From Consulting to Campus: A Consultant’s Candid IIM Lucknow Interview
Candidate Profile
- Background: B.Tech from a reputed NIT (specialization withheld for anonymity)
- Academics:
- 10th Grade: 95%
- 12th Grade: 94%
- Undergraduate: 67%
- Category: NC-OBC
- CAT Percentile: 93.00
- Work Experience: 3+ years in management consulting
- Interview Date & Location: 23rd January 2022, ITC Hotel, Bengaluru
Interview Panel
- Panel Composition: 2 panelists (details unspecified)
- Time: 8:30 a.m.
Written Ability Test (WAT)
📝 Topic: “India is not an emerging economy, but a re-emerging economy” (15 minutes, 300 words)
Interview Questions & Candidate’s Approach
1️⃣ Work Experience & Industry Knowledge
🔵 Panelist: “How do you handle clients in your role?”
🔵 Panelist: “If I approach your firm as a customer, what services can I avail?”
2️⃣ Quantitative & Analytical Thinking
🔵 Panelist: “Draw graphs for y = x, y = ∛x, differential, integral, exponential. What’s the difference?”
🔵 Panelist: “Why is the derivative of e^x equal to e^x?”
3️⃣ General Awareness & Economic Knowledge
🔵 Panelist: “Who is the current President of India?”
🔵 Panelist: “How is the President of India elected?”
🔵 Panelist: “What is inflation vs. deflation?”
🔵 Panelist: “What’s the recommended inflation rate?”
🔵 Panelist: “How does a rise in prices impact consumers?”
4️⃣ Career Goals & Decision-Making
🔵 Panelist: “Why MBA?”
🔵 Panelist: “What’s the opportunity cost of an MBA? How long to recover it?”
5️⃣ Personal Interests & Hometown
🔵 Panelist: “Tell us about your hobbies and hometown.”
Interview Atmosphere
The interview balanced technical rigor and personal warmth, covering work experience, economics, and general knowledge, without intense grilling.
Key Takeaways for Aspirants
- ✅ Expect work-experience-based questions tailored to your industry—be ready to explain your firm’s offerings and your role in layman’s terms.
- ✅ Even non-math interviews can ask basic graphs and calculus—refresh fundamental concepts.
- ✅ Stay updated on key constitutional roles, inflation figures, and macroeconomic indicators.
- ✅ Opportunity cost questions require both numbers and insight—show you’ve thought through ROI practically.
- ✅ Use “hobbies and hometown” to stand out—prepare 2–3 interesting facts or stories.
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.
Leave a Reply