Siddharth Jain from FMS shares his GD, PI experience. Siddharth scored 99.16% percentile in CAT 2011 and 99.93 percentile in XAT 2011-12
(prHWY.com) February 7, 2013 - Noida, India -- With CAT 2012 and XAT 2013 results already being published, MBA aspirants now should focus on the group discussion, WAT and personal interview rounds. Crossing the second hurdle will open gates of their dream B schools. To help aspirants, MBAUniverse.com has already launched a WAT, PI, GD preparation module (
http://www.mbauniverse.com/gd_pi_preparation/gd_pi_wat_preparation.php). It is rich in content and is being updated regularly for the benefit of aspirants.
However, it is a plus to have students of top B schools sharing their GD, PI and WAT experience. MBAUniverse.com is conducting live chat sessions (Topper's Mantra) with a number of students who have made it to reputed B schools. We are also publishing stories based on those chats for our readers. In this article, Siddharth Jain from FMS shares his GD, PI and WAT experience. Siddharth scored 99.16% percentile in CAT 2011 and 99.93 percentile in XAT 2011-12. For the convenience of readers, the article has been written as a first person's account.
Group discussion: Each B school selects GD topic according to its tradition. GDs can be categorized into two - abstract and pin-pointed. It is difficult to discuss abstract topics. In IIFT, my GD topic was: 'CWG: Was it an opportunity lost for India', while in IIM Lucknow, the topic I was given was 'Bad news is that time flies, good news is that you are the pilot'.
In GD, always follow a framework, called PREP (point, reason, example & point). Discuss the point or the argument given, say reasons to substantiate the point, give examples in support of the argument and conclude with a holistic approach to establish the point.
There is a perception that you can score high by initiating discussion in a GD. Actually, it is a double-edged sword. If your opening arguments are strong, it is fine. But, the advantage may totally be lost if your points are weak or you fumble.
There are some things that you must avoid during the GD - never cut a lady (actually nobody); your body language must show that you are listening with rapt attention while others are speaking (listening carefully to others is a must for successful managers); never quote if you are not sure; do not correct anybody even if he/she says something that is factually not correct; do not look directly to the invigilator; and be assertive but not aggressive.
For B schools that do elimination during GD (NMIMS being one of them), it is advisable to initiate the discussion. If the topic does not suit you, don't worry. Listen carefully to others and develop an idea of the topic from two-three speakers and then join the discussion. Please remember that listening carefully is a quality that is highly acknowledged.
To prepare for GD, read extensively. Reading one-two national newspapers and a pink paper daily is a must. Listen to national news channels. Practise GD with your mentor and get your shortcomings corrected.
Personal Interview: In personal interview, the common question is: tell us about yourself. Prepare the answer of this question well. Do not forget to mention your future ambitions (e.g. I want to see me as a CFO of a big FMCG at the age of 55). Always maintain eye contact with the interviewer and try to channelize the course of discussion to your strong points (education, extra-curricular activities, etc). If you need clarification in a question, do not hesitate to ask it. Always appear in a formal dress during an interview. Wear a tie and a blazer if possible. Try not to say 'no' to any question, as it creates not a non-favorable impression. If you do not have an iota of knowledge on the same, say 'I am not strong in this' or something like that.
Case discussion: In the case discussion, aspirants are given a problem and three-four alternatives and are told to come up with a solution. Normally, seven-eight minutes are given for thinking and 10 minutes for speaking. First, thinks about the problem and the alternatives. Discuss all the alternatives, their pros and cons and try to come to a conclusion. In the conclusion, take everybody on board i.e. reach a consensus.
Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more Topper's Mantra
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