My MDI interview was on 13th in Bangalore. I left for Bangalore on 12th. As I told a friend of mine earlier, a train journey to Bangalore (from Vellore) should be made criminal. The view is breathtaking. Even though it was my second time, you cant help but get amazed.
Anyways Baldy (Vaidyanathan) helped me find a decent hotel. The interview was at 2.30 the next day. The next day I reached the venue, IIM Bangalore. Sripriya was there as well, but she was in a different panel. First we had the GD.
There were twelve of us in the group. As we were standing around that round table waiting for everyone to take their places, I happened to glance at my side and what do I see!!!! The same Quants teacher (from TIME, the one who was in the same examination hall as me) was here as well. We simply smiled at each other.
A Professor from MDI gave us the rules. Told us not to BS around with the topic and speak only relevant points.
The topic for the GD was "Is India developing or neglecting"?? And I thought there was more to come, but no that was it.
well the GD turned into a fish market what with everybody trying to put in everything that they had read about the budget into the discussion. I didn’t speak a lot. I made some 3 or 4 entries with some points which I thought were valid but on the whole tried to stay clear of the fish market.
After the GD I came out and chatted with others including my Quant teacher at TIME. I was the second last person to be called for the interview and by then I had chatted with almost everybody present there. In fact when there was nobody else around I chatted with an elderly gentleman who was there to accompany his son to the interview.
when I went in there was just one prof (p1) sitting (out of a panel of two)
p1: (started grilling me on points related to my GD)
I had talked about we looking at the wrong indicators for growth. The Sensex though important isnt the right indicator for measuring growth and specially inclusive growth of the country. Even the people at the top level were more concerned with Sensex rather than farmer suicides.
P1: Which ministry is responsible for agriculture?
(I immediately realised that he was going to attack the points I made in the GD, so I tried to take a safe position)
M: Sir, there are more than one, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Fertilizers and Finance Minister is also concerned with certain aspects….
P1: Interrupts and says what did we tell you at the beginning, No Bullshitting us
By God, this one was turning to be a stress interview
P1: Ok, let me start again, What is your name
M: Amit Tyagi, Sir.
P1: Ok, so I asked your name and you just told me your name and no stuff about East India company coming to India and blah blah
This isnt going good
P1: Ok, again Which ministry is primarily responsible for agriculture?
M: Sir, Ministry of Agriculture
P1: Who is the minister
M: Mr. Sharad Pawar
Now he started talking about how Mr. Chidambaram has no say in agricultural affairs and he cant step into anybody else's domain and stuff like that.
After that he started asking questions related to my father's workplace
P1 : who is the present CMD?
M : told
P1 : who was the one before him?
M : right answer again
P1 : ok, who is the head of treasury?
M : (u must be kidding me), I thought even he doesnt know so said I don’t know but it must be the ED
now the second prof(p2) entered
P1 : ok u are interested in defence aviation, tell me names of two aviaton giants??
M : Boeing and Airbus.
P1 : why was one of them in news recently?
M : No Idea
P1 : socho
M : Don’t know sir
P2 : guess karlo
They were trying to stress me here
M : Sir with the rules that we have been told I had rather not. *
This is what u call pairo pe kulhadi marna.
Why cant I keep my ego in check….
P2 : do u want some time
M : that wont help sir because I cant recall
P2 : ok, so what planes were used in second world war
M : Told him Spitfires, Hurricanes, Me 109s, Me 110s.
P2 : there was this incident in 71 war which was very famous, do u recall
M : what incident sir, can u throw more light on it??
P2 : dont remember ok what planes did we use in 71
M : told him Mig 21, Hunters etc etc
All this while p1 trying all stress tricks in the book, slumped in his chair, fanning himself with the file
P2 : what about pakistan?
m: F-86 sabres
P2 said something...wasnt able to get him
P2 : ok what is VTOL
M : Vertical Take Off and Landing, Sir. These type of aircrafts are used for operations on aircraft carriers, like the Harrier jumpjet.
P2 now went to aircraft carriers , discussed a few things about them, question on pearl harbor which I did not know
P2 : so u come from Vellore, what is famous about Vellore
M :Told him that CMC is probably what Vellore is known for and then there is the Golden Temple, and also VIT is getting quite popular these days (cheeky)
P2 : Is it so, I mean do u really think that if I ask anybody up North about VIT and they will know about it??
M : Yes i do, (tabhi to maine bola)
P2 : I have been to Vellore , never heard of this golden temple you are talking about.
M : Its pretty famous sir, you might have missed it since it is relatively new.
I had mentioned public speaking activities in extra curriculars.
P2 said something about declamation and posture
and then it was over
goodbyes and smiles
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All in all I will call it a bad interview. Though I could answer most of the questions (not counting the rhetorical ones), but an interview isnt just about answering questions, its about that certain chemistry you set up with the guy interviewing you. And in my case that was not visible anywhere. Infact it seemed that I rubbed P1 the wrong way, or probably he just wanted it that way in order to put me under stress.
Smart ass answers like the one about the rules and not guessing (refer to the one with *) should be avoided at all costs.
Anyways, after my MDI interview I reached my hotel and after my dinner thought I had sleep early. I had a flight at 5.50 in the morning. Luckily I slept off soon after lying down in bed, but woke up after one and a half hour. I saw the time it was 11 in the night. I lay in bed for the next one hour trying to sleep and trust me when I tell you that it was the most frustrating one hour of my life. I was afraid that if I didn’t sleep I will feel sleepy the whole of next day and when I feel sleepy I get irritable and that cant be good in a GD and interview!!!
That’s when I finally decided to get up and do something. I took out my laptop and watched two episodes of 'Band of Brothers' (that HBO series). It got over around 2. Still no sleep. I switched on the TV, nothing interesting. And while browsing through the channels I came across a dart throwing world championship being telecast on some sports channel. I watched that for over an hour ( I was that frustrated) and then it was time to get ready to leave for the airport.
The flight was smooth, I slept some (which was good). Dad was there at the airport. I went to my Tauji's place. Spent some time there and then got ready for the interview. And then left for North Campus. Even after having lived in Delhi for about 5 years I had never been to North Campus before.
Read about my first visit to the North Campus for what was one of the most important interviews of my life in the next post.
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