IIM K interview and transcript
Context: Two panelists, one male and one female. Both seemed very nice. I am a fresher, engineer in ECE.
Questions summary: Mostly basic. 4g and 5g details. Ministries handling the telecommunications. semiconductor fabrication plants. why MBA and placements.
**"IF" someone wants the transcript here it is:**
P1: TMAY in 2 lines.
M: Repeating the question
P2: We cannot hear you. Please speak loudly.
M: Sir, I was thinking out loud.
P2: You seem nervous.
M: Sir, I talk like this only.
P2: please relax.
M: okay sir, I will open up a bit.
P2: Exactly!
P1: So, How are you?
M: fine, ma'am
P2: Did you talk to your parents?
M: about what? I talked to my parents in the morning.
P2: so, you talked to your parents in the morning. You got best wishes?
M: well, my father went to his work before I got up. My mother wished me. And my sisters as well.
P2: what do they say? Will be convert?
M: Hopefully.
P1: Hmm, so tell us about yourself. How do you spend your time.
M: I spend time mostly by myself…
P1: So, you u like staying alone.
M: no, ma'am. I have a lot of friend I like spending time with. It's just that I like my company as well. In fact I love talking to people.
P1: So, you like talking to people?
M: yes.
P1: do you like talking to us?
M: yes, I do.
P1: thank you for that.
P1: So, it seems you are a little different than what I can see here. So, who (MY NAME) is?
M: Ma'am, actually I don’t shave and this is the first time in so long I have done that. So, even I feel different.
P2: why? Why don’t you shave?
P1: sir, I actually have had facial hair since a long time. I would say maybe since class 9. one day I decided to remove my Mustache so there was a lot of….
P2: fun (laughing)
P2: yes sir. So, I said not anymore.
P1: hmm. So, which specialization?
M: Electronics and Communications.
P1: ok, tell me what is the difference between 4g ang 5g.
M: ma'am, so basically 5g is better than 4g.
P1: (laughing) oh really?
M: (gesturing I have not finished) it is because of primarily improved data rates, reduced latency and most importantly higher capacity.
P1: what do you mean by higher capacity?
M: higher capacity refers to the number of people we can give our services to.
P1: oh. Can you substantiate with numbers.
M: ma'am more than the numbers the structure of the waveform is what makes 5g better than 4g. (Should have used numbers I had the details)
P1: what is a waveform?
M: the signal that we send
P1: and then what are we going to do in to do in 6g?
M: in 6g we are going to improve the waveform. It's not that different from 5g but just an optimized version of it. Basically, in 5g we use OFDM. In 6g we will be using filtered OFDM. ( I as kind of BLUFFING but it worked). I know this because I am making my final year project in the same.
P1: is it a group project?
M: yes, we are a group of three and one faculty advisor.
P1: do you have significant contribution in the project?
M: Ma'am I was the one who convinced them to make it on communications. The rest everyone was doing in signal processing and machine learning but I wanted to do something that could provide concrete results.
P1: Oh. BTW which ministry overlooks telecommunications?
M: MEITY and DoT (it is ministry of telecommunication not Dot, DoT is just a part of the ministry)
P1: who is the head of this MEITY?
M: Ashwini Vaishnaw.
P1: is he Minister of state?
M: Sorry, I don’t get it.
P1: is he part of the cabinet?
M: has to be.
P1. then who is the minister of state?
M: no idea. The only minister I know other than Ashwini is Rajiv Chandrashekhar. (It's actually Devusinh Chauhan)
P1: (BRUH expression)
P1: why do we have different ministries for the same task?
M: uhm, the MEITY deals with semiconductors and electronics which have huge implications on Telecommunications and Dot specifically looks into telecommunication affairs.
P1. any recent news related to MEITY?
M: yeah, recently GoI approved 3 semiconductor plants to be established in India.
P1: hmm, any other established fabrication plants in India?
M: No, This is the first time which makes it such a big news.
P1. Do you know where is the largest fabrication plant located?
M: I am not sure but ig Taiwan has majority of advanced semiconductor plants. So, maybe there.
P1: No.
M: TSMC?
P1: No.
P1: Anyway there was another news about MEITY, related to GOOGLE.
M: APPS?
P1: yeah, what was the issue?
M: They took down the apps because of (fumble) lease or payment.
P1: (weird expression) hmm. So, is it revoked.
M: Yes.
P1: OK. So, why MBA?
M: Honestly speaking, I had a plan to do postgrad even before I joined college.
P1: Postgrad? M-tech?
M: yeah, initially I thought I wanted to do that. Even I thought I wanted to do a PhD. But then I thought maybe I should do something in the middle.
P1: So, what's the placement scenario?
M: Yea, placements are going on right now. They are in the last stretch.
P1: so, what about you?
M: I did not sit for placements.
P1: So, you opted out.
M: yes.
P2: OK, tell me one thing.. Nowadays, if an institute like IIM A or B is unable to get 100% placements. Then who is to be blamed? Is it the institute, the students, the prime minister?
M: if the current situation is considered I would mostly say recession is responsible for it. Even my college is fairly reputed..
P2: Which college?
M: XXXXXX
P2: yes, continue.
M: so, only one of my friends has been able to secure placements, he is in PWC now. The rest have got nothing despite working for it.
P2: so, who Is to be blamed?
M: recession..
P2: so, the situation? But the students usually post long paras on reddit..
M: Well, people are like that. What can be done. The thing is that some part of the blame has to go the students as well. Because there are students who have achieved things during this time. But, then again, we have to account for the situation.
P2: So, it's a mix of all?
M; Yes sir.
P2: OK. So that is it from our side. Any specific questions from us?
M: (No idea what to ask) Ummmmmmm… what do you think I should focus on……………………
P2: see, we cannot tell you about the interview or what you should do in the future. If you have any specific question from us please ask.
M: (LONG PAUSE) I ASKED SOMETHING WHICH I CANT EVEN REMEMBER BECAUSE IT MADE NO SENSE.
P1 TO P2: this is the just first only lol.
P2: see, we are not in the position to guide you. One thing I will tell you is that you have good disposition, surround yourself with the right people, the right mentors and eventually you will figure out what to do in future. Trust the process and stay in the present.
M: yes, I have been focusing on that.
P2. ok that's it from our side.
M: thank you sir, ma'am.
P1: all the best.