It all started with what is popularly known in B-School parlance as Day 0 when the companies at stake were the biggies...the ones where B-schoolers dream to be after completing their MBAs...the ones that offer the best projects to the people they consider to be the best fit for their organisations. The larger the number and stature of companies, the larger the logisitics problems for the placement committee members. The tension was palpable, what with companies asking for them to be slotted earlier than the others, asking for things like hot chocolate as if they have come for a picnic to some resort (agreed that the institute does look like a resort but still...). On top of all this was the problem of plenty that some students might face. With diverse and amazing profiles aplenty, there were bound to be multiple offers on Day 0 and it was the responsibility of PlaceCom yet again to make sure that no seat goes waste and that IIMK benefits wholely, and not just a particular person.
On a personal front, I was one of the luckier few. Having been shortlisted for a good chunk of the biggies, I was slated to appear in the Group Discussions for ITC, Asian Paints, Aditya Birla Group (Marketing), and Perfetti. Above this, I was also fortunate enough to be shortlisted for the telephonic interview to be conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the dream company for any MBA across the world. The first in line was the telephonic interview by PWC and I guess that the person on the other end seemed to be pretty impressed by my academic record. Let me see if I can recount the experience:
Hello...Good Afternoon, this is Nitai here
Good Afternoon Nitai, so how has your day been?
Pretty good, Sir...thank you
Ok Nitai, we have your brief profile with us but not your entire CV. Could you just take us through your academics? How did you select me then???
Certainly Sir. I did my schooling from Patna. I passed my high school examinations from there in 1996 with an aggregate percentage of 87.4
Did you say 87.4? Hard of hearing, too...what is PWC coming to?
Yes Sir...I then moved on to Delhi to do my +2 from Delhi Public School, RK Puram. I passed in 1998 with 88.4%. I qualified for IIT-JEE thereafter and joined Institute of Technology, BHU where I did my B.Tech in Ceramic Engineering. I passed in 2002 with a CGPA of 8.67 out of 10.
You seem to have a good academic record Nitai.
Thank you Sir I thought that I was needed to say something more but what???
What was the rank that you got in your graduation?
I stood 4th out of 29 students. Who knows what the truth is...I could have said I was first and what more, could have got away with it
Did you say 87.4? Hard of hearing, too...what is PWC coming to?
Yes Sir...I then moved on to Delhi to do my +2 from Delhi Public School, RK Puram. I passed in 1998 with 88.4%. I qualified for IIT-JEE thereafter and joined Institute of Technology, BHU where I did my B.Tech in Ceramic Engineering. I passed in 2002 with a CGPA of 8.67 out of 10.
You seem to have a good academic record Nitai.
Thank you Sir I thought that I was needed to say something more but what???
What was the rank that you got in your graduation?
I stood 4th out of 29 students. Who knows what the truth is...I could have said I was first and what more, could have got away with it
Ok Nitai, tell us what you expect out of your summer project...I mean, what is the kind of work that you want to do?
Sir, I am looking at a position where I can act as a bridge between the client and the organisation, say for any IT Company. I would like to be able to offer complete business solutions to the company. I do manage to lie through my teeth, don't I?
You necessarily mean a consulting project. What if we are able to offer you a project with an IT flavor?
That would be absolutely fine with me as I already have an experience of IT solutions in Infosys. and I don't want to go back to it...please
Nitai, you have had a good academic record...why not continue as an engineer? Why did you decide to do your management? What a stupid question
As I joined Infosys, I realised that as an engineer, the role that I could play was very limited and that I could not really be a part of the decision making process...even if I were to become a part of the process, I wouldn't be prepared enough. What a stupid answer
What specialisations do you intend to take up at IIM?
Sir, I plan to take up Marketing and Finance. Here goes my foot in my mouth
Marketing...hmm...so why don't you go for a marketing project for your summers?
Sir, I have already seen Systems as a part of my experience and in order to give complete business solutions to my company, I need to have a fair idea about the other two important functions of business and that is why I chose my electives to be marketing and finance. The other foot, too
That makes all the more sense for you to go for a marketing project...since you already have systems exposure, get some marketing exposure too...so that you will be more complete.
