SIBM Pune Interview Experience: How a National-Level Athlete Aced the Interview Despite Tech Glitches
Candidate Profile
- Background: Commerce graduate with a keen interest in digital strategy
- Work Experience: 2 years in e-commerce operations and content management
- Academics:
- 10th Grade: 90%
- 12th Grade: 90%
- Undergraduate CGPA: 8.0
- Achievements: National-level athlete in both tennis and football
- SNAP Percentile: 99.7
Interview Process Overview
The selection process at SIBM Pune was spread across three distinct rounds: WAT, Group Exercise (GE), and Personal Interview (PI). Here's a breakdown of each.
Round 1 – Written Ability Test (WAT)
Prompt: Choose one set of three words and write a 150-word essay.
Selected Set: Employment – Starvation – Growth
Round 2 – Group Exercise (GE)
The GE was conducted in two phases due to a major technical glitch that interrupted the original session.
Session 1 (Pre-glitch)
- Problem Statement: Lack of wildlife conservation
- Industries to choose from: Real Estate, Agriculture, Computer & IT, Biotech
- Tools available: Satellite Mapping, Media, Law Enforcement, etc.
Session 2 (Restarted GE)
- Problem Statement: Piracy and Counterfeit
- Industries: Insurance, Manufacturing, Computer & IT, Consumer Electronics
- Tools: Surveillance, Law Enforcement, Supply Chain Management, Blockchain
- Structure:
- 2 minutes – Individual thinking
- 45 seconds – Individual briefing
- 8 minutes – Group discussion
- 2 minutes – Final summary
Round 3 – Personal Interview (PI)
Panel Composition: 1 faculty member on screen, 2 others observing silently
Icebreaker & Personality Questions
🔵 Panelist: Tell me something about yourself that’s not in your form.
Work Experience & Projects
🔵 Panelist: Describe your role at work.
🔵 Panelist: What did you do on your website? Did you write blogs?
🔵 Panelist: How many followers did you have on the site?
🔵 Panelist: Average daily visitors?
🔵 Panelist: How many visits did that blog get?
Career Goals & Fit with MBA
🔵 Panelist: Why MBA, especially after commerce and ecommerce experience?
🔵 Panelist: Why do you think peer learning is important?
Self-Reflection & Strengths
🔵 Panelist: What three qualities make you a good fit for SIBM Pune?
Wrap-up: Panelists thanked the candidate without much grilling from the other members.
Key Takeaways for Aspirants
- ✅ Be ready for last-minute changes—especially tech disruptions.
- ✅ Know your resume and online work in detail, including metrics.
- ✅ Avoid giving away more than needed—conciseness can be powerful.
- ✅ Customize answers beyond your application form.
- ✅ Stay calm even if the panel setup feels a bit intimidating.
🔍 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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