Monday, December 31, 2007

ISB Vs IIM PGPX- A different perspective

ISB has really carved out a niche for itself in a very short span of time. As friends and colleagues came to know I was going to ISB, congratulatory messages started pouring in.
A few were excited and a few amazed that I was planning to go to school after 7 years of workex.

I was only looking for a one year program....couldn’t imagine studying for two years and the thought of no money flowing into my account at the end of the month for two years was a horrible one.
Looked at a few courses both India and abroad and finally decided on applying for the IIM PGPX and the ISB PGP.

I had not made up my mind where I wanted to go between the two institutes (assuming I got an admit from both the places). Started of with researching about both the programmes, read a lot of blogs, communicated with the Alumni and found both the courses to be equally good although the PGPX had just been in existence for two years....but had the great IIM tag going for it.

Although I did not get a shortlist from the IIM’s but my admiration for ISB over the IIM’s started from the application process itself. I know some people might argue that I am biased about ISB now that I have an admission offer from them. Honestly I am only trying to contrast the admission procedure followed by the institute, which ultimately would also have a bearing on the class profile. A lot of people try and compare the two programs on the basis of faculty, diversity, content, class profile etc but this is a very different way to compare the two programs

Contrasting the admission process of the two institutes I can vouch that one followed by ISB was much better both in terms of the packaging (website, forms etc) and also more holistic in nature. The ISB application consisted of the essays, reco’s, GMAT, academics, work profile etc. whereas the IIM’s just insisted on the academics, GMAT and the work profile.

I also feel that the IIM’s approach to short listing being very narrow, as the GMAT played a crucial role (although the institute never admits that , however when I called them about the feedback the gentleman advised me to score better on the GMAT). Also the average GMAT for the 08-09 batch of PGPX is 731 which is much higher than Wharton or Harvard. I believe when the PGPX program is looking at profiles of around 9-10 years of post qualification workex, GMAT should not be a very crucial deciding factor, at least at the interview short listing stage. How is the IIM adcom judging the leadership potential of candidates without Reco’s or Essays is anybody’s guess. Specially so when the PGPX is a program focused at general management and leadership.


I just hope that the future IIM PGPX class is not deprived of having to study with the best people (read high potential people but with GMAT scores under 700) because of the IIM PGPX Adcoms continued love with high GMAT.

Maybe more comparisons and feedback after I join ISB.
The eternal debate over ISB and IIM PGPX still goes on..............

PS- This is only my analysis of the admission process followed by two reputed institutes, having gone through the process. This is not to undermine the fact that the PGPX would also have a lot of bright people.

Wishing all a Happy new year and an eventful 2008 to all ISB admits

Vikas

Rendezvous in the heart of capital – the first of many more to come!

So finally the ISB CO 2009 Delhi meet was a big success. After several rounds of polling sessions and some yes and nos we finally managed to have a great meet at Piccadelhi CP. With 20 odd people…..all from diverse backgrounds (doctors, CAs, consultants,…..phew…d list is endless)…sitting on a common table and discussing about a common life they are gonna lead in the next one year, was an amazing experience. After multiple rounds of introduction sessions we had discussions ranging from travel plans in the next 3 months, pre-term courses, loan procedure, laptops, and not to forget…..life at ISB! With the beer flowing in and more and more people joining in, the excitement level kept soaring high with every consecutive drink. We decided to disperse after getting a shot captured from Dushyant’s camera (Dushyant managed to attend the Delhi meet enroute Shimla). We will probably have to wait for the pic until he is back from the trip. But with the vibrant mood and people around I am sure we managed to capture a moment that will be remembered by most in years to come.

Hope the coming year sketches a trajectory to our goals we have been yearning for…Wish you all a happy new year…Cheers to ISB Class of 2009!!!

Sunday, December 30, 2007

My path to the ISB!

