24 May 2007

Best moments during IIM GDPIs... a retrospective

IIM Calcutta

We had a terribly noisy group discussion - "fish market GD" as any IIM aspirant would call it. I was almost hitting the roof of my voice levels. Apparently, even the group sitting in the adjacent room could hear our voices.

Then came the turn of interviews. The candidate who went in before me was asked about the group discussion.

"Sir, it was a noisy group discussion"

"Who do you think was making the maximum noise?"

"Sir, four people were making noise. One of them was Bipin!"

I was already famous even before I went in for the interview. And this is how my interview went about in this context:

"So, Bipin, how do you think your group discussion went?"

"Sir, it was definitely a discussion with high energy levels."

"How much do you rate yourself on aggressiveness?"

"Sir, between six and seven on a scale of ten."

"SEVEN??? I think you are ELEVEN!"

I could just muster a smile in return.

In retrospective, although I felt stressed out, I guess the interviewers were trying to bring the best out of me by putting me through a different situation.


IIM Lucknow


"Bipin, I am very impressed with you. Please take a biscuit. And all the very best!!"

That's how my Lucknow interview ended. I then came back to the waiting room where I was caught by the other candidates waiting for their turns.

"How was it? How was it?" was the only thing I could hear.

I just held the biscuit high up in the air like a trophy and announced, "If not for an IIML seat, I have this biscuit blessed by an IIM Prof!"

In retrospective, I guess, my inner self knew that I was through!


IIM Bangalore

It was for the first time that I entered the hallowed portals of the institution. It was as if a dream... "phew! am I really here?" The GDPI process was complete even before I could realize. But it was that air in the place... that click I felt in my heart that made me give my best. I knew this was the place for me.

Arguably, one of my best interviews in the season, I found myself really energetic and enthusiastic during the 35 minute interview. The concluding part of my interview was something like this:

"You can join the NSR centre. We have a lot of activities for entrepreneurs. You might be interested in that."

"Definitely madam, I would be more than eager to do so."

"We also have a chapter of SPIC MACAY here in IIM Bangalore. You will have to be actively involved in that"

"Yes madam. I will."

"There is a small group that performs music. You can join that also. You can continue with your music performances."

"Surely madam. Thank you so much"

For a moment, I felt I was in a meeting with an HR of a company telling me what I must do the next day after joining the company.

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