Parth Agarwal, an iQuanta student shares his interview experience with a hope that it helps the other aspirants in getting admission at IIM B.
My profile:-
X – 93.2%
XII – 90.4%
BTech ECE (NIT Allahabad) – 9.31 pointer
Work Experience – 27 months
IIM B Interview date – 17th March 2018
Venue – New Delhi
WAT Topic: How Digital Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning can help eradicate farmer’s distress?
Summary of what he wrote: Started with industrial revolution 4 and current farmer’s distress in India. Wrote about GDP contribution of agriculture and population. Upskill is required and movement to other sectors is of prime importance. Improving productivity. These technologies can help in direct linking of the retail markets with farmers, linking with processing industries. Artificial Intelligence can help in balancing supply and demand and in scheduling which crop to be sowed and how much, so that there is a fine balance between the supply and the demand of the disparate crops. Tech can help in proper irrigation etc. But educating farmers and upskilling them is the most crucial step.
IIM Bangalore interview:
Interview panel had 3 interviewers. One of them asked me to put all my documents aside as I won’t be requiring them. So I kept it on the side table.
Panelist 1: So Parth you are in Airtel, nice..
Parth: Sir, actually I left Airtel.
All panelists in consonance: Why? What what!?
I was taken aback by this consonance.
Parth: I wanted to learn about business. While working in Airtel I realised that irrespective of any vertical, all work for customer satisfaction. Thus I wanted to develop a holistic vision and for that doing an MBA was important.
Panelist 1 (intervening): You left to prepare for CAT examination right!?
Parth: Well yes, it was one of the reasons.
Panelist 2: You know what impression you are making, that you can’t multitask.
Parth: (started feeling nervous, but I held onto my nerves) Well sir, CAT is not an ordinary exam. In order to do justice to it and to secure a good percentile I realised that it was essential for me to contribute my full time to it. I was giving it more than 10 hours daily. It wouldn’t have been possible to do it along with a job that demanded 12+ hours of work. I felt it wasn’t ethical for me to scrimshank my job responsibilities.
Panelist 2: I am highly unethical. It doesn’t matter to me. You are still not able to justify that why you had left.
Panelist 1: Yeah, we are not convinced. Wasn’t it a risk that you left a high paid job for CAT preparation?
Parth: (started again) Certainly sir, it was a risk that was worth it and that is the reason I am sitting in front of you all for this esteemed interview.
Panelist 1: What if you would have got a higher percentile while working?
Parth: Sir, it was a part of the risk. I couldn’t have known it but I was sure that if I put my all to the preparation, I will be able to achieve it and thankfully I did.
Panelist 2: You remember my first question that what impression you are making. It shows you can’t run multiple projects in a corporate environment.
Parth: Well sir, I have run a lot of projects throughout my 27 months of work experience and I have been awarded as well.
Panelist2: You scored 9.31 in UG. Was there only 1 subject that you studied? How many subject were there per semester?
Parth: Sir, 6 subjects.
Panelist 3: Right. See, you can manage 6 subjects then why not job and CAT preparation?
Parth: (By this time I was really nervous, I felt it wasn’t going right ). Yes sir, I did it in my graduation. But this time it was about setting priorities and working to achieve the set target and for me this was my priority and I didn’t want to take it for granted.
Panelist 1: Tell me about your job role.
Parth: My role was to improve the 3G and 4G network experience of the customer. I was able to improve the throughput of 4G network by 33% for which I was awarded by the CEO.
Panelist 1: What is the global 4G throughput average?
Parth: 20 Mbps
Panelist 1: Then, how much did you achieve?
Parth: For 4G networks, we have TDD and FDD. In FDD it was 10+ Mbps and in TDD, more than 30+Mbps. Thus effectively more than 20 Mbps.
Panelist 1: What was the team size?
Parth: Airtel works on outsourcing model. Airtel team had 3 members and Ericsson had 10.
Panelist 1: So what was your role in improving throughput?
Parth: Sir I studied about equipments and features in depth, analysed drive results and was able to suggest and implement features that improved the throughput.
Panelist 1: This should have been done by Ericsson right? Why you?
Parth: Well sir, when I joined Airtel, 4G was a new technology and not many people had experience working on it. I used it as an opportunity and did my best to understand it and read about the equipment. This helped me a lot in achieving the result.
Panelist 1: Can you give one example for the same.
Parth: I gave an example of one of the features that were implemented. (Quite a technical answer)
Panelist 1: What are your interests? What do you do these days?
Parth (Felling happy and relaxed): Sir, I write poems in English and Hindi. I have a blog on WordPress where I share them.
Parth 1: What is the URL?
Parth: (Shared the URL which he checked it on his laptop)
Panelist 2: Which languages did you say you write in?
Parth: Sir, English and Hindi. I have brought my poems with me, in case you would like me to recite it to you.
Panelist 1: Yeah, sure
Parth: Sir, which language would you like me to recite in?
Panelist 1 and Panelist 3: Any, just make it fast.
Parth: (Recited one hirriedly)
Panelist 2: Was it Spanish, I couldn’t even understand a word.
(Apparently, he didn’t know hindi which he said later.)
P3: It was marvelous, I loved it.
Parth (with my eyes on panelist 2): Sir, would you like me to recite something in english. You would like it.
Panelist 2, Panelist 3 : No thank you. It’s done. Do you have any question?
Parth: Yes sir.
Panelist 2: Make it quick.
Parth: How can one be a part of the placement cell?
Panelist 1 was going to answer but Panelist 2 interrupted: It is a student activity and the students do it.
Parth: Ok sir, thank you.
Panelist 1: Thank you, all the best!
Parth: Thank you sir.
One thing I realised from this experience is that we should never try to judge if the interview went good or bad and we should not let it affect other interviews.
There is nothing secondary to hard work.
So start the hard work guys and with sheer consistency you will achieve what you want!
Believe in what you do !!!
Status: Converted
I really thank God for it was not possible without his grace and blessings. Thank you God.
