KJ Somaiya – From Code to Campus: A CA’s Unique Take on the MBA Interview
Candidate Profile
- Background: Chartered Accountant with a keen interest in strategic management and business analytics.
- Work Experience: 2.5 years at a major IT consultancy firm, with exposure to finance transformation projects.
- Academics:
- 10th Grade: 89%
- 12th Grade: 92%
- CA Final: Cleared in first attempt
Interview Panel
- Panel Composition: 2 Interviewers
- Mode: Online
- Tone: Friendly and conversational
Interview Questions & Candidate's Approach
Icebreaker & General Questions
🔵 Panelist: Tell us about yourself
📌 Tip: Structure your introduction around academic achievements, work experience, and key motivations for pursuing an MBA. Keep it crisp and relevant.
🔵 Panelist: Why switch from a reputed IT company to an MBA?
📌 Tip: Explain how your past roles offered valuable exposure but you now seek strategic leadership roles that an MBA can facilitate. Link it to long-term career goals.
Work Experience & Situational Judgment
🔵 Panelist: Follow-up questions about your work experience
📌 Tip: Be ready with specific project details—tools used, challenges faced, and your individual contributions. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to answer.
🔵 Panelist: Engineering-related technical questions (despite being a CA)
📌 Tip: If you're from a non-engineering background and asked about tech, it's okay to admit limits. Relate it back to your collaboration with tech teams if applicable.
🔵 Panelist: How can you explain your weakness as mentioned in your form?
📌 Tip: Choose a real but non-critical weakness and show how you're actively working on it. Self-awareness and growth mindset are key.
🔵 Panelist: A situation-based question: If a task assigned to you was taken away and given to someone else, how would you react?
📌 Tip: Highlight emotional maturity. Acknowledge disappointment, but focus on team goals, learning from feedback, and staying proactive.
General Awareness – A CA’s Perspective on Gender in Chess
🔵 Panelist: Discussion on Netflix's Queen’s Gambit & gender disparity in chess
- Why aren’t there more women world champions in chess?
- Why are women underrepresented in chess and other sports?
- What can be done to promote inclusivity?
- Is gender the only factor?
📌 Tip: These questions test your awareness, reasoning, and sensitivity. Back your arguments with facts, acknowledge systemic biases, and propose thoughtful solutions (like equal opportunity programs, early mentorship, and societal mindset shifts).
Hobbies & Personality
🔵 Panelist: Tell us about your hobbies
📌 Tip: This is a chance to show your human side. Be authentic and prepared to talk about what you’ve learned from your interests.
Key Takeaways for Aspirants
- ✅ Prepare for questions outside your domain, especially around social issues and current events.
- ✅ Use a structured approach for behavioral and work-related questions.
- ✅ Stay authentic—don’t oversell or undersell your experiences.
- ✅ Situational judgment questions test emotional intelligence, not just logic.
- ✅ Brush up on both technical and general awareness topics—even from shows and trending themes.
📢 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.
📢 Stay tuned for more first-hand B-school interview experiences and expert tips!
🔍 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.
📢 Stay tuned for more first-hand B-school interview experiences and expert tips!
Leave a Reply