Interview Experiences in Welingkar Institute of Management

The interview experience at a B-school such as the Welingkar Institute of Management is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is both challenging and rewarding.

Usually, the selection rounds of both Summer Internships and Executive Placements at Welingkar Institute of Management comprise some or all of the following rounds:- 

- Psychometric or Aptitude Test 

- Group Discussion (GD) 

- Case Study Discussion (CD)  

- Personal Interview (PI) 

One thing to note is that PI too can happen over the course of multiple rounds wherein both the aptitude (technical round) and attitude (HR round) of a candidate are analysed. These rounds are conducted at the sole discretion of the particular company and the total students participating in that interview process. These rounds may be conducted entirely on the college campus or at the company’s head office, either on single or multiple days as per the company’s convenience.

The panellists conducting these rounds could be a combination of the company’s designated HR personnel or freelancing industry veterans, who have decades of experience in conducting interviews. In terms of age, the interviewers could be either young, aged, or a mix of both. 

The topics asked during a GD round could either be abstract or based on current affairs. The case discussion too could be based on a simple scenario to a more complex and time-consuming one. One must have a good understanding of general knowledge and current affairs as well as the ability to express one's opinion clearly and concisely in any GD. And in a CD, mostly it’s the approach to solve a case study that matters more than the actual solution. Coming to the questions asked in a PI, they could belong to some or all of the following fields:- 

• Questions based purely on CV
• About the job applied for, the company offering it as well as the domain it belongs to
• Current affairs 
• Hobbies and interests
• Current academics  
• Miscellaneous      

Considering the total batch strength of more than 650 students across all PGDM and MMS courses combined, the competition during both summer internships and executive placements has always been pretty intense. During the initial stages of an executive placement season every year, one can expect a huge chunk of candidates sitting for the interview process. And the college also tries to ensure the final placement season, which usually begins in September - October, sees a significant number of students getting placed by December itself. In the initial stages of the executive placement season, one can safely expect 50-100 students to participate in the process of a single company. Also, there are very high chances of a student appearing for more than one interview on a single day. Hence, one should be well-prepared to deal with such a situation as adeptly as possible.  

The PI round could last anywhere from just ten minutes to even more than an hour, depending upon the interviewee’s performance and the specific skillsets required for a particular job. A thing to note here is that the duration of a PI round shouldn’t be solely considered to speculate one’s selection or rejection. Giving lucid answers in a confident manner proves very crucial to excelling in any interview. The candidate must be well-versed with everything that is mentioned on his/her CV. 

In a nutshell, the interview experience at a B-school such as the Welingkar Institute of Management is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is both challenging and rewarding.

About The Author

Abhishek Desai is studying at the Welingkar Institute of Management, Mumbai. He has interests in writing, outdoor sports and singing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely the author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha.