The race.....
I know I can screw up a lot things (sorry for the language). But there are some things that I have always believed I can do well. So it came to me as a shock that I can actually screw up a discussion and an interview.
Let me focus first on the group discussions. I thought I was being a professional by not interrupting when a person is speaking. Thats a mistake. There are very smooth ways of cutting through. And it took me 2 such discussions to understand that its an art. Also the right amount of agressiveness needs to be shown. If not then you dont create the right impact. Being in the corporate world for nearly 30 months conditions you to behave in a certain manner. You tend to assume that you views will always be heard. That could happen in a team meeting in your company but not in the GD of a B-School addmission process. You have got to make yourself heard, with all the members speaking at the same time.
Lets come to the interviews now. This I always thought was my cup of tea. I realised how wrong I was. I once again screwed up big time in both the interviews that I had. This time my weak presence of mind did me in. As I walked out of both the interviews I realised I wouldnt select myself. Then how can I expect the panelists to select me.
There is competition out there thats fierce. Everyone wants to make an impact. Everyone wants to prove that he/she is better than the competition. One way to reach the top is to pull the competitors down. Even though that sounds like the most unethical thing to do, it is what everyone is doing. And it takes a lot more than just smart thinking to counter the attack. It is this competition that pumps the adrenaline. It is this competition that keeps you going.
My dream of an MBA this year looks very bleak. But I wont claim that I have wasted a whole year. I enjoyed trying. I enjoyed preparing. I enjoyed writing the mock tests. I enjoyed the GIs/GDs/PIs even though they were very few in number. Now its time to re-plan, strategize. After all the race for 2008 is beginning..........
Let me focus first on the group discussions. I thought I was being a professional by not interrupting when a person is speaking. Thats a mistake. There are very smooth ways of cutting through. And it took me 2 such discussions to understand that its an art. Also the right amount of agressiveness needs to be shown. If not then you dont create the right impact. Being in the corporate world for nearly 30 months conditions you to behave in a certain manner. You tend to assume that you views will always be heard. That could happen in a team meeting in your company but not in the GD of a B-School addmission process. You have got to make yourself heard, with all the members speaking at the same time.
Lets come to the interviews now. This I always thought was my cup of tea. I realised how wrong I was. I once again screwed up big time in both the interviews that I had. This time my weak presence of mind did me in. As I walked out of both the interviews I realised I wouldnt select myself. Then how can I expect the panelists to select me.
There is competition out there thats fierce. Everyone wants to make an impact. Everyone wants to prove that he/she is better than the competition. One way to reach the top is to pull the competitors down. Even though that sounds like the most unethical thing to do, it is what everyone is doing. And it takes a lot more than just smart thinking to counter the attack. It is this competition that pumps the adrenaline. It is this competition that keeps you going.
My dream of an MBA this year looks very bleak. But I wont claim that I have wasted a whole year. I enjoyed trying. I enjoyed preparing. I enjoyed writing the mock tests. I enjoyed the GIs/GDs/PIs even though they were very few in number. Now its time to re-plan, strategize. After all the race for 2008 is beginning..........
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