I accept your point Sir but I wish to test my preparedness for the company when I come out of my MBA, during the summer project. Therefore, it will make sense for me to do the same thing that I used to do but with a different approach. What bull****
Hmm...Nitai, tell us what you know about PWC
PWC is one of the leaders in Consultancy arena in the world and believes in offering complete business solutions to its clients, including financial and IT systems solutions. I see a person-company fit here as this is exactly what I had in mind for my own career. Person-company fit in deed!!!
Nitai, do you mind if we do not offer you travel reimbursements?
No Sir, I don't. I do a lot, actually but can not tell that to you, can I?
Out of Bangalore, Delhi, Calcutta and Chennai, which one would you prefer as the location for your summer project?
I don't have anything against any center but I would prefer Calcutta as it is the closest to my home. and because it is your headquarters where in all probability, you will have some projects.
Thank you for talking to us, Nitai. It was nice talking to you.
Same here, Sir. The pleasure was mine. At least, it is nice not having to talk to you any more
So this was what one of the biggest consulting companies on Planet Earth asked me during my first ever telephonic interview for a job (I have had interviews on the telephone for research positions in foreign universities but that is another story...perhaps later). As I was just getting prepared to sit through the pre-placement talk of Asian Paints, news arrived that I had been selected for the second round of interviews for PWC, which will take place at 6:30 in the evening. I was in dual minds at the time, not sure if I was taking a good decision by falling for the brand, knowing fully well that the kind of work I want to do will not be offered by PWC. But what the hell, I could as well have ended at a Wipro or a TCS and a PWC was anyday better that both these combined.
So it was with the knowledge that six people out of a total of 21 were through for the second round for PWC, that I had to participate in the group discussions for the other companies. The first in line was Aditya Birla Group where we were given a case study on distribution channel problems. The case talked about how exclusive dealership for a particular high margin product led to conflict amongst the other dealers who now threatened to go to the competitor if they were not given a share of the pie. A good case and some good points raised, too. Debojyoti was at his notorious best, demeaning the points of all others with his monologues comprising of some solid Kotler terminology (I have still not got over from his co-capitation, co-participation and co-something-or-the-other :-)). Nikhil and I were shortlisted from the group of 10 while from the other group, Kashyap and Kunal were shortlisted, making a total of 4 applicants for Marketing position in Aditya Birla group.
Before the final interview at Birla, the GDs of other companies were due. And thus, I went for the GD of Asian Paints which was probably the best regulated, the most decent, the least fierce group discussion that I have ever been a part of. Everybody spoke and spoke at length on the topic There are no good or bad soldiers, there are only good or bad Generals. No body spoke unless the other had finished the point and it was really constructive, the way we thrashed out the topic amongst ourselves. That I was not finally shortlisted from the group did disappoint me as I thought that I had done quite well in the GD but then...
Next in line was the second round of the PWC interview for which I was already late. I had to run to the placement office and had hardly caught my breath when I had to speak to the people on the other side. This time around, they were even more cordial than before and talked stuff about confirming my academic record, and asking me about the grades that I received in the two subjects at IIMK, results for which have been declared (luckily for me, I had As in both of them). There was also some talk about whether I will be okay with down-to-earth projects on the lines of those that I may have already done in Infosys. After my saying (unwillingly) that I was fine with that, too, it seemed that they had made up their mind. They even asked me about what will happen if they give me an offer right then. I said that I was not really sure of the poilicy in that case and that they might have to talk to the PlaceCom about it. There were some just-for-laughs (at least that is what I thought) questions about what will I do if I receive offers from both PWC and Asian Paints. I answered by saying that this was a hypothetical question and that I did not have an answer to it at the moment. They were pretty happy with that (thank God!) and that was the end of the second phase.