ISB was the only Indian B-School, I decided to apply to when I wrote my GMAT. The others being Kellogg, Chicago GSB, Ross and Duke. My plan was to apply to ISB in R1 and depending on its result apply to the US B-Schools in their R2. ISB being a one year course, definitely had its advantages and the fact that I wanted to work in India made it my preferred destination. As I had decided to apply in R1, I started my application in July itself. But as my GMAT was scheduled for August end, I had not worked on my application in full earnest.

The fifteen day period after my GMAT exam (24th August) was the time when I completed my essays and the application and reworked them. When it comes to the application, there is one thing that I would like to mention: Diversity. Yes, I know it probably is the most abused word in the B-School lingo, but when you think about it for sometime it makes sense. How would you consider the profile of a person with 750+ GMAT score, good academics, 4-5 years of work ex in IT industry with a couple of years abroad, a couple of promotions and some social service to moot? At first glance, it appears as a very decent profile standing a good chance to get into ISB, but imagine a class having 400 such people!! Each one has basically done the same thing as the other and the takeaway from such a class would be minimal!! Now consider another scenario where you have a good blend of folks from diverse backgrounds, each having a unique skill set and experience that none of the others have. Imagine how much interesting it would be to learn about each other’s experiences and perspectives over the course of a year. Of course this is utopian scenario and the reality lies somewhere in between the two extremes. Anyways, the point that I am trying to make here is that you have to sell yourself to the adcom and the best way to do it is to prove to them that you indeed do possess a skill set and experience that is one of its kind. You have three essays (four if you choose to write the optional essay) and some other parts of the application where you can entice the adcom to give you an interview call. So make the best use of it. I am from the telecommunication industry with an experience of 2.5 years, which is definitely on the lower side. So, I made a conscious effort to talk about Nirav, the individual and not Nirav, the professional. In fact apart from one essay where they specifically ask about work, I used all the Essays to highlight other aspects of my personality ranging from my really esoteric interests to my contribution to my father’s business. And do ensure that your application is complete and has no mistakes; both factual and grammatical. I finally submitted my application on the 10th of September. Unfortunately, I had to change my interview location from Bangalore to International at the last minute as I had to travel to Europe for work.

A month later, I got the e-mail for a telephonic interview. It was scheduled for the 2nd of November but at a time not very convenient to me! So I asked for a change of time and they duly obliged, giving me a new date of 12th November. It gave me sufficient time to prepare as well. A few years ago, I had walked in to an IIMA interview with no preparation and got my ass whipped!! This time, things were going to be different. I made a list of all the questions specific to my profile that I thought were important. I also wrote down a few points about some of the most commonly encountered questions as well and went through my application several times trying to think of questions that can be asked from it. Finally, the interview date had arrived. I called them at 7 A.M local Europe time. (I am at my best in the early morning, so had specifically asked for this timeslot) There two people on the panel; Hema from adcom and Joseph an alum. I had a pen and a piece of paper next to me and noted down their names! (I am very poor when it comes to remembering names) I was asked to speak for sometime on the word “curiosity”. I took my time to think about it and talked for a while about it. The first question was why I involved myself in so many different activities. I was prepared for this and answered it well, linking it to the ‘curiosity’ that I had to know different things! The discussion then moved to our family business and my contribution to it. We discussed some problems encountered and how they were handled. Then Joseph asked about the tussle for spectrum in India. (I expected this question and had prepared really well for it) I gave them a detailed explanation as to why the entire issue has come up and the steps being taken by the government. Then all of a sudden, the other interviewer asked me a question in French!! (I had mentioned in my app, that I can speak French) It was a simple question and I answered it without any hitch. :-) Finally they asked whether I had any questions. I asked them a couple. Then the lady was about to say good bye but instead asked me why I wanted to pursue an MBA and what was I looking for post MBA. Well… again I had anticipated these questions and gave them a very detailed explanation of my ambitions and how ISB fitted in to the overall scheme of things. Finally after about 25 minutes of pleasant conversation we bid our good byes!

A month after that, the R1 results were announced and I had been offered admission to ISB!! It was not too much of a surprise, as I was expecting it! :-) But it always feels good to have actually got in.

