Cracking CAT and getting those 99 percentiles might be hard, but converting those IIM calls can prove to be harder. Especially when the questions asked by the panellists are somewhat… weird. Here are some IIM graduates sharing the weirdest questions asked to them in an interview, and how they converted those IIM calls.
1. “Suppose you’re Mike Pence who understands the gravity of climate change. Convince Donald Trump to get back into the Paris Climate Change Agreement.”
I started answering but in an American accent about why the US should act now, what the consequences would be, blah blah.
The interviewer stopped me and asked, “Why did you switch to an American accent?”
I said, “If I speak in an Indian accent, he would probably not understand. We saw yesterday how horrible it went in Ahmedabad where he called the city Abbabed along with Vivekamundan, Koh-Lee, and Soo-Chin.”
*Laughs all around* Yeah converted.
2. One of my friends had an interview for IIM Ahemdabad in 2011. During the interview one of the panellists asked him to sell his laptop at a higher price than the laptop’s market price. The market price told was Rs 70,000.
My friend got very confused. But then he took a piece of paper, wrote his phone number, and gave it to the panellist. And then took his laptop in his hand and ran away from the room. After hours the panellist got tensed and called him. My friend answered his phone and said “Sir sorry for the inconvenience caused. But if you want your laptop back please pay Rs 1,00,000.”
3. P1: You’ve such a high percentile. Why are you here? You will crack IIMA and ditch us.
Me: Sir, IIMK is one of the best IIM calls I have, and I value it like any other call.
P1: But definitely, not the best IIM call! Don’t you lie to us!!
P2: So, you come from Bihar. What’s your opinion about Lalu Prasad Yadav?
Me: Extremely corrupt politician, Sir.
P1: How can you be so sure?
Me: Sir, his evil smile reveals it all.
P1: Looks can be extremely deceiving, my dear friend!
Me: Exactly my point Sir! A high percentile may not always mean IIMA material.
4. P1: You seem to know a lot of math. What do you like about it?
Result: Convert. 😛
5. Why exactly do you want to come to this (IIMA) campus, because I feel that it has nothing to do with what we offer but just that you want to go home and brag about getting the admission here to your friends and parents and get a large dowry later on. Why do you want to get here?
Stunned. Awkward silence for 5 seconds. Look Down. Calm Down. Smile.
Sir, I am not aware of the dowry part. But if what you say is correct, I shall surely go back home and renegotiate.
He burst out laughing.
Me: I really want to be here. Period.
Result: Well, they are very close to me now and keep bugging me about my marriage and dowry plans!
6. P1: You have to be an unethical person once you join a marketing field. Let’s consider deodorant advertisements. Ten girls surround a boy when he puffs a specific brand of deodorant. Do you think it is loyal?
I am not sure that girls will come after using that deodorant. However, the girls with me weren’t running away from me due to this deodorant. It helped to prevent any stinking smell from me.
7. P1: So tell me Abhishek why do you have ‘1993’ in your email-id?
Verdict: Selected
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