ISB interview

And the day was fast approaching. I had booked tickets from Bangalore to Hyderabad for my interview on Thursday 1/29. Sunday, we got a call from Channel V saying the Cisco Band Omnifuse has been selected for auditions on Tuesday in Mumbai. An MBA is going to play a significant role in my life and ISB is more than just my dream fit. But with the drummer already dropping out, an absence of bass guitar will amplify the rhythm void. I decided to go for the auditions with the band. I booked flight tickets from Bangalore to Mumbai for Monday and then from Mumbai to Hyderabad for Wednesday. I knew it is going to be a stretch for me, especially considering the fact that I was planning to do a lot of "technical" ISB research in these two days, but I also knew the stretch was worth.

We got into the last 20 at Channel V Launchpad but did not have sufficient practice to take ourselves beyond. Tuesday evening, I went around parts of Mumbai and was impressed - at 2 am, I could see women walking alone, autos running on meters, families visiting beaches - this city just surprised me, Jai Mumbai! Next day I flew to Hyderabad. I went around the campus, attended a class, and spoke with a couple of students.

Two people, I believe one alum and one professor at the interview panel: "So, when did you come?" "Yesterday, from Mumbai". "Aren't you from Bangalore?" "Yes, I had gone to participate in a channel V competition with the Cisco Band". I now knew the stretch I volunteered to take was paying off. A few minutes about music, about the band and then questions on how will you take your band experience to work? Then a few minutes on a Cisco project, a BITS project and my US assignment. And a common question of why MBA and what after MBA. The interview ended like this - "What is the one weakness that you've?" "I think for 8 minutes and speak for 2 minutes, I know as a leader, I should be able to speak for 4 minutes with 6 minutes of thinking". "So, how long did you prepare for this 30-min interview?" All of us laughed and then I said "MBA is something that I've been thinking about for the last few years".

I felt like speaking with family at home rather than with an interview panel - so informal and so light. I will know in two weeks whether they were smiling or laughing. What will I be doing the next one year will be decided by Feb 10th.