The Only

Journal for
MBA Aspirants

STUDENT SILHOUETTE
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The future belongs to those who are willing to

take an initiative! Elizabeth Mathew, IIM-A
- Dipti Nagpaul

Please tell us about your background. Why did you opt

for MBA after a professional qualification?
I did electronic engineering from Mumbai
University. The kind of jobs on offer did not really
interest me. It was then that I came face-to-face with
my interest in management and decided to join IIMA.

How important are extra-curricular activities are to

personality development?
I feel one has to develop ones strengths and
confidence to last in the long run. A structured course
like engineering does not offer many avenues that help
develop skills like team building, leadership, etc. This
is where extracurricular activities come in. The
exposure to avenues other than academics is immense
and teaches you to deal with unstructured situations.

What made you select the particular institute vis--vis

others you got calls from?
I got calls from all six IIMs as I had not applied
anywhere else. IIM-A with its wide acclaim for general
management and top most placements was an obvious
choice.

How did it make you feel securing admission to the best?

I am really glad that all the hard work paid off! I
was happy to be competing with the best brains in the
country.

Who was your inspiration, your role model?

I did not really have any role model but belief in
my own capabilities and support from my parents is
what drove me to take it seriously even when the
practice test scores reflected otherwise.

How did you prepare for the CAT and GDPIs? How many
hours did you put in on a daily basis? What were your
weak areas and how did you overcome them?
I started my preparation with CAT classes thrice a
week. Beginning August 2003, I started training for
GDs. I also attended workshops, read TOI, ET,
Business Week, and The Economist regularly. I took

the various test-series seriously and spent time staying

in sync with them. Some areas didnt take too much
time, others needed improvement, and so my
preparation pattern varied and was purely resultoriented. I worked on different sub-sections till my
scores actually improved.

What was the strategy you used?

I studied all CAT preparation material thoroughly,
did the exercises and tested myself using the small
10-min, 15 min, 1 hr, 2 hr tests in order to build my
concentration levels gradually. So while studying the
concepts, it was accuracy that I focused on but when I
moved onto the tests, it was speed that my focus
shifted to.

Is choice of specialisation based on analysis of your

aptitude or some other factors? What are the
prerequisites, innate skills for a student who desires to
take up a career in management?
A degree in management offers you opportunities
in a variety of fields. The common requisite would be
the ability to work in teams, self-confidence,
determination and perseverance to stretch your limits.
The ability to learn quickly and work in unstructured
environments also holds a lot of importance.
Ultimately when one joins a corporate, it is these skills
that differentiate you from your counterparts. IIMA
prepares one to get into any field, be it finance,
marketing or any other field for that matter. What one
opts for should be based on ones
innate interest and what one feels
would help achieve job
satisfaction. I believe that you
can do anything you want to
do, so if you want to be a
good manager, you can
always learn. There is
always room at the
top.

Advanc'edge MBA September 2004

STUDENT SILHOUETTE
Read on ...................................

How do you think MBA has helped you? Is it imperative

for all those who want to pursue a career in
management? How did you face the corporate
interviews?
MBA teaches you to think logically and ask the right
questions when faced with an unknown situation. The
course also sensitises you to the many aspects of
management so even if you join an investment bank
as a trader, your lessons in marketing, HR, strategy
or finance will help you understand the dynamics of
that business. Your exposure to the complete spectrum
of options will help you adapt better than someone
who has done a Masters in Finance.
As far as corporate interviews are concerned, we
have faced corporates during our summer placements,
which typically happen within two-three months of
induction into the programme. At that point of time,
all of us are very new to the course and are still
grappling with basic concepts. Even corporates are
aware of this and their interviews are more like
personality tests. Probably, it is only a few sectors like

say, Investment banking, where they would try and

gauge your understanding on economy, markets etc,
which you can easily handle if you are a regular reader
of the business magazines and newspapers.

An MBA from a top B-school is great with theory and

low on practice. Please comment.
Well, I would say it is a bit of both. Though they
may not quiz you on your theorotical knowledge,
corporate interviews vary. Your best bet is your
confident self!! Attitude is everything.

Do you believe the future belongs to MBAs? What is

your advice to students who plan to get into IIMA?
The future belongs to those who are willing to take
an initiative! All I would like to say to those preparing
for CAT is to work hard but at the same time try and
gauge your strengths in other avenues too. Dont burn
all your bridges, have a back-up plan. Being good in
academics is important but there is a lot more beyond
that too!

Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies (KIAMS)

TWO YEAR FULL TIME POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN MANAGEMENT (PGDM) 2005-07
Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies (KIAMS), a premier Institute established by the reputed Kirloskar
Group, invites applications for admission to the Eighth batch (2005-07) of the two-year full time PGDM program.
Eligibility:
Minimum qualification is a three-year Bachelors degree or equivalent in any discipline from an Indian University with
minimum 50% aggregate marks in graduation. Candidates appearing for their graduation exam may also apply.
KIAMS Admission Process for candidates appearing for CAT
1. Candidates seeking admission to KIAMS should appear for the Common Admission Test (CAT) to be conducted
by IIMs on November 21, 2004. (See the major dailies on July 18th 2004 for the details of the CAT exam) Completed
CAT application forms should be directly sent to the concerned IIM as prescribed in the CAT bulletin.
2.

Additionally, the candidates should register with KIAMS through a separate application form. The KIAMS application
form can be obtained from the address given below, by sending a D.D. for Rs 750/- drawn in favor of Kirloskar
Institute of Advanced Management Studies payable at Harihar (Karnataka). The application form can also be
downloaded from our website. Last date for the receipt of filled in application forms at KIAMS is 5th December
2004.

3.

Our Institute uses CAT for short-listing the candidates for our 2-year full time PGDM course. IIMs have no role
either in selection process or in conducting the programme.

4.

KIAMS Admission Process for candidates appearing for XAT: Candidates appearing for XAT may also apply
by providing their XAT ID. To apply to XAT, please visit the XAT website www.xlri.edu/xat.

5.

Candidates applying to KIAMS will be called for group work and interview, from February 2005 onwards, to be
held at Harihar Campus, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, New Delhi and Pune.
For more details contact: The Admissions Coordinator
Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies
Yantrapur, Harihar-577 602 (Karnataka-India)
Tel: (08192) 241269, 241483, 241486. Fax: (08192) 241270
E-mail: admissions@kiams-hrr.org.
Website: www.kiams-hrr.org
KIAMS is an autonomous body, not affiliated to any University and is not regulated by the AICTE Act or any other State Act.
Prospectus are available at IMS centres
Advanc'edge MBA September 2004