
D: (shaking head)
D: Can you name some trade union in the unorganized sector?
B: umm – dont think I know any – but i guess BMS can be one of them
D: (smilingly looks at L)
Moi understands that my answer is wrong
D: So which are the new states in India??
B: blah blah
(all quiet for sometime)
L: (asks E if he wants to ask any questions)
E: No nothin actually – so bout ur hostel accomodation at TISS — blah blah ( they were askin this to all at their interviews)
B: blah blah
L: Ohkay thats it then – thanx Ashish
E: yes thanks
D: expressionless
B: (wishes and exits)
Approx 15 min – Dont know wat to say – questions were ok and I answered without any gaps etc -managed it well- but hardly any reaction from the panel – except for the lady at times… the people before me and those after me had a similar kinda interview – though not entirely on GK questions – theirs were even shorter – some 8 to 9 min…
Looks like they were lookin for more than just mere answers…
Rating: 8.5 to 9/10 (from my side)
Travelled in da evening to Churchgate to meet a friend and stayed overnite with him – had kinda fun – and then travelled back to airport da next morning to catch flite back to Blore – Saki (chaosunlimited) and another girl accompanied me in it – so that was good fun too
General opinion: Diverse interviews being conducted – entirely on luck which panel u get, and also how ur interview goes. Heard later that my panel conducted stress interviews in the latter half of the day… was again surprised at that… The panel with the dean was stressing most of da guys (like every year) – so guess people had to watch out there…
Source: http://ashishyahoo.blogspot.com
Posted by TCYonline.com on June 9, 2010
TCYonline.com, India’s No. 1 test prep website has come out with a platform for students to share their interview experiences with other readers. All current and previous UPSC, MBA, MCA, NDA and NTSE (finals) candidates can share their G.D.P.I. and interview experiences with nearly one million users of TCYonline.com. Even students who have appeared for Student Visa interviews can upload their experiences on TCYonline.com/blog. Apart from interview experience, achievers can also share their preparation strategies and success mantra with other students on the portal. Students studying abroad after clearing their GRE and GMAT exams can also share their stories as also their experiences of settling down in a new culture.
All that a contributor has to do is mail the stories to manav.sarmal@tcyonline.com or alternatively they can log on to www.TCYonline.com/blog and self submit their experiences.
TCYonline.com, India’s number one test prep platform has nearly one million enrolled students from over 1500 cities and towns across the nation. The website has over 15000 free tests from over 50 exam categories and boasts of a databank of nearly 5 lac questions.
Posted by TCYonline.com on
Contributed By Bharat Jhurani
The CAT results have been declared and IIM hopefuls are now focussed on acing the secong leg of the admissions process — the group discussions (GD) and the personal interview (PI).
To help students prepare themselves for all the possible twists and turns a personal interview can take, we publish first-hand experiences of students who managed to breeze through their PI and others who crashed and burned.
Here, Bharat Jhurani, a first-year student at IIM Lucknow, shares his interview experience as a part of the CAT selection process.
I am an electronics and communications engineer from the GITAM college of engineering (Non-NIT, IIT!), Visakhapatnam and I graduated in 2007(yup, a fresher!).
My lone IIM call — after all those arduous AIM CATS — topping them, working hard and even managing a 99.36 percentile in CAT — was from IIM Lucknow. One single IIM call! The reason? My slightly low score in the Verbal Ability section.
Anyway, no use crying over spilt milk. I decided to give this my best shot.
My group discussion and interview were scheduled on February 17 at 2 pm, the venue being Hotel Monarch, Bangalore. I was made part of Panel II and my number was 9 (why is it always Number 9?). I was called in for the GD and the essay at about 3 pm. There were two panel members presiding and 12 of us within the group. IIM-L is known for assigning abstract topics and it maintained its reputation upon this particular occasion. The topic? ‘The most effective way to eradicate poverty is through effective governance’.
As soon as it was dictated, we were asked to write a small essay in about 150 words within 5 minutes. After the stipulated time, the papers were taken away, leaving us to discuss the topic. With such an open-ended topic thrown in, it was literally a fish fight in the beginning — everyone was hurling in whatever facts they had at hand and I was no exception! I piped up quite a number of times during the process. Overall it was a pretty good GD, but it could have been better.
