Self Appraisal
Posted by as Inspirational, My Thoughts, My life, Personal Development
Popularity: 2%
Changing face of INDIA…
Posted by as Inspirational, My life, india
Popularity: 4%
How is it to work in The Corporate World?
Posted by as Corporate World, My Thoughts, My life
Popularity: 3%
My IIM Lucknow Experience!
Posted by as FPM, Finance, My life, cat, mba
Popularity: 5%
Research Aptitude Test (RAT)
Posted by as FPM, Finance, My life, cat, mba
Popularity: 6%
My IIM Lucknow FPM Interview Experience
Posted by as FPM, Finance, My life, cat, mba
LF: Good Morning, take the seat…
Me: Thank you sir…
LF: So, you have done 10th in 2000 with XX.XX%… 12th in 2002 with XX.XX%… B. Tech from NIT Trichy in 2006 with X.XX CGPA… Joined Mahindra… as GET… so what are u now? Oh ok… Asst. Manager.
I was not asked for my INTRO… they themselves were making it out from my application form
L: How much are you getting from Mahindra? X.XX LPA…Oh you are making so much!! Then why are you interested in doing this course? The IIM professors won’t be making this much!!
Me: Sir, it is not about money! There is something more than that. I want to do something of my own in my life.
R: (Looking at my Transcript) Seems like you had a course on Finance during your B.Tech… So what have you learned in that? Let us know few of the chapters you had in it…
Me: Sir, it was offered as an elective and was a very basic course. It explained various financial terms. I took it out of my interest in Finance. (All this while I was thinking about the name of the chapters in the Finance Management course I had in the 7th Semester).
Me: We learned about Company Balance Sheets, how to read it, something on Stock Markets, valuation of stocks etc… (I really couldn’t remember what was in there… But I knew something or the other to tell in these topics. So I blurted out the above three…)
LF: So, what is P/E ratio?
R: What are undervalued and overvalued stocks?
LF: What do you mean by Market Cap?
LF: What are his investment principles?
L: Why did the market crash?
LF: What is subprime crisis?
R: Wall Street? What is its Indian counterpart?
L: Why is it called subprime? What actually happened?
LR: You havn’t answered the question from L completely. Answer it completely. (This professor was quite all throughout the interview and was not asking any questions but observing me!).
LF: So you have an interest on ForEx Markets. So what do you mean by ForEx market?
LF: What kind of experience you have with the ForEx Markets?
R: So, you like yourself to get billed in USD or in INR? And why?
Me: I told reasons like rupee appreciation and depreciation. If Indian Economy is doing well and Indian Rupee is appreciating, I prefer getting billed in INR and if not in USD. (This was a cooked up, instantaneous answer.)
LF: How do you hedge the risk between different currencies? (I couldn’t answer this!)
R: So, INR appreciates only when the Indian Economy is doing well? How do you know whether the Indian Economy is doing well or not?
LF: So you are telling me that GDP of India is growing at around 9% per annum and that is the reason why INR is appreciating? (I forgot the impact ForEx flow can make on the exchange rates here…)
L: Then why didn’t INR appreciate for the past few years but only now? Do you know that Indian Economy was growing at an average of 7-8% per annum on GDP while US was growing at only at 2-3%…? So isn’t your logic wrong?
Me: I tried telling that US economy is 13times that of Indian economy and so 2-3% growth of US economy means 26-39% when compared to India and etc etc… (Cooked up… couldn’t get away with it. So finally, I accepted my mistake.)
LF: (In between, somewhere I had blurted out the word inflation. So they caught on to it.) So what is inflation? Is it good or bad for Economy? Will it affect the GDP growth rate?
LF: So are u speaking about nominal GDP or notional GDP?
(I said nominal and then he asked me what it is… I didn’t know and so accepted defeat there too…)
LF: Seeing your academic performance, your age and Work Experience, you will be able to crack CAT easily if you try again. Also if I offer you a PGP admission here in IIML will you take it? I am going to offer it now…
L: Did you apply for PGP programs too in IIMs? Or you applied just for FPM?
R: What other calls are you having? Do you have other MBA admits?
Me: (I decided to be as frank as I can…) I have applied for both MBA and FPM in IIMs. But no IIM call. Sir, I have a couple of other MBA admits. Sir regarding the IIML PGP seat, I offered, I will definitely take it up. But then, that is only if you are not giving me the FPM admission this time.
