The interview calls for this years GMP intake have gone out and interviews have started too. I have been getting emails from shortlisted candidates about what to expect in the interview. So thought of listing down what I know of XLRI GMP interviews.
What they are looking for?
They are looking for maturity and content. Whatever you say has to be based on solid reasoning or facts. They like to see people who know what they have been up to and what exactly they are seeking from the MBA.
What questions they can ask?
Questions can come from anywhere, but generally can be classified into 3 categories:
1. Yourself: Your name, your town, your past, your future, etc etc. Why MBA, why now, etc etc.
2. Work Experience: Your domain(nitty gritties, trends etc.), companies you worked for, etc.
3. Current Affairs: Data, facts are important but in my view more important is your attitude. On the basis of your knowledge you need to put forward a convincing argument. If they give you a much better argument, learn to accept it. But if you are not really convinced, respectfully disagree.
Some resources:
http://www.totalgadha.com/gmat/2009/01/why-mba/
http://indiancurrentaffairs.blogspot.com/
Some interview experiences:
1. From interviewees in 2009: http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/other-exams-xat-fms-jmet/37862-2009-2010-xlri-gmp-interview.html
2. From interviewees in 2010: Starting from: http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/international-indian-mba-schools-accepting/42967-xlri-gmp-prospective-students-2010-a-56.html
Some which I think are not on PagalGuy:
“We had a free wheeling conversation on my marital status, caste system, long term goals, business idea, network security, ethical hacking, etc. Nothing on work exp, leadership, achievements, etc.”
“Interview was coool..no grilling.. people were giving different feedback after interview. they asked me describe yourself : from my answer they started discussing abt whether sachin tendulkar shuld b given bharat ratna. Current role and whole discussion went on for 15 min.My advise to everyone is Be yourself and dont fake and that way you can justify whatever you are saying..the Q’s can come from anywhere and we dont have a clue abt it .”
This one is an exhaustive one:
One from Chennai: http://followingmydream.wordpress.com/2010/03/07/interview-with-xlri-profs-a-pleasant-experience/
Hope you got some idea about GMP interviews now. The summary IMHO is – You really don’t need to prepare a lot. If you know what you have been doing till now – it would be a smooth ride.
Please comment if you have more experiences or resources to refer to for GMP/MBA interviews. I would like to add them here so that this information is gathered at one place.
All the best for your interview!
February 22, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Hello Nikunj,
This blog is really very helpful. I could find this is the only significant information at one place on internet.
Thanks.
February 22, 2011 at 1:55 pm
why MBA and why now?
question is very tricky and can have n number of answers. I am still confused what should be my answer. This might be very diplomatic , but if i can get some clue.
I want to do MBA to sharp my business skills. I want to pursue a career in consulting. Off course MBA will fetch more money than normal IT career.
Are there separate views on this?
February 22, 2011 at 3:03 pm
Nimesh,
Your real “answer” should be the answer, given that it is logical, practical and well thought out.
For eg. you can’t say I want MBA *only* for money. It is practical but not logical as money can be made from other ways too – share market, property, etc etc.
Why I stress on the “real” answer is that this question is like an onion. If you have “prepared” an answer then you would soon land up in trouble as the layers start getting peeled away. For eg. when you say “MBA to get into consulting”, you would have to explain “why consulting?” and so on. If it is the “real” answer then layers peeling won’t disconcert you as you would have another “real” answer.
Hope you get the drift. All the best!