Then came the time for personal interviews — they were pretty short and I presented myself before the panel at 4:30 pm. It comprised of the same individuals who presided over the GD. My interview lasted for all of six minutes.
As I entered I was asked if I would like to enroll in the Agro-Business Management (ABM) course offered by the institute. I initially relented, but then informed them that I would prefer to leave it as a second option. So much for preparation!
Following this, I was asked the cliched question — ‘Tell us about yourself’ — which I answered reasonably well, highlighting my background, my hobbies (blogging, basketball) and my accomplishments (class representative etc).
Then followed a few questions on statistics, probability and simple mathematics. I answered all well, save two — one probability query, in which I mixed up the basic concept and a definition of disjoint events, for which I incorrectly rattled off all about independent events. I got so confused that they had to explain the concept to me and not becasue I didn’t know the answer, but because I was just too stressed. The lack of comfort showed so much on my face that one of the panel members actually said, “Don’t feel tensed! Be cool. It is not a stress interview.”
When asked what I do in my free time, I mentioned my hobbies once more. The younger of the two panelists seemed very interested in blogging — he questioned me on the contents of my blog and even noted down my blogsite! I started to feel a little better about myself and hoped that he would visit it before deciding my fate!
They then asked if I had any questions for them, to which I replied in the negative. I thanked them and smiled, leaving the room confidently. That was the end of my interview.
Two months later, I found that I have made it — I got a convert and am presently the first student out here at the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow.
Gathering from my experience, I would say that the interviewers look for passion, ability and enthusiasm in a candidate, coupled with decent knowledge of current events and decent English language skills.
Get in there confidently and you’ll emerge victorious!
Source: www.rediff.com/getahead
Posted by TCYonline.com on
Contributed by the students of IIM Lucknow
Group discussions are an important part of the selection process for any B-school and for an IIM it is all the more important as it’s the first time that the panel gets to see you and listen to you. To ensure that one does well in a group discussion, one has to prepare and practice.
Through this article, we will try and give some tips and techniques which can go a long way in helping the candidate come out with flying colors in the group discussion.
What should I always remember?
First things first, most candidates must remember that it’s a discussion and hence it involves both speaking and listening. Doing only one of the two will not be called a discussion and hence a candidate should ensure that he listens as much as he speaks.
Besides this, the purpose of a group discussion must be clear to a candidate. The purpose of a group discussion is to understand the given problem or topic in its entirety and to try and reach a logical conclusion or opinion. Enough time should be given to understand the problem and jumping to a conclusion is the biggest mistake one can make. Mere consensus building is not the real purpose.
The other most important aspect about a discussion is to approach the topic or the problem in a structured manner. One should not analyse a problem and suggest a solution without looking at the objectives, without weighing alternative solutions and without predicting the kind of challenges that may arise while implementing the proposed solution.
Besides, this one must try and come up with relevant examples to corroborate one’s argument since they add a lot of weight to the argument and clarifies what one intends to say. A candidate should also try and be creative and come up with ideas from what he has read.
Communication is an area that plays a very important role. A candidate must speak clearly, slowly and briefly. One must present his argument by giving relevant reasons and examples as it builds a stronger argument.
How do I prepare?
As far as the preparation for a GD is concerned, the candidate should read extensively. The reading should be done with the goal of building perspective and developing an understanding and not just merely remembering facts and figures.
We recommend that one should read articles from newspapers, business magazines, online and then pause for a while to think about what one has read. A candidate should question himself on his understanding of the article. For instance, if the article is on an important business acquisition, then he should ask questions such as “what does it mean for the company”, “how will the industry change as a result of this”, “what should a competitor do”, “what can be some of the problems that may arise”. This will help a candidate not only build perspective, but will also help him develop the ability to think.
Once a topic is given to a candidate, the candidate must try and look at some of the keywords from the topic to generate ideas. The candidate can also approach it from the point of view of affected parties. Practicing generating ideas and speaking can help. One can even stand in front of the mirror and practice.
In the end, a candidate should stay calm and confident to be able to think clearly and give good arguments. Remember that it’s a discussion and forget for some time that you have to perform. If one makes 3-4 good arguments during different times in the discussion, the one can sail through.