This has been my path to the gates of the ISB.


better late than....

Hi

lets break out the champagne bottles..toast , everyone!!..after months of deciding to blog today is the D Day finally..now u must wonder (incase u have no other pressing worry on ur mind ) so what made me alter the months of laboured laziness..why write today?..well the answer lies in CCD ballunge Kolkata . Today is the day I got a close glimpse of the ISB Class of 2009 and it was enuff to shake any indolence off me. To the naked eye it must have seemed "We met , we yaked and we left"..But it was in reality a grand confluence of ideas that left most of us [I cant speak for all now , can I ? :) ] with a mixed bag of feelings ..on one had I was happy to have met my future batchmates, gotten to know them a lil more..putting faces on some of the names i was reading on Orkut ..on the other it made me get over the relief of getting into ISB and start wondering (rather apprehensively if i may add) abt the kinda times that are going to come ahead ..The reason..everyone was cool confident..for instance GMAT score 700+ (had secretly thot my 750 wud be among the highest...reality check..highest gmat score 770 !!) ..everyone had such a distinct profile and personality and such determination that we were discussing what to study be4 reaching the institute itself.. phew..say hello to books mam..[the gud news on this front got a mail from one of the guys suggesting we lay off books till april..needless to say I readily joined the pact]..So what are my final thots after the first ISB co09 kol. meet..Its going to be a rocking year ahead..there r going to be smiles and tears, success and goof ups, triumphs and heart aches .. gala parties and long study nights ..but one thg is sure i am going to have FUN all the way..ISB is a platform for intense learning, soul searching, personal actualisation and a lot more..I hope I am able to utilise all the resources and opportunities that come my way and do the thg I say is my life's goal- LEARN!

and for those who think this is going to be a tad easy ..well imagine having a calvin reincarnate one year old with u while u negotiate the tough terrains at ISB :)

My baby , tanay is the name, is nothing short of a dynamite..to all my future frens a word of advice..plz hide all ur keys as disposing off them is his hobby..so on that naughty note here's wishing all of u a wonderful year ahead and hope all ur dreams materialise in 2009 !!!

see ya

take care





ISB Co 2009 Kolkata meet


Finally the very first ISB Co2009 get together took place in Kolkata. For the statisticians, Kolkata stole the march over Delhi by 2 hours ;). After hectic planning, and two rounds of confirmation, everybody turned up at a CCD at 1100 hours on a bright Sunday morning. There were 7 people who were present. Not a bad start I must say. There was hardly any other person at CCD, other than the ISB enthusiasts. There was so much of enthusiasm and energy floating in the air that the loud music was switched off by the CCD guys. I continue to be really amazed by the diverse profile of junta. There was a sailor, a manager training, IT guys, financial planning manager and a consultant amongst us. After the regular rounds of introduction and discussing our profile, the discussions veered towards CAT and comparison of ISB with IIMs. I guess except Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, all other topics were discussed within a span of mere two hours. Among the topics that were discussed were, the courses to be taken, the preliminary preparations required before arriving at ISB, loans, post ISB plans, career goals, past experiences, some anecdotes, etc. Surabhi narrated how she was destined to give GMAT, even after the systems crashed in Kolkata. Rishi told everybody about his brush with the pirates. I didnt have any exciting story, so I just sat there and listened. The decibel levels were rising, few non-ISB people [;)] chose to stand outside, rather than sit inside. But there was no stopping any of us. The final shot was captured on the camera. People pushed off with promises to keep meeting in the coming weekends. Overall it was highly enriching experience to interact with a bunch of brilliant individuals after a long time. Somehow I am getting jitters at the thought of going back to school and resurrecting the dead competitive spirit that used to prevail during the campus life.

This is Prashant reporting from Kolkata, more updates will be made available at appropriate time. Till then sayonara.

Jai Hind

Friday, December 28, 2007

Rising Popularity

The popularity of the Blog is rising. We had almost 600 hits, since launch. Not a bad start. But still there are few contributors. I guess we will get a thrust after the Round 2 results.

