INTERVIEW TRAINING PROGRAM

Getting Started
 Interview – Getting Started

Before you start the actual preparation for the interview questions, it is important to have a
very good idea about yourself. This will help you form your own answers to the expected
questions which will be easier for you to remember and will come to you naturally during the
actual interview. Learning answers found online byheart or cooking up stories can make you
uncomfortable later. It is always better to have your own ideas and answers.

Introspection

To get started, you need to have a clear idea of certain aspects about yourselves. These
include your hobbies, interests, extra-curricular activities and so on. We suggest spending
some time to come up with accurate answers for each of the following questions, and then
jotting down the final answers in the “About Me” sheet provided in this section. It will help
you bring all the valuable information in one place, making it easier for future reference.

- What are your interests?

- What are your hobbies?
- What is your passion?
- What kind of extra-curricular activities do you excel in?
- What are your most important skills (at least 3)?
- What would you say are your core strengths (at least 3)?
- What would you say are you most prevalent weaknesses (at least 3)?
- Why did you choose to study business management?

REMEMBER : At this stage, you are not preparing answers for the interview. Without you
having a good idea about yourself, you cannot explain it to a group of strangers, let alone an
interview panel who might put you under pressure. And only if you are being honest, can you
work upon these ideas to form your answers and prepare easily. So please do not use
answers found online or answers that are “good”, but be true to yourself.
 Interview – Getting Started

Future Goals

The next step is to have a clear vision of your future. The more specific and clearer it is, the
better. The following questions should help you in the process.

- Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years (right after passing out of IPM)?
- Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years (5 years after IPM)?
- Where do you see yourself in the next 15 years (10 years after IPM)?

Taking the direction of these questions, think about how you see yourself in the future and
what your plans/dreams are. The more concrete your answers are, the more useful they will
be.

Putting it all together – Why IIM ?

The final step is to put together all the answers you have made, to get a complete picture
about yourself.

You know about your interests, hobbies and passion.

You know the kind of extra-curricular activities that you excel in. This is most probably in
alignment with your interests and hobbies. They are proofs of your skills, and is probably
related in some way to the skills you have listed in the 4 th question. If you have not been able
to list any extra-curricular activities, no need to get tensed. Try to think of occasions (even
outside school) where you might have put your skills in good use and gained something. If
you think you are skilled at something, there should be situations where you would have used
those skills.

You have a good idea of your strengths, which will show its direct or indirect effects in your
skills or extra-curricular activities (for e.g., if you feel confidence is one of your strengths you
might have public speaking in your list as well). By knowing your weaknesses, you know
what you have to work on.

Lastly, based on all this and your future goals, you have a clear reason as to why you want
to go to an IIM.
 Interview – Getting Started

The last part of Why IIM is very important. That is the question which brings together all of
these answers you have figured out so far.

Is it because you have the skill set that makes an ideal manager? Or is it because you have a
passion for management and dream of starting your own company some day? Are your
interests and hobbies aligned to roles found in management such as personal finances,
creative works etc.? Do you display the qualities of a good manager in your extra-curricular
activities like leadership, diplomacy, confidence or ability to motivate others?

REMEMBER : The point of an interview is for the interview panel to figure out why you,
as a student, would be a good fit for IIM. So, your task is to show them that. You have to
show them why you, with all your interests, hobbies, passion and goals, would make a
student worthy of IPM.

Based on all the data you have collected about yourself, try to come up with as many reasons
as possible for why IIM should select you.

Tip : Keep in mind that IPM is a management program created to produce “contextually
relevant & socially conscious” managers. This means that IPM aims to create managers that
are appropriate for the future markets and care about the society and environment, rather than
just about money. Hence, displaying these qualities can help you in the interview.