Source: http://getahead.rediff.com
Posted by TCYonline.com on
Contributor: Tony Jiang
I feel like writing today, so I thought I would share my GRE experience. For those who didn’t know, the Graduate Record Examination is a standardized exam prepared that students have to take if they want to apply to certain grad school programs (mainly in the United States). This article is basically my experience taking the GRE general test, starting from when I started studying and ending with me getting my scores. Unfortunately, there won’t be much useful studying tips in here since I tend to study the “dumb” way, but hopefully this article will at least be an interesting read.
I started studying about three months before my exam date. Out of the three sections in the GRE general test, I was most concerned about the verbal section because it tests some pretty obscure vocabulary, and unfortunately I didn’t know many of the words. In my mind, the verbal section of the GRE was an annoying vocabulary test, and in order to get a high score, I really had to work on remembering those pesky words. In comparison to the verbal section, the quantitative and analytical sections were not nearly as intimidating. Being an engineering undergrad student, there’s no way I’d be scared of a quantitative section that tests only high school math. As for the analytical writing, the only issue that might come up is the time constraint, but otherwise I’m capable of writing coherent essays that, while probably not excellent, will do the job.
To build up my vocabulary and also just to practice for the GRE, I started out by borrowing a couple of books from the library. The three books I used throughout the duration of my studies were the Kaplan GRE book, the Kaplan Verbal workbook, and the Idiot’s Guide on Acing the GRE (the real titles might be slightly different). I didn’t have a particularly preference for the prep books; the three listed were the easiest to find, and they all the word lists that I so desperately needed to memorize. Between Kaplan and the Idiot’s guide, the former had more goodies such as practice tests on the CD, while the latter was better written and contains more useful strategies. In addition to the books, I also found a couple of GRE word lists and practice questions online.
With the material ready, I started building my vocabulary by reading through the word lists and try to memorize the words and definition. This is probably not the best strategy to learn words, but I was lazy (to a point) and was hoping that my memory wouldn’t fail me. So every day (or every other day) I would go through a section of the word list trying to memorize the definitions. I had a scrap piece of paper that I use to scribble the words and make sentences with them, but that was about it. No flashcards, no cool memory techniques, just straight-up cramming. In between going through the word lists I would do some practice questions just to see if I improved or not. Nearing my exam date, I started doing whole sections and then full length-practice tests, first the paper version and then the computer versions. As a last before-the-actual-exam evaluation, I downloaded ETS’ (the organization that prepares the GRE) PowerPrep software, which contains two full-length practice exams along with some question sets. PowerPrep is the closest thing to the computerized GRE without actually writing the exam, so it was pretty useful for gauging performance. On both of the practice exams I scored 800 on the quantitative and 660 on the verbal. 660 for the verbal is decent, but could be better. I also practiced the analytical writing as well. Since the essays can’t be marked by computers, I just wrote a few to see if I can finish in the allotted time.
After three months of studying, it was time for me to take the real GRE. I wasn’t nervous at all during the exam, since I know if I perform up to expectations then I’d be okay. The topics I received for the analytical writing sections were pretty straight forward, so I managed to get my essays done without too much difficulty. Up next was the quantitative section, which I plowed through without any problems. After that was the verbal section, and this verbal section seemed a bit harder than the ones from the PowerPrep software. There were quite a few answers that I wasn’t entirely sure of, so I just made educated guesses. The official exam was done after I completed the verbal, but I did the extra research quantitative section in hopes that GRE will give me back my exam fee (supposedly a number of participants will receive $250).
Three hours of grueling testing later, these are the scores I received:
Verbal – 720
Quantitative – 800
Analytical – 4.5 (out of 6)
Yes! Looks like my vocabulary cramming has paid off, although to be honest I didn’t really study all that hard. I merely spread the studying over a longer period time compared to my usual final exams. My actual exam performance was actually better than my practice results, and this could be the result of last-minute studying, dumb luck, or maybe I’m just clutch haha. My essay scores are pretty average, but they are not terrible. Overall, I think my GRE scores should be more than enough to meet the requirements of the grad programs that I’m interested in.
Looking back, the GRE was really just another hoop to jump through on the road to grad school. Now that I think about it, as annoying as the GRE was, it’s probably still one of the easier requirements to meet. The hardest part will be getting good references from my professors. Since I’ve been out on co-op for 8 months, I only really have two months to build up relationships with my fourth year profs before I have to ask them for references. Hopefully everything will go well and I’ll be in grad school somewhere in the fall of 2010.
Thanks for reading.
Source: www.tonyjiang.com
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