By the end of it, I was almost sure that I had made it to their final list but I wanted to explore the marketing projects before I gave a final answer to PWC (in case they did make an offer). So I went back to the ITC GD with a new enthusiasm and yet with a laid back attitude, a kind of security over powering my intentions to fight it out further. The ITC GD was a little different, too (come to think of it, there were so many different GDs that I attended this day that I actually lost sight of any common strategy that I could have adopted). There was a case of a plane crash where the eight of us had landed in the tropical rain forests of Mizoram with about 15 things that we could use to help ourselves. We had to initially rank these items in order of our own individual preferences and then discuss the order in the group to arrive at the consensus for order of preference for the team of survivors. Debojyoti was with me yet again in this GD (he was not there in the Asian Paints GD and as I have already mentioned, that was the only peaceful GD that I had in the entire day :-)). As expected, we were not able to reach at any consensus about the order of preference and as expected, not even a single person from our group was shortlisted for the interview process.
The Perfetti GD was the last and I was bushed by the time I went in for it. With a group of 12, it was anyway going to be a crowd and with Debojyoti in yet again, I was almost prepared to lose out on any hopes. There were other big shots in the group, too including Qaynat, Neeta, Pavan and others who all had the potential to wreck a guy's chance in any GD by simply stealing the show. Though I had guessed the nature of the GD pretty correctly, I was in for a surprise as far as the perpetrators of that nature were concerned. There were two gangs in the GD with each talking in its own language and I was actually reduced to try and act as a bridge between the two (even that, as the result of the GD indicated, I was not able to do properly). The topic Marketing is more of a science than an art was pretty good and enticed some verbose participation from one and all. When I was asked to express my opinion, I thought that I had done a good job but as Abhijeet later pointed out, perhaps it all sounded like a lot of shit to others. One key learning from the GD: There were others far ahead of Debojyoti as far as making a mess of GDs are concerned...Nimish, Abhijeet, to name a few.
At the end of it all, when all I needed to hit a sack was a sack :-), Neel and Ron told me that I had made it to the final list for PWC and that if I did want to take it up, I should not waste any seat in other companies. Also, since PWC had not declared any wait list, I would be wasting one seat if I forego that for any other company. After saying all this, they said that there was absolutely no pressure on me :-). Actually, I did appreciate their coming and telling me the way things stood and as it turned out, they actually encouraged me to give the Birla interview process my best shot if I wanted to go for that.
Despite what these people said and wished me, I could not really take off in my interview with the Aditya Birla group. I was tired, I knew that I already had been placed and I was not sure if I wanted to try for Aditya Birla at all. In all this confusion, I made a mess of the interview, saying things like the total branded apparel industry in India is worth only 200 crores (when it actually is 200 thousand crores). I did some other major goof ups and as I came out of the room, I knew where I was headed...I knew, above all, that I will not have to make any difficult decisions (like Yash and Nikhil had to with their two offers from both Aditya Birla and GE).
It has been only two days since that evening even though it seems that a lifetime has passed attending presentations, celebrating successes, ruing missed chances, consoling and encouraging people, running around looking for people, talking to the HR people, pushing more and more resumes...
With another 50-55 odd people out of a batch of 134 yet to be placed, and with about another 30 odd companies to make their appearance in the coming days, the picture is certainly looking rosy, if not very clear. There has been some very hard work done by the Placement Committee that is being rewarded and any amount of praise for their dedication would be small. Thank you guys, for working so hard for all of us. I hope and wish and pray that you get what you want in terms of placement yourself (whether it is the lateral or final placement for seniors or the summers for juniors). I am sure that the entire batch will be behind you guys (with certain exceptions like Kiran, of course) in trying to get for IIMK and its students, what they rightfully deserve.
Sir, I am looking at a position where I can act as a bridge between the client and the organisation, say for any IT Company. I would like to be able to offer complete business solutions to the company. I do manage to lie through my teeth, don't I?
You necessarily mean a consulting project. What if we are able to offer you a project with an IT flavor?
That would be absolutely fine with me as I already have an experience of IT solutions in Infosys. and I don't want to go back to it...please
Nitai, you have had a good academic record...why not continue as an engineer? Why did you decide to do your management? What a stupid question
As I joined Infosys, I realised that as an engineer, the role that I could play was very limited and that I could not really be a part of the decision making process...even if I were to become a part of the process, I wouldn't be prepared enough. What a stupid answer
What specialisations do you intend to take up at IIM?
