BMS Fresher’s Ride: IIM Shillong Interview

🎓 IIM Shillong Interview Experience: From Bangkok to Budget – A BMS Fresher’s Rollercoaster Interview

Candidate Profile

  • Background: Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) – Fresher
  • Work Experience: None (fresher)
  • Academics:
    • 10th Grade: 90%
    • 12th Grade: 91%
  • Category: General Female

Interview Panel

  • Panel Composition: 2 Interviewers (1 Male, 1 Female)
  • Female Panelist: Likely from HR/General Management background
  • Male Panelist: Likely from Economics/Finance/Operations background
  • Duration: ~18-20 minutes

Interview Questions & Candidate’s Approach

🔹 Icebreaker & Personal Questions

🔵 F: “Tell us something about yourself.”

📌 Tip: Use this to set a confident tone. Mention unique personal details—here, talking about a family background in aviation and love for travel added personality.

🔵 F: “Which was the most recent place you travelled to?”

🔵 F: “What were the things you noticed?”

📌 Tip: Share thoughtful cultural or economic observations. Noting Buddhist temples showed cultural awareness.

🔵 F: “What is the origin of Buddhism?”

📌 Tip: If unsure, admit honestly but try to link it to what you do know (e.g., connect to India, Siddhartha Gautama).

🔵 F: “Was there trade between India and Bangkok?”

📌 Tip: For unknown answers, remain calm and avoid guessing wildly. Acknowledge gaps while staying positive.

🔹 Current Affairs & Situational Questions

🔵 F: “The Union Budget was recently announced. What were some key changes compared to last year?”

📌 Tip: Mention headline reforms and show awareness of their implications—like tax slab changes benefiting middle-income groups.

🔵 F: “If tax collections reduce, how will the economy benefit?”

📌 Tip: The correct angle here is to focus on increased disposable income → higher consumption → economic stimulus.

🔵 F: “A cab driver wanted to cancel my Uber ride and take cash directly. If you were top management at Uber, what would you do?”

📌 Tip: Address both ethics and empathy: initial action (warning), long-term solution (driver education, incentive alignment).

🔵 F: “How can unorganized businesses be monitored for tax purposes?”

📌 Tip: Good insight here—link digitalization and UPI payments as tools for improving financial transparency in informal sectors.

🔵 F: “What do you do in your free time?”

📌 Tip: A standard question—be honest, and if possible, relate hobbies back to soft skills.

🔹 Academic & Economics Questions

🔵 M: “Tell me five of your favorite subjects.”

📌 Tip: Smart move to list subjects you’re comfortable with—being able to steer the conversation to macroeconomics worked in your favor.

🔵 M: “Talk about India’s economic growth.”

📌 Tip: Highlighting domestic consumption as a driver was accurate and timely.

🔵 M: “There are consumption-based, export-based, and investment-based economies. Classify them.”

📌 Tip: Correctly placed China as export-based. For investment-based, Singapore or UAE could have been examples.

🔵 M: “Is the US consumption-based or investment-based?”

📌 Tip: The US is a classic consumption-based economy—always check such classifications when preparing.

🔵 M: “FIIs are pulling out of India and moving to China—why?”

📌 Tip: Your P/E ratio comparison and overvaluation insight showed financial market awareness; great depth for a fresher.

🔵 M: Follow-up economic questions (cross-questions on markets, growth drivers).

📌 Tip: Stay calm during back-and-forth; it’s okay to not recall every data point, but keep a logical structure.

✨ Key Takeaways for Future Candidates

  • Frame unknown answers honestly but show a willingness to learn.
  • Read up on basic economic classifications (consumption/export/investment-based economies).
  • Expect situational judgment questions—balance ethics, business sense, and empathy.
  • Stay updated on Union Budget highlights and their broader implications.
  • Take ownership of the interview flow by guiding it toward subjects you’re comfortable with.
📢 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.
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