Prashant

Monday, December 24, 2007

A weekend in paradise..

The story of ISB preparation started for me in June. GMAT, essays and interviews. One evening in ISB with my college time friend triggered the desire to be an alum of this magnificient abode of intelligence and learning. I started from zero and worked my way up. Crazy as i am, i have been eating, drinking and sleeping ISB for last 6 months now. So, once the results were out and i knew i was there, it was time for me to get back to life and fun.
Me and a group of friends decided to travel to Bandipur wildlife sanctury near Bangalore. We started at 11 PM and reached this real Junglee track around 2 AM at night. Unplanned and uncalled for visits always attracted us. No bookings, no set destination and no limits. We reached Bandipur around 3:30 AM, as expected we found that we had no place to sleep and rest as all resorts around were booked. We saw a small road side tapri and sat infront of it, waiting for clock to strike 6 AM and start our search again. At 6 AM we reached forest office enquring about the jungle trek, only to discover that treks have been banned, so we decided to move to madhumalai and further where we could actually go for a jungle trail.
We moved 40 kms further into tamil nadu border which lay in way to ooty. This was a small village located amidst mountains. We went 8 kms inside a thin lane to reach to a paradise. There were four beautiful huts right amidst mountains. We reserved the huts and headed for a trek in jungle with a guide. There were foot prints of animals, rabbits, dears, ponds and water falls. We were heading towards a beautiful range of nilgiris and i felt like singing out loud, ye kaha aa gae hum, when guide said hussssshhhhh, what if tiger or elephant comes. WOW!! Can one come here? :). We all hid behind bushes near a water body waiting for tiger to come, but it did not. So, we decided to go in search of tiger in a night safari. Big open jeep and rocky terrains, everything was dark and silent. In the front light of jeep, we saw rabbits, dear, wild boars, but Mr. Tiger gave us no appointment, still i cant explain in words, the thrill to wait for a tiger in deep jungles. We came back for a camp fire near our hut amidst mountains.
When i woke up in morning and saw outside window, the shades of sky, the shadow of mountains, i knew that if there was a paradise on earth, it would have looked like the one i am in. I saw elephants grazing. I went near one and said hello, but it was having its breakfast, so no response. I knew in few moments for now, we would be heading for Bangalore, i sat in one corner trying to capture the beauty of nature till my eyes could visualize it.
The day had come to an end. I told myself, for one year it is ISB, once its done, you can come back and start all these crazy trails again. So, with a decision to live life to its fullest before digging deep into books and getting adjusted to a 20 hours day routine, i came back. ISB, i love you because you have been my focus for over 6 months now, but i dread too much of study and work, they can only be my temporary passions which dont last long, so please dont help me end up getting into a job which has 20 hours day routine as well. I am back in office and back to work, figuring out the 18 lakhs puzzle, but trust me in paradise no one bothers about money and education, every is educated to live and survive.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

First Impressions!

After getting an admit in R1, I was keen on visiting ISB to see the place and feel the atmosphere for myself. As I am on leave till 31st December, I decided to make a little sojourn to the city of Nawabs!

After an overnight train journey from Bangalore, I reached Hyderabad at 6 A.M on friday morning. After a quick bath and some refreshments at my friends place, i took an auto to ISB. The 'auto-wallahs' in Hyderabad definitely test the negotiating capabilities of all prospectives MBAs as none of them run on meters and you have to fix the rate before getting in!!

I had spoken with the adcom and arranged to attend a class on "Branding" at 10:15 and had to report to ISB at 9:15 to be able to sit for the class. The auto dropped me off at the ISB main gate at 8:45. But, when I tried to get in, the security at the gate stopped me and informed that there were no classes that day due to some other festivities!! All my arguments failed to convince him. Luckily, I knew a current student and she came to my rescue. After a little reluctance the security guard finally let me through. :-) The walk from the main gate to the reception takes about 5 min along a winding road. There were a couple of "Peacock crossing. Drive slowly" signs which I found quite amusing.

