Moderately paced, steady, and bang on target!!

For accessing quality CAT tests login to www.mymbaprep.com and for guidance and discussing your doubts with IIM mentors login to www.careerinfoline.com.

Well that's how I'd sum up my progress in my first (and fortunately, only) attempt at CAT. Without any background or knowledge whatsoever about Management, I'd decided to take the plunge. And a blind plunge it was.

I had started in July with an attempt at CAT 2006 (Dunno why? But still...), started joining online forums and contacting remote friends for advice. I realized I was really miserable at quant, and focussed on quant itself for the month. I started with Arun Sharma, and pretty soon I was sitting for hours solving exercises. I'd spend up to an hour on some LOD III problems, (no other respite!) and still hope to get somewhere...

In august I started scouting for help, and in the course, joined the TIME aimcat series and a revision series with Munira Lokhandwala. The actual number of fundae in CAT are quite few, and even in the revision series, I think pretty much everything was covered. In the months of August and September, I focused a lot on solving section tests, and in my test taking abilities. The most important lesson here was to program myself to leave a question in 30secs/1 min if I could not reach a solution.

September and October were again spent in taking a lot of mocks. I'd borrowed papers from IMS, CL, CF, and PT practically everywhere and used to solve some 2-3 mocks every week. The important point was comparing my attempts with the 'easy' questions as listed in the keys to the mock. I was very active on Pagalguy, constantly keeping myself updated on AIMCAT's and CL mocks.

The last 3 weeks were spent solving quant and DI Topicwise from old TIME papers. The key here was solving in a group, as even if one of us got the answer, we could see the approach and rapidly move ahead.

Another important point I'd like to highlight here is the effect that the mock tests had on my confidence levels. Getting a top 100 rank almost every time and comparing my attempts with other scorers made me more and surer of my strengths and weaknesses in handling the CAT. In the end, it’s the confidence that you have in yourself that enables you to perform your best…

A Summary of my results…

XAT....Big time flop, scored 60 percentile in quant!

NMAT.....finally selected, merit no 121

IIFT....waitlisted
FMS....Converted MBA (MS) Paid and then withdrew fees

MH MBA CET....99.83 percentile (after 3 Back to Back GDPI’s and some travelling)
SNAP..... All India written Topper, selected in SIBM.

CAT.....99.90 percentile, converted MDI.
IIM’s (Separate from CAT yaar, all important!) Converted AHMEDABAD,
Calcutta, Indore, Kozhikode, Waitlist 152@ Lucknow

Moral of the story....No matter how many calls U convert, U are as good as the best college U converted. Cheers and best of luck!

Dinesh

IIM – Ahmedabad

Remaining Positive at Job Interview

Preparing for an important interview takes time and practice. The feeling of helplessness that overcomes candidates applying for a position can become a factor in the interview process. That sense of vulnerability can cause an interviewee to lack the self confidence that is sought by most employers. The following are tips and tricks can help you to take control of the interview.

Research, research, research. We would suggest that your research include, whenever possible, a conversation with an employee of the company or organization to explore the group culture which would clarify what they value, how they do business, how they treat people, and whether people enjoy working for them. The result of this arduous search will be the assurance that you can bring to an interview any and all available knowledge about the targeted company. This assurance will bolster the self confidence required to make that positive first impression and will help the candidate to be perceived as the problem solver that the company requires. The reason for this is that an employer will be seeking to hire someone capable of solving the company's problems.

Let me give you an Example! A well chosen example can be compared to the picture worth a thousand words which will vastly broaden the positive impact of any answer. Whenever possible, the question will be followed by a short but clear theoretical answer followed by the candidate saying: "Let me give you an example ". Use strategically chosen examples of your past achievements to clarify and illustrate your answers. A well chosen example can be compared to the picture worth a thousand words which will vastly broaden the positive impact of any answer. When asked about business solutions, for example, a candidate can show not only how he or she solved problems but also how they contributed to the success of others by quietly providing help and information behind the scenes which will show them as a team builder as well as a coach.

Answering the question. When a candidate is asked: "Tell us something about yourself", the standard ice breaker question, they could ask: "Do you mean personally or professionally". Answering the question, although it is not always easy, is an important part of controlling the interview. Such tactics portray a lack of focus and an inability or unwillingness to follow instructions all of which are characteristics undesirable in a potential employee. Answering the question, although it is not always easy, is an important part of controlling the interview.

Remain positive at all times. Being able to retrieve the positive elements of even the most negative situation is a desirable characteristic in an employee. Let us take an extreme example. Being fired or downsized can be the most negative experience possible. Yet some of the most successful executives in the history of business have been fired at some point in their career. Those who continued to be successful were not demoralized. They were able to portray there firing as a key learning experience and many were subsequently able to show exactly how what they learnt from that experience contributed to their future success.

The knowledge inherent in all four of these strategies will put the candidate in the power position of being able to deliver the message of their choice to a potential employer under any and all circumstances including the unpredictable situational questions. Practicing and mastering the techniques with friends, colleagues and references will bolster the confidence level of an applicant and will make any interview a positive experience.

Courtesy Article Base

Tips on How to Prepare for a Job Interview

Is it your first time for a job interview? Feeling quite nervous about it? Well you don't actually have to because if you do, you will not be able to concentrate well on your interview. Here are some tips to follow which may help you to be prepared enough for your job interview.

1. Do some research about the job
Find out as much as you can about the company or the organization. List the names of officers, department heads and managers
so you can identify to whom you should send your resume.

2. Be on time
It is the best way to start your interview right. Not only do employers not appreciate waiting for job applicants, but they will also think you are not careful about being on time for work or meeting deadlines. Remember first impression does matter, so don't let your employers have a bad impression on you by not being on time.

3. Wear appropriate clothes
Dress neatly and in a style appropriate for the job you are seeking.

4. Put your best foot forward
Remember one of the most important reasons for the interview is to show that you have the ability to do the job. Impress your employers by your witty answers and by being positive without being boastful though. Be courteous, alert and attentive all throughout the interview.

5. Ask questions
The interview is a two way process. Interviewers will more likely appreciate it if you will ask questions pertaining to the job you are applying for and it simply shows that you are really interested to be part of their company.

6. Write a "thank you" letter
Write a letter thanking the person or people you spoke to at the interview. You may also include in your letter clarifications about something during your interview.

With the tips mentioned, surely your interview will be a success. Just stay calm and be confident. As the saying goes "Do your best and God will do the rest."


Courtesy ArticleBase