Sir, I plan to take up Marketing and Finance. Here goes my foot in my mouth
Marketing...hmm...so why don't you go for a marketing project for your summers?
Sir, I have already seen Systems as a part of my experience and in order to give complete business solutions to my company, I need to have a fair idea about the other two important functions of business and that is why I chose my electives to be marketing and finance. The other foot, too
That makes all the more sense for you to go for a marketing project...since you already have systems exposure, get some marketing exposure too...so that you will be more complete.
I accept your point Sir but I wish to test my preparedness for the company when I come out of my MBA, during the summer project. Therefore, it will make sense for me to do the same thing that I used to do but with a different approach. What bull****
Hmm...Nitai, tell us what you know about PWC
PWC is one of the leaders in Consultancy arena in the world and believes in offering complete business solutions to its clients, including financial and IT systems solutions. I see a person-company fit here as this is exactly what I had in mind for my own career. Person-company fit in deed!!!
Nitai, do you mind if we do not offer you travel reimbursements?
No Sir, I don't. I do a lot, actually but can not tell that to you, can I?
Out of Bangalore, Delhi, Calcutta and Chennai, which one would you prefer as the location for your summer project?
I don't have anything against any center but I would prefer Calcutta as it is the closest to my home. and because it is your headquarters where in all probability, you will have some projects.
Thank you for talking to us, Nitai. It was nice talking to you.
Same here, Sir. The pleasure was mine. At least, it is nice not having to talk to you any more
So this was what one of the biggest consulting companies on Planet Earth asked me during my first ever telephonic interview for a job (I have had interviews on the telephone for research positions in foreign universities but that is another story...perhaps later). As I was just getting prepared to sit through the pre-placement talk of Asian Paints, news arrived that I had been selected for the second round of interviews for PWC, which will take place at 6:30 in the evening. I was in dual minds at the time, not sure if I was taking a good decision by falling for the brand, knowing fully well that the kind of work I want to do will not be offered by PWC. But what the hell, I could as well have ended at a Wipro or a TCS and a PWC was anyday better that both these combined.
So it was with the knowledge that six people out of a total of 21 were through for the second round for PWC, that I had to participate in the group discussions for the other companies. The first in line was Aditya Birla Group where we were given a case study on distribution channel problems. The case talked about how exclusive dealership for a particular high margin product led to conflict amongst the other dealers who now threatened to go to the competitor if they were not given a share of the pie. A good case and some good points raised, too. Debojyoti was at his notorious best, demeaning the points of all others with his monologues comprising of some solid Kotler terminology (I have still not got over from his co-capitation, co-participation and co-something-or-the-other :-)). Nikhil and I were shortlisted from the group of 10 while from the other group, Kashyap and Kunal were shortlisted, making a total of 4 applicants for Marketing position in Aditya Birla group.
Before the final interview at Birla, the GDs of other companies were due. And thus, I went for the GD of Asian Paints which was probably the best regulated, the most decent, the least fierce group discussion that I have ever been a part of. Everybody spoke and spoke at length on the topic There are no good or bad soldiers, there are only good or bad Generals. No body spoke unless the other had finished the point and it was really constructive, the way we thrashed out the topic amongst ourselves. That I was not finally shortlisted from the group did disappoint me as I thought that I had done quite well in the GD but then...
Next in line was the second round of the PWC interview for which I was already late. I had to run to the placement office and had hardly caught my breath when I had to speak to the people on the other side. This time around, they were even more cordial than before and talked stuff about confirming my academic record, and asking me about the grades that I received in the two subjects at IIMK, results for which have been declared (luckily for me, I had As in both of them). There was also some talk about whether I will be okay with down-to-earth projects on the lines of those that I may have already done in Infosys. After my saying (unwillingly) that I was fine with that, too, it seemed that they had made up their mind. They even asked me about what will happen if they give me an offer right then. I said that I was not really sure of the poilicy in that case and that they might have to talk to the PlaceCom about it. There were some just-for-laughs (at least that is what I thought) questions about what will I do if I receive offers from both PWC and Asian Paints. I answered by saying that this was a hypothetical question and that I did not have an answer to it at the moment. They were pretty happy with that (thank God!) and that was the end of the second phase.