The main building was buzzing with activity. There were two events scheduled for the day. The first: a symposium on Product management and the second: an annual get together of alumnus. My friend was a volunteer for the first event and I got my first glimpse of many industry bigwigs by just standing at the registeration desk for an hour! At 10:15 we went to attend the class on Branding. It was conducted by a Professor Sridhar Moorthy from Rotman and included a couple of case studies: the first one was about the apparel major Diesel and its sub-brand StyleLab and the second one was about "Cacheral" a big perfume brand reinventing itself. The lecture was also interspersed with some really amorous advertisements for the Cacheral brand! The class itself was quite interesting with a lot of interaction and excahnge of ideas.

After the class I had a little one-on-one with my friend to get a firsthand description of life @ ISB. Then after a quick lunch, I met up with some of my seniors from Engineering college. One of them took me around the campus, the student villages and also introduced me to other students and I had many discussions with them and also a few alums. Also met a turkish exhange student who has seen more of India in the 2 months of her stay than I had in my 25 years!!

After a really memorable day, I bid adieu to my new friends and took an auto to my buddy's room at 9 in the night. There was a party after 11 that night but I had other commitments so could not attend the same. (After April, I hope to be in all the parties! ) All in all the trip gave me a good insight into the life on campus and from what I saw, I can't wait for our term to start!

Saturday, December 22, 2007

ISB – A Dream come True!!

Standing at the crossroad of life, unable to decide which way to go, I happened to attend a session conducted by ISB in Delhi in 2007. It was that ‘one’ session that transformed the crossroad to a bridge under construction…..a bridge that would take me to “ISB”….a bridge that would help me cross the potholes and bumps. Yes….you guessed it right….ISB became my dream….my goal!

I knew that there was nothing called a perfect road to success and I had to construct my own way to success. I started the endeavor by stacking up my books and preparing for GMAT. After 3 months of rigorous preparation, I decided to take the exam in August. Though I managed to get a decent GMAT score, I knew that the journey had just begun and there was still a long way to go. Without wasting any time, I started working on my essays. Writing the rough drafts….several rounds of editing….getting them approved by my friends….all in all, this took me about a fortnight. It was September 15 and the deadline for the first round of applications. My application was still incomplete but I knew I had to get it out of my way in the first deadline itself. Phew…I somehow struggled to submit the application just in time in the first deadline.

Days passed by and I got busy with my office work. And then, on my way back from a hectic day at work, I received an SMS from ISB saying I was selected for an interview. Wow….I was soooo thrilled that day. The fact that I was so close to my goal made me jump with joy! I didn’t get much time to prepare for the interview but still managed to prepare answers for questions like why ISB, why MBA, etc. It was November 2 and THE interview day. My interview was very short (20 minutes) and the admission panel didn’t seem too impressed by me. I felt I could have been better. I had a very mixed feeling right after the interview. I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad. I decided to wait…..wait for the result.

The long long wait ended some 10 days back when I received a Congratulations message from ISB. Perhaps, my interview wasn’t that bad. I re-read the message several times until the feeling that my dreams had transformed into reality actually sunk in. Standing on the other side of the bridge, I am now confident of the fact that burning the fabled midnight oil is a slow, steady but a sure way of reaching one’s goals!

Resurgent India ... Confident Indians

Tata's have done it again. They have bought yet another crown jewel of the British Empire. Tata Motors has emerged as the preferred bidder for Jaguar and Land Rover, icons of British motor industry. Earlier Tata Steel had bought Corus (erstwhile British Steel). Tata Tea had also bought out Tetley, yet another brand from colonial era. Pessimists might downplay it as a flash in the pan. But these are signs of things to come. China and India are marching, and nobody can stop them. US might have succeeded in thwarting CNOOC attempts to buy Unocal, but they cant hold them for long. Nobody can deny India its deserved place in the sun.

