From Kolhapur to Case Studies: A BBA Grad’s Grounded Business Chat with IIM Visakhapatnam
Candidate Profile
- Background: BBA Graduate
- Experience: 3 years managing operations in a family business
- Academics:
- 10th Grade: ~85%
- 12th Grade: ~88%
- Undergraduate CGPA: ~7.5 (assumed based on profile)
Interview Panel
- Panel Composition: 2 Male Interviewers
- Tone: Conversational yet pointed—explored both practical exposure and broader thinking
- Mode: Online
Interview Questions & Candidate's Approach
Real-World Experience in Family Business
🔵 P1: What are you doing currently? What is your role in your family business?
📌 Tip: Clearly outline your contributions—operations, procurement, staff training, or financial oversight.
🔵 P1: Do you recruit and train employees? Have you ever had to fire someone?
📌 Tip: Share specific examples. Firing-related questions test emotional intelligence and professionalism.
🔵 P1: Why do you take a lower salary—have you tried negotiating with your father?
📌 Tip: This tests your perception of value and compensation. Emphasize learning over earnings at this phase but acknowledge future financial independence goals.
Academics & MBA Readiness
🔵 P1: What was your favorite subject during graduation? Don’t you like maths?
📌 Tip: If math wasn’t your favorite, acknowledge the challenge but stress your willingness to improve through structured MBA learning.
🔵 P1: How will you manage an MBA without strong math skills?
📌 Tip: Highlight adaptability, your business sense from work, and your preparation to strengthen quant through pre-MBA coursework.
General Awareness & Critical Thinking
🔵 P2: Why is the Kolhapuri chappal famous only in Kolhapur? What skills are required to make one?
📌 Tip: Talk about craftsmanship, cultural legacy, and regional identity. Skills: leather cutting, stitching, traditional design techniques.
🔵 P2: What is annual turnover of your business?
📌 Tip: Be transparent or offer an estimated range. Demonstrates business literacy and comfort with numbers.
🔵 P2: What do you know about Vishakhapatnam?
📌 Tip: Mention it’s a key port city, future administrative capital of Andhra Pradesh, and growing as a logistics and industrial hub.
🔵 P2: A new law proposes increasing marriage age. Your views?
📌 Tip: Share a balanced opinion—discuss health, education, societal maturity vs. implementation challenges.
🔵 P2: Women workforce dropped from 30% (1990) to 18% (2020)—positive or negative?
📌 Tip: Show analytical thinking—negative for gender parity but could reflect more women opting for higher education or unpaid roles.
🔵 P2: What is monopoly? Give an example.
📌 Tip: Monopoly = single seller dominance. Example: Indian Railways (government-owned), or earlier BSNL in telecom.
Key Takeaways for Aspirants
- ✅ Family business experience is rich—be specific about what you managed and learned
- ✅ Be ready to explain gaps in math or technical areas with a proactive learning mindset
- ✅ Expect questions about cultural products or your local ecosystem—link them to branding and marketing
- ✅ Use socio-economic questions to show balanced, analytical thinking
- ✅ Don’t shy away from personal or emotional questions—use them to display maturity and business acumen
📢 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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