Madurai-based Thiagarajar School of Management (TSM) in association with The Hindu Education Plus organised a one-day group discussion and personal interview (GDPI) session for MBA aspirants here on Wednesday.
Addressing the participants, Director and Professor of TSM Gautam Ghosh said the first hurdle faced by students is choosing a good MBA college, especially from the second and third rung segment.
Apart from the IIMs and other top B-Schools, there are about 4,000 colleges recognised by the AICTE and as well as autonomous ones, but before joining a college a student should look into certain aspects such as general reputation of the college, faculty experience and strength, location of the school and placement record, said Prof. Gautam Ghosh.
Doling out tips to students on personal interview, he said the key factors were articulating skills, well defined career plan, sound academic knowledge, hobbies and extra-curricular activities and general and business awareness.
According to him, one should be strong in current affairs and should be able to clearly articulate his or her career plans and talk about hobbies.
“This apart, personality traits such as personal confidence, mental alertness and ability to think are also gauged during the interview session,” he said.
Profile building is important, and this includes apart from showcasing ones academic marks and knowledge, he or she should be able to express their role in various team activities such as their role in tech and cultural festivals, projects done and games and extra-curricular activities.
Talking on how to crack group discussion, he said some elements such as confidence, ability to convince others, attentiveness, mental alertness, being sensitive to others and relationship skills are observed by the evaluators during the session. There is a misconception that shouting on top of the voice and trying to dominate others, works out well in a GD session.
“What is observed is one’s ability to gel well with the team, leadership qualities, communication skills, knowledge on the subjects and logical explanation and content,” said Prof. Gautam Ghosh.
