Dont give clichéd answers in your PI…

…says Ankit Fitkariwala, a BE in computer engineer from Jadavpur University in conversation with Reshma Majithia. He has worked with Ernst & Young, Cisco Systems and Microsoft R&D and is currently pursuing his MBA from IIM Calcutta.

Tell us about yourself…
I grew up in Kolkata, the city of joy. After initial schooling, I did Computer Science Engineering from Jadavpur University and joined Ernst & Young as a fresher. I worked in the Climate Change & Sustainability Services (CC&SS) division for some time. Then I moved on to work for Cisco Systems as a Network Engineer. And finally when I got the right opportunity and profile I worked for some time as a Development Engineer at Microsoft R&D. I always wanted to do an MBA after gaining some work-experience and when I made it to IIMC last year, it was academics once again.

Why an MBA?
A degree in Computer Science and some years of industry experience had given me fair bit of technical skills but I lacked the expertise or the insights to understand any business holistically. I always wanted to do more than just the technical aspects such as coding, etc. I wanted to take up more responsibility and contribute towards the organization in terms of decision making. But a formal education like MBA is very important to understand the complex nature of business today. Also I had developed a keen interest in finance in the last couple of years before joining IIMC. So I decided to go for an MBA so that I can take up finance as a long term career.

Your work experience…
In Ernst & Young, I worked as a consultant and advised clients on ways in which they could reduce their carbon emissions and earn carbon credits, which are traded in international market much like stocks. In Cisco, I had my longest stay and I learnt a lot about the global telecom giants and their backbone network. Also I worked closely for a couple of telecom biggies and performed various responsibilities in the software release cycle. At Microsoft, I had the role of development engineer but a small stint could only allow me some insights into the Windows platform with limited contribution.

Extra-curricular activities in the selection process…
Extra-curricular are very important in the selection process. They bring the necessary diversity in one’s profile and make for a good candidate. Some positions of responsibility (PoR) show that the candidate knows how to handle responsibilities and would grow gradually in the B-school to become a good corporate leader. Also different kinds of PoR show a candidate’s versatility and uniqueness. These testify your claims of a good leader. Also sports at state/national level helps a great deal in the selection process. Some questions may also be asked from these areas, so prepare them well if you mention these on the application form.

CAT preparation…
My weakest area was the ‘Verbal Ability’ section. I had always been very comfortable with the Quant and DI sections but the Verbal section had caused problems in the mock tests as well. So I started preparing a bit more for the verbal section by means of practice questions from mock papers and other study material from coaching institutes. One strategy that really helped was changing the sequence in which I did the sections. Earlier I always attempted the verbal section at the end but after realising that I needed to perform well in verbal, I began to start the test with verbal section and suddenly the accuracy improved. I stuck to the same plan for the CAT and it worked.

GD/PI experience…
My GD/PI experience was good for most of the institutes. The questions mainly revolved around personal information like ‘tell me about yourself’, strength, weakness, ‘why MBA’, etc. Also there were a lot of questions about my work-experience and what have I learnt from that.
My advice for freshers: Prepare your academics well; rest assured that you will be asked something from your subjects. Prepare a couple of your course subjects properly.
My advice for experienced: Know your company in and out and all that you have done in your job. Remember to put forward some achievements that you might have.
In general concentrate on the current affairs and personals well.

IIMC selection process…
It is different from the other IIMs. Most of the institutes have a typical way of conducting their selection process and it is good to know the interview process before appearing for it on the day. The best information regarding this can be obtained from some forums or the students who cleared the interviews. Some IIMs have essays followed by PI while others still have the regular GD/PI format.

Advice to MBA aspirants…
I would just like to say that since the CAT is over and done with, those who have the calls should prepare hard for the GD/PI. Take mock GDs and PIs frequently so that you get over the communication issues if you have one and get into the habit of group discussions. As for the PI, try and be yourself and at the same time different from the others. Don’t give clichéd answers. Also you must know the personal questions well.