Coming to confident Indians. I have a personal experience to substantiate this. I will be joining ISB in the coming April. The cost of the MBA course works out to be approx 18 Lakhs (only if the North Block does not levy Service Tax on tuition fees). 18 Lakhs is no small sum by any means. But I don't think anybody who will be joining will be worrying about 18 Lakhs at the moment. Everybody is confident that they will get a handsome return on investment on this. This is the sign of confident Indians (directly proportional to booming indian economy). People of earlier generations would have baulked at this figure, but at least I was not not even bothered by it for a second. I just hope that my confidence is vindicated, when i pass out in April 2009 :D

ISB !! What it means

I finally paid the entire acceptance amount today . .. . .
I had paid the first 50,000/- on 18th and the impact of this action really hit me after 2 days - I had actually committed myself to joining ISB. Not that there was a doubt in my mind - but once the deed is done - the realisation actually hits you.


The words ' Accepted: Congratulations on accepting the admission offer from ISB. The follow-up documents will be sent to you shortly.' sends a shiver down my spine.

Its like the day I was to leave my boarding school (Lawrence School, Sanawar) after 10th. I still remember we had our Maths exam on a Monday and we were supposed to leave after the exam - and all of a sudden on Sunday it hit me - I was actually going to leave Sanawar - leave for a life that would be totally different from what I was used to. Leave for a life which I could guarantee would be different - could not guarantee that it would be better - but definitely different. It was a stark realisation - and all I did the entire day was go around school - looking at the places I loved, ones I hated and again the ones I loved.

Committing myself to ISB had a sense of deja vu -- albeit this time it was earlier - also this time there is a lot more to feel nostalgic about. Like before I can't guarantee the life in ISB and after would be better than what it is now - but it would be definitely different. Somehow there has never been an apprehension in my mind about going back to school - I guess after 5 years of architecture; 2 years of masters in building engineering and management - school life is more natural to me than anything else.

Now that the initial amount has been paid - come questions about what next. How would I spend the next 2 months working on the same job - knowing that a totally new life lies ahead. The one good point is that I have planned for (and got my clients to agree) stopping work in Feb end - so I would have one and a half months of vacation. Planning to travel - though not sure where and how. Thats one more thing I need to look into.

Friday, December 21, 2007

back to school!!

I always wanted to get into ISB. I am a re-applicant; applied in R2 last time, got wait-listed, and then finally was pushed out of the queue.. :(

This time I made it a point to apply in R1, and have made it through! But you know, the euphoria of getting through lasted for precisely 5 seconds, and then I was back to my daily chores. There's already a lot happening around me now, so probably am not getting the time to enjoy that feeling.

But then, probably, the chase really WAS more exciting! I guess that happens with everything in life. :) You're running after something, and then you suddenly get it one day! and then you don't know what to do next. hehe...

There IS one thing I'm happy about... no more applications! ISB was always my first choice school, so now I can chill for the next 3 months before joining school. Joining SCHOOL! wooaaahhh!! Kinda scary... But I'm sure I'll get around.. Meeting new people... making new friends... sounds gud! :)

Trip to home

I decided to visit home before going offshore for a project. Usually I don’t trust flights during the winter season due to treacherous Delhi weather. After taking the flight I have to catch a connecting train and since the flights are always delayed, I have lost the train a couple of times. So the next option is to take the rail route. Rail journey takes 22 hours officially for just over 1200 kms. But actually it takes more than 27 hours. I boarded the train, with Paulo Coelho’s book “The Alchemist” for company. I have been thinking of reading this book for a long time. I had heard a lot about this book and wanted to read it. The book was interesting and intriguing. Due to its philosophical touch, it sounded little boring at times. I am not a huge fan of philosophical books. It is often said that a book is a man’s best companion. This book helped me in whiling away 27 boring hours. When I reached home, I was subjected to a severe dose of soap operas. Oh my GOD, bahuranian, betian, bhabhi. i have been trying to avoid the TV and get hold of the remote to catch up with news etc. but remote seems out of reach and is reserved from 8 to 10:30 pm. So I have no option, but to watch the horrendous serials. Sometimes I feel like worshiping Ekta Kapoor. She is God. No one other than Ramananda Sagar, has created such benchmarks in Indian Television history. My mom remarked that even if you don’t watch the serial for a month, you won’t lose track of the story. But still she watches them religiously. So that’s the story of the Indian soap Operas. I think they should find mention in Harvard Business Review. Tonnes of newsprints have been written about the characters of these soap operas. Everybody is so elegantly dressed even when they wake up at 2 AM in the morning. The camera gives the characters ample time for multiple zoom in and zoom out and till the time all other characters wait. I mean any sane person can identify the vamp from her facial expressions, but nobody notices her. Where on the earth does this happen. But the TRPs are zooming. Is anybody, other than me, complaining?

