IIM Ahmedabad Interview Experience: A CA’s Journey from EY to Entrepreneurship and Beyond
Candidate Profile
- Background: Chartered Accountant (CA) with a commerce foundation
- Work Experience: 31 months total (19 months at EY + 12 months in a start-up venture)
- Academics:
- 10th Grade: 94.2%
- 12th Grade: 92.8%
- Graduation: 74.3%
- Category: General
- AWT Topic: On trust—its impact when broken, leading to detachment but also paving the way for better future relationships
- Interview Duration: ~25-30 minutes
- Panel Composition: 1 Male & 1 Female (Both in their 30s)
Interview Questions & Candidate's Approach
1. Entrepreneurial Journey & Work Experience
🔵 F: How is your start-up going?
🔵 M: Tell us more about your venture.
📌 Tip: When discussing your start-up, focus on business fundamentals—problem-solving, market need, scalability, and personal motivation.
🔵 F: How did this idea originate?
📌 Tip: Narrate authentic stories. Interviewers appreciate when your entrepreneurial drive is linked to real-world experiences.
🔵 F: Why leave a stable job at EY? Why not pursue technical CA roles like others?
📌 Tip: Align such answers with your long-term vision. If you're pivoting careers, connect it to your growth mindset and leadership aspirations.
🔵 F: Why the gap between CA Inter and Final exams?
📌 Tip: Be factual and explain curriculum structures clearly, especially for professional courses like CA.
🔵 M: How do you manage costing in your start-up? What is a cost object?
🔵 (Followed by fixed vs. variable costs discussion)
📌 Tip: For professionals, especially CAs, revise key concepts from accounting and costing. If you forget something, honesty followed by recall (as done here) works better than guessing.
🔵 M: Explain the concept of One Person Company (OPC) and its relevance.
📌 Tip: Brush up on corporate law basics if your profile includes entrepreneurship or finance. Use practical examples to explain legal provisions.
2. Personal Insights & Family Background
🔵 M: Tell us something beyond work.
📌 Tip: Always have hobbies ready, but don't worry if the panel doesn’t probe further. It still rounds off your personality profile.
🔵 M: What inspired you to start your own venture?
📌 Tip: Link entrepreneurial motivation to personal background, professional insights, or market opportunities.
🔵 F: What business is your family into? Why not join it?
📌 Tip: When asked about family business, highlight your desire to carve your own path or gain diverse experience before contributing.
3. Current Affairs & Ethical Reasoning
🔵 M: Discuss the pros and cons of social media companies self-regulating vs. government regulation. What’s an ideal solution?
📌 Tip: Be prepared for opinion-based questions on current affairs. Structure your answers by weighing both sides and suggesting balanced solutions—citing independent bodies like the Election Commission was a smart move here.
Key Takeaways for Aspirants
- ✅ For candidates with work experience, expect deep dives into your professional journey, especially entrepreneurial ventures.
- ✅ Be clear and structured when discussing career transitions—align them subtly with your MBA goals even if not directly asked.
- ✅ Revise core academic concepts relevant to your field (like costing or company law for CAs).
- ✅ Stay informed on contemporary socio-political and tech-related debates.
- ✅ Maintain composure with panels that exhibit neutral or "poker face" expressions—focus on content, not perceived reactions.
Overall Interview Experience
- Tone: Professional but non-stressful.
- Focus Areas: Heavy emphasis on work experience, start-up journey, and situational thinking.
- HR Questions: None of the typical ones like "Why MBA?" or "Tell me about yourself."
- Duration: Around 25–30 minutes.
- Coverage: Balanced—academics, professional experience, current affairs, and personal background.
📢 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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