The CAT results are out and  the buzz world now is about the CAT results and analysing what profile each of the seven Indian Institute of Managements was looking out for. Now it is time to move on. Having received those much-coveted call letters from these prestigious institutes, it is time to sharpen skills, brush up on current affairs and step up to the challenges thrown up by the second stage: Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interview (PI).

Experts say that scores of CAT aspirants, who cleared the screening and got
calls from five or six IIMs, were not able to convert even one of them into an
IIM seat. So, it is time for IIM aspirants to fasten the seatbelts and get cracking!

As one of the top scorers in CAT-2008 succinctly put it: “There are no ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ with the IIMs.” one of the IIMian, who hit perfection with a 100 percentile, says that he is quite jittery about this round. When asked if he was being modest, he says that there is not a shadow of doubt that the GD and PI stage is a battle, and a close one at that. So, how does one go about moving from that shortlist to the student rolls of these institutes?

There are several refresher or crash courses conducted by various institutes
which will help you come up with strategies to tackle this round. While they
will provide you with tips and give you an idea of what current affairs are most likely to surface, brushing up on General Knowledge and subject fundamentals is your burden, say experts. “Choose depth in addition to width to succeed,” advises one well known consultant. Small things matter : “They are not looking for a quizzer’s knowledge but want to see if you have an understanding of things around you,” he says. For instance, the panel may ask you about some historic value of your native place or even the meaning of your name. “These small things matter,” he points out. Besides being clear, logical and communicative, the content is important both in GD and PI.

Another consultatnt says that over the next few weeks candidates must read, but with interest. “No point in looking at half-a-dozen newspapers or memorising old magazines.” He lists four aspects that need to be kept in mind, in order of importance: content, effective communication, team skills and leadership.

“While content has to do with providing perspective, direction and depth,
communication — as abused a term as it is — does not mean fluency or
flamboyance.” English skills are critical, of course, but then they are not on
the lookout for an orator. So, even if your accent is dented and vocabulary
limited, if you think logically and speak clearly, you will make the cut. In
terms of team skills, selectors are closely watching your interactions, body
language and etiquette. Do you get agitated when others contradict you and cut them off or are you magnanimous enough to appreciate a sound argument? Similarly, leadership does not mean you turn into a traffic policeman. “Can your thoughts give direction to a discussion, and lead them to a deeper level of debate? In corporate culture, leadership is not about power or authority but direction,”

Experts advice students against speculating too much. Every IIM has its own set of parameters, and though the first-round parameters have been published on websites, the GD/PI requirements are still unclear. Last year, IIM-Ahmedabad conducted GD and PI, and IIM-Lucknow surprised candidates by making them write an essay. IIM-Bangalore had GD and PI and made students write a GD summary — which puts listening and reporting skills to test.

Experts say  the freshers can make up for lack of job experience by academic performance, extra-curricular achievements etc. An IIM-B official said parameters vary, but the institute looked for “consistently excellent academic records”.

Experts say that the basics are sacrosanct. For instance, if you are an
electrical engineer, the panel may ask you why a fan has three blades. “You
never read that in a book, so we are looking for your application,” he says. And do you need to know anything about management? “Not at all, sometimes students dig their own grave by claiming to be interested in marketing/supply chain, which leads to further questions”.

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