Prashant

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

My Interview Experience

Finally had my interview on November 19 - in Mumbai. Unfortunately I don't remember the names - but two gents.
The essay was on 'Sunset' - 100 words - I think I rambled on about beautiful colours, romanticism, melancholy, hope, and god know what else.

The interview was very casual - unfortunately - I don't think it went very well for me.

They started with my profile - I'll just briefly mention it here - as my interview was mostly about my profile.

1) Did my architecture from Chandigarh - its one of the oldest and best colleges for architecture
2) Did a masters in Building Engineering and Management from SPA, Delhi - again one of the best
3) Joined Cushman & Wakefield in their project management division - worked there for 2 years
4) Started my own business in project management and have been working on my own for the past one and a half years.

First question was why - after such a good progression - working great in the company - you left all of a sudden to start your own business. I mentioned that I was working on a project and the client asked me if I could provide them with project management service - I discussed this with a colleague and we decided to go into business together servicing the client.

He then asked why I wanted to leave my business which was just starting for and MBA. I mentioned that till date I have been plugging in holes in my education - after architecture I realised that actual construction was something I hardly knew about so I joined construction management and now after working for more than a year in my own firm I realised that I needed to learn more about finance and HR.

Next they asked about my essays - specially the second one - simple stuff - nothing major.

Then they came back to my business and how I though ISB would help me out. I mentioned that even after getting such a good start and working for one of the largest merchant bankers in the world - I was unable to really expand my business and even after one and half years I'm still stuck with the single client. He asked me what areas I though I needed to improve and I mentioned finance and HR - as resourcing was one of the major problems I've been facing - and I really do not know how to expand. Then they asked me if I would like to major in finance - and I replied yes - alongwith entrepreneurship. They asked me if after one year I would get an offer from a big real estate firm or a finance firm - would I take up that offer. I mentioned that as of now my intention was to come back and expand my business - however you never know what can happen in a year.

Then things started going bad - he asked how specifically I felt that an MBA would help me in resourcing as well as generating money to expand the firm. I was confused at first - and then mentioned that if I understand more about finance and HR - study other cases such as mine I'm sure I would be able to run a better business. Didn't seem to go down too well with them. He worded the same question a bit differently and asked me that at the start of your business - when you're not sure of the finance - you're planning to spend 18-20 lakhs in a course - which would result in huge EMIs once you come out - add to that business expenses - how would this help out your business. I knew I was dead - but nevertheless I smiled and mentioned that I felt this 18-20 lakhs was an investment in myself and I knew that I would do well after an MBA.

Then they asked me if I had missed out something in my application or hasn't come up in my interview. I mentioned that I'm not sure if its important - but while filling my application - I missed out the fact that I love to read. Reading is such an integral part of my life - that it didn't seem important. Only after reading my application later - did I realise this. Then they asked me about any recent book I had read - so I mentioned 'The Count of Monte Cristo'.

Then it was the standard dialogue of whether I wanted to ask them anything. By now I felt that I had already bumbled enough - so I said no and said goodbyes to both of them.

**************************************

I guess the interview went better that I had felt - I got through !!!

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Welcome

Hi All,

Welcome to the first blog...

Hello Hello Mike testing. everything seems to be working fine

Please feel free to contribute.

Prashant