Going down the memory lane, when I often flip the pages of my memorabilia, I come across the experience of my first Symbiosis Interview. Yes, getting a call from Symbiosis is a moment of pride. But then one often wonders as to how to capture this moment and how to get through the selection process successfully in order to turn dreams into reality.
I was one of those selected few who were called for the selection process and so the date 13th February 2016 was marked as an important day of my life. It was the day when I was called for the GEPIWAT process. As an MBA aspirant, I was precarious about many things. I had questions that need to be answered and experiences needed to be dealt with. On the day of the selection process, my mind was already preoccupied with plethora of questions regarding the placements, the faculty, campus, accommodation etc. I had chosen the morning slot and I reached the campus around 9.30 am. The process was scheduled to start at 10:00 am.
The moment I entered the gates, I was taken aback by the infrastructure. Spacious, serene and tidy were the first few words that came to my mind and formed the first impression of my experience at the campus and I said to myself this is something I expected of a Symbiosis Institute to be. But this was just the beginning. The first thing I came across was the registration desk where I was told to provide the details like my snap ID and was asked to submit my credentials and thereafter I was issued an ID card. Post registration I was escorted to the Convention Hall where briefing of the process was to begin. The process started with the welcome address by one of the alumnus and was later on followed by the director’s speech. As expected he was bombarded with questions from students as well as parents and he, like a gracious host patiently answered every question.
Post briefing, the first stage of the process started. The time had come when the Written Aptitude Test (WAT) was to be conducted. We were allotted roll nos. and were asked to write a paragraph on a general topic. The motive behind conducting this test was to figure out the thought process of the candidate. It lasted for 15 minutes, post which we were escorted to the academic bloc for the second process. Albeit I was nervous during the process but the warm hospitality that I received from the alumni reinvigorated my morale.
The third round was the Psychometric test. This round was conducted to judge the three criteria.
- Personality Evaluation
- Consistency of thought process
- Stability of reactions
The round consisted of a set of multiple choice questions that were supposed to be answered by the candidate in the required time frame via online portal. It turned out to be a fun exercise.
The next round was the Group Exercise (GE). We were allocated into teams and were given some materials with the help of which we were asked to perform a task. The motive behind conducting this session was to test the team building attitude of the candidate; how he/she performs in a team; how he/she takes the charge and distribute the work among peers. It turned out to be the most effective session in the entire GE-PI-WAT as it didn’t just helped the candidates to break the ice with one another but also helped to discover strengths within them. It also taught lessons on leadership and critical thinking.
After the GE followed the Personal Interview (PI) which was also the last process for the day. I was, like other candidates, extremely nervous for the interview. But I still remember how the warm hospitality of the POCs helped me to stay focused and confident. The interview, unlike my expectation turned out to be relaxing. The panel consisted of two interviewers, one being the industry expert and the other being the faculty. The entire process went on smoothly and the interview turned into an interactive session.
Post PI, I was engaged in a conversation with one of the alumnus who inquired me about my interview. In the entire process I was extremely moved by the smooth flow of the process and the warm hospitality of the alumni. It was indeed the first process in which I actually conversated with the students. I asked them all my doubts and they cleared every doubt without leaving any room for ambiguity. Post PI we all were taken on a campus tour where we got an opportunity to explore the world of SIBM-H. I was left akin to awe to see the students running the entire process. The entire experience left an everlasting impression on me. As they say in marketing,
“If the product is good but the branding isn’t, it becomes difficult to find a prospective consumer.”
GE-PI-WAT process at SIBM Hyderabad provided the best of both.
Shorya Jain
MBA 2016-18