IIM Kozhikode Interview Transcript

IIM Kozhikode Interview Transcript IIM Kozhikode Interview Transcript Profile: GEM (Chemical Engineering); 9/9/7; 31 months of workex as on date; 99.71%ile in CAT. Venue: Novotel Convention Centre, Hyderabad (Forenoon Slot) WAT Topic: GDP Growth vs Equality - Can India achieve both? Panelists: 1M (~40 years, chill and laid back guy), 1F (similar age group, mostly chill) M: So, Aakash Ji. How's everything in life? Me: Same as usual, office - gym - home M: Tch tch tch (jokingly), that must be daunting. So, you work at ICICI. I've heard that ICICI has been termed a 'stable bank' recently. Can you tell me about that? Me: Told that RBI had declared 3 banks (ICICI, HDFC and SBI) as stable banks. M: I was very surprised to see ICICI there. What do you have to say? Me: Told that I don't have enough information to comment on that, and since they're my current employers, I shouldn't comment as well. M: (laughing) I understand what you're trying to say, fair enough. Can you explain about your workex? What Data Analysis (corrected to IT Analysis) you do at ICICI? Me: Told about Treasury Technology, Murex, my day to day work, etc. Some follow up questions about my workex, answered those. M: (pointing towards my personal data form) I see that you have done a very clever thing here. It's like you're saying without even saying (in my significant achievements questions, I wrote that it might seem that getting AIR<1000 in CAT, AIR<3000 in BITSAT might be my achievements, but my most significant achievement is -- shared a personal incident). He then asked that it seems I was boasting ("aisa lag raha hai ki showbaazi kar rahe") Me: Smiled and said, sir there was a question above that about my weaknesses wherein I've mentioned that I might come off as arrogant sometimes, while that's not the case. M: I get that you might not be trying to boast, but it might sound so to someone else. But I really like the way you put it. It's very clever, you might become a very good content writer. M: I'm done from my end, over to you F: (going through my pdf) it says here that you got a 170% hike in your job switch in IT, which is unheard of. Why do you want to do an MBA now? Why not become a Techno Manager? Me: Explained about how leading a project made me realise the impact a good leader can have on a team, and how my inclination towards PM (my current work ex is a cross functional role with Product and development team, so highlighted that) made me decide to do an MBA. She asked some follow up questions about my work ex, the project I was leading, the demographics of my team and how I'm different from them. Answered. F: Last question, is Leadership a skill or position. Me: Said that leadership is a skill. Had a discussion about whether X person from my team can be a leader. Tried to answer it positively. M and F: That's it from our end. Thank you. No toffee :( Don't know what to expect, no questions from acads/GK/interests (was banking on Football).