The SCMHRD interview.....15th Feb 2009...8:30am

I'll start off with the case study. It was based on distributing a bonus of Rs.8000 among 3 employees of a bank for outstanding performance in raising funds. There were profiles of 6 candidates which were given. We had to reach a consensus regarding 1. rank of the employee , 2. the amount to be paid to each. 

We were able to reach a consensus on the ranks of the employees but not on the amount. Overall GD rating - 3.5/5 ( personal opinion)

The PI was very industry centric - though I didn't have any work-ex.

P1- Panelist 1 - a young man - around 35-36. 
P2- Panelist 2- a much older person - around -50-55 
Me.

P1- Please Please...come come in..take out ur cell phone......keep it on the table.......Sit down ( My posture was perpendicular- upright- with my backbone as straight as a ramrod)......Please Please relax....sit back..

(Takes my CV)....Andddd tell me something about yourself.....and don't make any mistakes..(why did he have to say that...as if my entire interview would depend on whether I used a metaphor correctly)...

Me: blah blah..parents background...

P2 - So, Ankit, where is this Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology?..
Me: Its in Bhubaneswar Sir...

P1- You have excellent acads - and consistent too...(9.23,9.23,9.23)..
Me: Those are CGPAs sir. My SGPAs are higher. I came second in the university in a semester.

P2( impressed): So how did u get admission in KIIT?

Me: Through AIEEE sir.

P2: What was your rank?

Me: 93XX sir..

P2: You have good acads .......So how come such a bad rank...

Me: It may sound cliched but I actually fell ill before the AIEEE. but I recovered in time. And I think I did quite decent..

P1- (Grinning....Whispers something to P2)
P2: Ok......So why did you not go to an NIT?

Me: I was getting NIT, Srinagar sir.....Parents did not allow as it was a sensitive area....

P1: O.k......So Computer Science.....why computer science..?

Me: Iam a logically sound person..

P1: O.k.....(hands me out a puzzle).....half a minute..

( I solve it half and the time's up).....

P1: Ok...I just wanted to know the way you would approach it....

P1- So, considering you are a logical person( note the sarcasm), why is you father's title Sharma while yours is Bhardwaj?

Me: ( thot for a moment.......aise mein kya bolu....?).....Oh sir, many people ask me the same question.....(lol).....Actually, bhardwaj is my Gotra....so I can use it...

P2: What is gotra?

( where the hell is this going?)

Me: tried to explain the historic period with the hierarchy, and the different clans.....for example- the sweet makers had the title "halwai"...we had bhardwaj..

P1: So Bhardwaj as in the bird( again with tons of sarcasm)...

Me: yes sir. Metaphorically, we were considered to be as free as birds.....(Bull****) 

( Laughs all around)
P2: So, you are from jamshedpur....your dad works with Tata Motors......Give 3 things which have influenced tata Motors in a Big way in 2008...

Me: I listed out 3- the Jaguar deal, the tata Nano project and the Block Closure issue....
P2 gets interested in the block closure thing...I explain it well...)

P1: ok...tell me.....how much would a Jaguar cost in India....?
Me: Around 25 lacs sir..
P1: What would be the number of vehicles coming out?
Me: Around 150000-20000 a year sir...
P1: So that would amount to?
Me: ( calculating the no. of zeroes with a pen and paper?)
P1: It can be calculated mentally...
Me: 5000 crores sir...
P1: Oh come on....its not....five thous....or is it( yessssss)...o.k.....5000 crores it is..So how much profit would the company make??

Me: Around 1000-1200 crores sir...And this would help negate the losses made due to the block closure..
P2: O.k...So why MBA...?
Me: Sir, this question takes me 4 years down the line...
P1: Please.....don't take us 4 years down the line......just tell us why MBA( he smiles)
Me: blah blah( served with whipped cream and chocolate sauce)
( both seem satisfied)..
P1: O.k....which stream are you looking at?
Me: Marketing....
P1 and P2 - (both smile as if I just cracked a joke.)
P2: Speak for one minute on "Kalinga"
Me: I started off with Kalinga being another name for Orissa....then a metaphor for Strength, Valour, Integrity, Culture.....spoke about the Kalinga War( interrupted by P2)
P2: who was in the kalinga war...
Me: I know one king was Ashoka....donno the other...
P1: Ok stop( thank God)...What other calls have you got?
Me: IIM S, SP Jain,IMT, SIBM Pune, Nmims...
P1: O.K. Ankit anything else you want to ask us?
Me: Blurt out a question I think was sensible.....regarding the pedagogy at SCMHRD...
P1: Ask the seniors......they know better than us.....we are not from scmhrd...(oops!!!)
P2: It was nice talking to you Ankit.....(Looks at my cell phone...looks at his....both are the same...z550)
P1: (gets interested) Oh k..same cell phones.....urs looks older...
P2: No, mine is older......wen did u get urs???
Me: November 2006...
P2: O.k....I bought it b4 that...but never mind.( I was kinda zapped....)

Thank yous exchanged.....
and then I stepped out....