SPJIMR Mumbai – From Architecture to Marketing: A Bold Leap at the SPJIMR Interview
Candidate Profile
- Background: Bachelor's degree in Architecture
- Work Experience: 2 years in architectural design and project management
- Academics:
- 10th Grade: 90%
- 12th Grade: 91%
- Undergraduate CGPA: 7.4
- CAT Percentile: 94.5%
Interview Panel
- Panel Composition: 2 Interviewers (1 Male, 1 Female)
- Specialisation Applied For: Marketing
- Interview Setup: Group interviews with 4 female candidates — 2 for Marketing and 2 for Finance
Interview Questions & Candidate’s Approach
🔹 Icebreaker & General Introduction
🔵 Panelist: Give us a quick introduction of yourself.
📌 Tip: Keep it crisp. Cover your academic background, work experience, and a brief insight into your interests relevant to the chosen specialization.
🔵 Panelist: What is your dream role and company?
📌 Tip: Be specific. Connect your aspirations with industry trends, and explain why that role excites you.
🔹 Role Clarity & Motivation for MBA
🔵 Panelist: What exactly is your job as an architect?
📌 Tip: Describe your responsibilities with an emphasis on transferable skills—such as design thinking, client handling, or project execution.
🔵 Panelist: You'll be wasting 5 years of your architecture education if you do marketing. Why do you want to do this?
📌 Tip: Turn this into a strength. Talk about how design and customer experience align well with marketing principles.
🔵 Panelist: How would you design a retail store on our campus?
📌 Tip: Use a structured approach—discuss location analysis, target audience, layout flow, and aesthetic appeal.
🔹 Questions to Other Marketing Candidate (for added insight)
🔵 Panelist: Your bachelor's is in finance. Why marketing?
📌 Tip: Always align your interest with past exposure, internship experiences, or projects that sparked the shift.
🔵 Panelist: How did you increase the revenue of your father's clothing store?
📌 Tip: Quantify impact and describe strategies—visual merchandising, social media, discounts, etc.
🔵 Panelist: How will you sell this bottle?
📌 Tip: Think 4Ps—Product, Price, Place, Promotion. A creative pitch helps!
🔹 Finance-Specific Questions Asked to Others
🔵 Panelist: What are the three types of financial documents? (Balance Sheet, Profit & Loss Statement, Cash Flow Statement)
📌 Tip: Know basic finance terms—even if you're not a finance aspirant. It helps during GDs and cross-questions.
🔵 Panelist: Which two out of these would you pick and why?
📌 Tip: Focus on what these documents reveal about a business. Cash flow and P&L are often prioritized for real-time insights.
Key Takeaways for Aspirants
- Your academic background need not limit your specialization choice—justify your pivot with logic and passion.
- Expect scenario-based questions that test your creativity and business acumen.
- Group interviews require presence of mind—listen actively and stay ready.
- Be aware of what’s asked to others—it might circle back to you.
- Specific examples and structured responses leave a lasting impression.
📢 Disclaimer: Real Stories, Modified for Privacy
🔍 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.
🔍 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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