Me: I know I am not good at Finance and Financial terms as I don’t have any kind of background in Finance. My short term goal is to get well versed with the Finance and Financial terms… (I got cut here…)
LF: An MBA in Finance will be enough for that…
Me: Yes sir… I know… So if I am not given the FPM seat, which I felt was out of reach till now and is still feeling, I will be taking up MBA finance somewhere… But then, I am sure, down the line, I have to do my research… I have to take my doctorate… I want to have something of my own… So I was thinking… If this seat is offered to me… why should I wait for few more years to complete my MBA and then work in an MNC…? After all, I am going to end up taking FPM here in IIML or in any of the other IIMs…
LF: Hmm… Ok… So thanks Leo.
R: What is this second preference given here? Are you also interested in HR? You were telling me the whole time that you want to be a finance guy and that is the only thing u want be become… Then what is this?
Me: (Again a frank reply…) Sir, we were given two options while applying. So, thought why to keep the second option blank. This is the ONLY reason why HR is shown as my second preference and I am not at all keen in being an HR guy.
R: You had a course on Operations Management too as elective in your 7th Sem. So you remember any chapters from it?
Me: (I wanted to get out of the place… Too much time already…) No Sir.
R: Ok.. Thanks Leo
LR: All the best.
L: Thanks. Please tell the next candidate to come in after 5min.
Me: Yes sir… Thank you sir…
Popularity: 5%
Interview Experiences
Posted by NoeL as FPM, My life, cat, mba
Hi Friends,
My IIM Lucknow, FPM interview experience will be posted shortly.
Other interview experiences, viz. Great Lakes, SPJIMR and SCMHRD are also in the making.
Do get back for more…
NoeL
Popularity: 4%
Welcome to My Life!
Posted by NoeL as FPM, Mahindra Life, My life, cat, mba
Hi friends…
Today, 3rd May 2008, I am stepping on to the shoes of a writer! Blogger!!
For a long time, i was thinking of starting a BloG of my own. Also i always wanted to write about something.. Write about the things that come to my mind every now and then… Finally, i belive i am going to do that…
You will find posts here on following stuff!!
My Life! (The Past, The Present and The Future)
My Thoughts! (The things that will be going on through my mind… every now and then!!)
My Interests! (Weblinks, articles i stumble upon etc…!)
My Daily Activities..! (The ones i would like to share with you all…!)
Hmm… That is quite a lot… All these will appear here only if i post regularly!! For that i need inspiration… and it has to come from you all!! So keep posting comments!! :)
NoeL
Popularity: 4%
How it all happened!!
Posted by as Friends and Relations, My life, Stories
The time was 14:49. He had to do it. But he didn’t know how to. His heart started beating fast. He could sense his hand shaking when took his mobile. He couldn’t wait. This was the time……
His mind was racing. It all started on one eventful day when the seemingly innocuous girl required his help. It was a new contact and he was more than happy to help. She was sweet and nice and he liked her innocence instantly. He never did anything to build the relationship but she opted to be in constant touch and slowly they became friends.
The message was typed in a hurry. He edited and re-edited it to make it sound perfect. It had to. With a lot of apprehension and fear, he pressed the ‘send’ button……
The friendship blossomed over the next three months. Messaging and chatting online weren’t uncommon. He always had a soft corner for her for she fondly called him ‘Godfather’ and he also liked her outgoing, loquacious nature. Then things changed somewhere around two months back.
The mobile display showed that the message was sent. He became restless. He anxiously waited for the delivery report to come. It didn’t. It took two minutes, which according to him was eternity, for the message to get delivered. She took her mobile and read……
Things changed. She was facing problems in her personal life. And she was ready to confide all those in him. He was pleased to help her out fully and they became close. They started meeting often. Message count everyday increased exponentially for him. Not a day passed without contacting her. And finally it happened. They mutually agreed to become life partners.
She saw the picture message. A rose, with the message below ‘I think I love you.. Do you?’ Before she could react, he held out his hand holding a gem-studded ring and asked her ‘Will you be my girlfriend?’A big smile spread across her face and a spontaneous YES came out of her lips. He felt he was dreaming. She showed her hand and he slid the ring across her soft finger and it was all over……
Wow!! It was one tense period let me tell you, even though I knew the answer before. Finally I got some courage to propose to a girl didn’t I? March 13th, 2008 is a date to remember indeed. Our relationship seems straight out a Tamil movie. She was one of the firsts to read my ‘Advice to all young men’ blog post and she had said ‘you have written it well but I don’t think it will work’. She always used to call me ‘Sir’. She was one girl who was willing to be spotted in public with me and didn’t mind the speculations that were flying around. I loved her company and I guess she liked mine too. Time flew off whenever we met and the compatibility levels were so supreme. I admired the consummate else with which she made friends and maintained them. There were so many similarities we shared, nature wise. But only when we started sharing our ‘dark’ secrets did I realize the potential life partner in her. I liked the ‘flaws’ she had and that she was ever ready to listen to my words was encouraging.
