SPJIMR Mumbai Interview – From Case Studies to Cash Burn: How Three Diverse Profiles Navigated the SPJIMR Interview
Candidate Profiles
- Candidate 1
- Background: Bachelor’s in Business Management
- Work Experience: Fresher
- Academics: Strong academic performer with leadership experience in college projects
- Candidate 2
- Background: Chartered Accountant
- Work Experience: 2 years in Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)
- Academics: Solid academic record, CA-qualified professional
- Candidate 3
- Background: B.Com Graduate
- Work Experience: 1 year in the Payments sector
- Academics: Involved in research and academic publishing
Interview Panel
- Panelists: Two Female Professors (P1, P2), One Male Alumnus (P3)
- Interview Mode: Conversational style, mix of technical and awareness-based questions
Interview Questions & Candidate Responses
🧊 Icebreakers & Introduction
🔵 P1 & P2: “Introduce yourselves and conclude with why you want to pursue an MBA.”
- C1 emphasized her leadership skills and discussed a college case study involving Unacademy.
- C2 aligned her CA skills with how an MBA would complement her financial acumen.
- C3 shared his professional journey and spoke about a research paper on startup cash burn.
📊 Technical & Analytical Questions
🔵 P3 to C1: “What was the market size for the segments in your Unacademy case study?”
C1 couldn’t give an exact market size but attempted reasoning around it.
🔵 P1 to C2: “Define Direct and Indirect Taxes with examples.”
C2 struggled with the definitions but managed to list correct examples.
🔵 P1 to C3: “What research methods did you use?”
C3 cited other startup cases but confused the panel with a non-comparable Jio example.
🔵 P3 to C3: “What causes delayed payments in your sector?”
C3 explained using examples from his company.
🔵 P3 to C2: “What’s the impact of delayed payments?”
C2 said working capital goes down—accurate but could have elaborated more.
🔵 P3 to C2: “Do you know about Negative Working Capital? Where is it commonly seen?”
C2 got the concept right but missed the industry example.
🔵 P2 to C2: “Tell us about Transfer Pricing and your FP&A role.”
C2 answered with confidence.
🌍 Current Affairs & Financial Awareness
🔵 P3 to C1: “Any recent news about Paytm?”
C1 had limited knowledge; C2 took over and answered well.
🔵 P2 to C3: “What do you think about WeWork’s cash burn model?”
C3 attempted a comparison but lacked depth.
🔵 P2 to C1: “Tell us about the HDFC-HDFC Bank merger.”
C1 had a basic idea; C2 explained the synergy and reverse merger correctly.
🔵 P1 to C3: “Why do investors support loss-making startups?”
C3 couldn’t convince the panel. C2 salvaged the question by discussing valuation methods.
🔵 P1 to C1: “What is Operating Profit and why is it important?”
C1 handled it well with relatable examples.
🎯 Key Takeaways for Aspirants
- ✅ Strong communication skills can compensate when technical knowledge falters.
- ✅ Always back your answers with real-world examples and data.
- ✅ Know your domain thoroughly—definitions matter.
- ✅ Stay updated on current financial news and mergers.
- ✅ Peer responses can be an opportunity to learn—stay alert and jump in confidently if you know the answer.
The above interview experience is based on real candidate interactions collected from various sources. To ensure privacy, some details such as location, industry specifics, and numerical figures have been altered. However, the core questions and insights remain authentic. These stories are intended for educational purposes and do not claim to represent official views of any institution. Any resemblance to actual individuals is purely coincidental.
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