By the end of it, I was almost sure that I had made it to their final list but I wanted to explore the marketing projects before I gave a final answer to PWC (in case they did make an offer). So I went back to the ITC GD with a new enthusiasm and yet with a laid back attitude, a kind of security over powering my intentions to fight it out further. The ITC GD was a little different, too (come to think of it, there were so many different GDs that I attended this day that I actually lost sight of any common strategy that I could have adopted). There was a case of a plane crash where the eight of us had landed in the tropical rain forests of Mizoram with about 15 things that we could use to help ourselves. We had to initially rank these items in order of our own individual preferences and then discuss the order in the group to arrive at the consensus for order of preference for the team of survivors. Debojyoti was with me yet again in this GD (he was not there in the Asian Paints GD and as I have already mentioned, that was the only peaceful GD that I had in the entire day :-)). As expected, we were not able to reach at any consensus about the order of preference and as expected, not even a single person from our group was shortlisted for the interview process.
The Perfetti GD was the last and I was bushed by the time I went in for it. With a group of 12, it was anyway going to be a crowd and with Debojyoti in yet again, I was almost prepared to lose out on any hopes. There were other big shots in the group, too including Qaynat, Neeta, Pavan and others who all had the potential to wreck a guy's chance in any GD by simply stealing the show. Though I had guessed the nature of the GD pretty correctly, I was in for a surprise as far as the perpetrators of that nature were concerned. There were two gangs in the GD with each talking in its own language and I was actually reduced to try and act as a bridge between the two (even that, as the result of the GD indicated, I was not able to do properly). The topic Marketing is more of a science than an art was pretty good and enticed some verbose participation from one and all. When I was asked to express my opinion, I thought that I had done a good job but as Abhijeet later pointed out, perhaps it all sounded like a lot of shit to others. One key learning from the GD: There were others far ahead of Debojyoti as far as making a mess of GDs are concerned...Nimish, Abhijeet, to name a few.
At the end of it all, when all I needed to hit a sack was a sack :-), Neel and Ron told me that I had made it to the final list for PWC and that if I did want to take it up, I should not waste any seat in other companies. Also, since PWC had not declared any wait list, I would be wasting one seat if I forego that for any other company. After saying all this, they said that there was absolutely no pressure on me :-). Actually, I did appreciate their coming and telling me the way things stood and as it turned out, they actually encouraged me to give the Birla interview process my best shot if I wanted to go for that.
Despite what these people said and wished me, I could not really take off in my interview with the Aditya Birla group. I was tired, I knew that I already had been placed and I was not sure if I wanted to try for Aditya Birla at all. In all this confusion, I made a mess of the interview, saying things like the total branded apparel industry in India is worth only 200 crores (when it actually is 200 thousand crores). I did some other major goof ups and as I came out of the room, I knew where I was headed...I knew, above all, that I will not have to make any difficult decisions (like Yash and Nikhil had to with their two offers from both Aditya Birla and GE).
It has been only two days since that evening even though it seems that a lifetime has passed attending presentations, celebrating successes, ruing missed chances, consoling and encouraging people, running around looking for people, talking to the HR people, pushing more and more resumes...
With another 50-55 odd people out of a batch of 134 yet to be placed, and with about another 30 odd companies to make their appearance in the coming days, the picture is certainly looking rosy, if not very clear. There has been some very hard work done by the Placement Committee that is being rewarded and any amount of praise for their dedication would be small. Thank you guys, for working so hard for all of us. I hope and wish and pray that you get what you want in terms of placement yourself (whether it is the lateral or final placement for seniors or the summers for juniors). I am sure that the entire batch will be behind you guys (with certain exceptions like Kiran, of course) in trying to get for IIMK and its students, what they rightfully deserve.
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