Telling her my intentions were relatively easy for I knew our relationship was strong enough. But we decided to consult many of our friends before we decided on anything. The age factor was always there and also that my career is pretty much settled when hers is not. And I having a notorious reputation with girls was something she had to ponder over. But even after all the negative reactions she got from many, she was ready to accept me. And that was all I needed. We decided to wait till my interview got over.
On March 10th, in between my two interviews (read previous post) I told my Dad about her. And I eventually told my Mom and Ranju too and showed them her photo. Being always given the freedom to do anything, they were quite fine about it and wished me ‘all the best’. They were indeed worried about her career and I promised them that this won’t interfere. So the stage was set.
I took her to the Meridian and the story followed (she did not have any idea that I would propose that day! Actually there was a fight on who should propose and I being a gentleman finally gave up). It rained slightly when we came out (it had to! I had at last proposed!). And Dad was the first one to hear the news when he made his everyday routine call. Everyone got to know and we got back mixed reactions. But both of us are happy and contended with everything that has happened. So here ends this colourful post to signify a colourful life ahead! Gosh! Life is very cruel. Even ARS has been made a romantic!!!
Popularity: 5%
Be smiley at the irony :)
Posted by as Friends and Relations, My life
“AS YOU SOW SO YOU REAP. no point crying over split milk. its not the lack of aptitude its the lack of attitude……”, this was the sms Dad sent me from Sabrimala when CAT results came. It irritated me so much then; still I stored the message in the inbox. Yes I failed. But I tried my best. Can’t blame him for he was indeed disappointed. He scolded me for not being serious about XAT exam and how aloof I was during the winter holidays. All I could tell him was “please wait for XAT results”. But then I was afraid of it myself…
CAT… The exam I felt I was thoroughly prepared for. All the mock tests had told me I would succeed. The seriousness was at its peaks near the exam date. The practice I had, the late night sessions with the books at home, dad monitoring, mom doing her part by preparing juices in between and Ranju somehow maintaining silence at home. The lead up was tense with me counting down every single day in my diary and every hour towards the end. I received many wishes the night before the exam and was highly confident of it. Mom kept ‘vibhudi’ and Dad accompanied me to the exam center, full of advices on the way. Went to the exam hall with two watches (in case one failed!) and was there an hour before the test. Took the exam with full concentration (didn’t even see all the nice girls in my room!) and before I knew, the exam got over. Compared my answers with the keys released by various institutes and felt I had done it to the fullest. Life was so easy…
XAT… The exam I never gave myself a chance. Had heard stories that the Verbal section is the toughest in XAT. After CAT went well, I became presumptuous and started enjoying the holidays without caring about the exam ahead. Went to Bangalore, started getting hooked to internet, often went out with friends to movies, missed one mock XAT test also but surely didn’t miss out on any form of entertainment I could have got. Thought would prepare something the last week before the exams but eventually didn’t. Got negative marks in Verbal section in the only mock test I took! Who cares! The lead up to the exam was very relaxed, being online till late nights. Not many wished, no tension, was infact seeing off Dad to Sabrimala the night before. With no one to accompany me, I rode to the exam hall in my old Scooty, having only one watch this time. Wasn’t able to concentrate that hard during the exam and I was wishing for the thing to get over soon as I was very eager to get back to college the next day. I felt that the exam didn’t go well, especially the Verbal section…
Disappointed with the CAT results (Verbal again!!), this was my last chance this year. The results were expected by the end of January. But suddenly yesterday night at 2 am, when I was spending some nice time with my juniors, I came to know that they had released the results. Without any frills, I went to the XLRI website and typed my roll number only to find out that I have got calls from XLRI for both the courses they offer. At last! Something! I was relieved more than anything else. Was more pleased to find out that I had got the best percentile in the Verbal section!
The scorecard read (in percentiles):
Verbal Ability: 98.11
Quantitative Ability: 96.60
Reasoning and Decision Making Ability: 96.27
Total Percentile: 99.41
I delightfully deleted that message from my inbox. And when I started writing this post, I got another one from him.
“Congratulations on your unique performance. waste no time and start equipping yourselves with current affairs, G K. READ TIMES OF INDIA THROUGHLY “
aye aye captain!
Popularity: 4%
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