From Engineer to CFA: How This Core Engineer Navigated the IIM Calcutta Interview

Candidate Profile

• Background: Mechanical engineering graduate from a reputed state university
• Academics:
  • 10th Grade: 92.5%
  • 12th Grade: 87.5%
  • Undergraduate CGPA: 8.8
• Certifications: Cleared CFA Level 2
• Work Experience: 2.5 years in core engineering (operations & design role)

Interview Panel

• Composition: 3 panelists – 1 Male, 2 Female
• Duration: ~20 minutes
• Interview Type: Stress interview with mild grilling

Interview Questions & Candidate’s Approach

🔹 Icebreaker & Personal Questions

🔵 F1: “Your name is Chaitanya. What does it mean?”

🔹 Technical Questions – Engineering & Finance

🔵 F2: “What’s Bernoulli’s principle?”

🔵 F2: “What are its applications?”

🔵 F2: “Do you know how spray nozzles in perfumes work?”

🔹 Work Experience Discussion

🔵 F2: “What work do you do at [company]?”

🔹 Literature & Critical Thinking

🔵 F1: “You’re reading The Three-Body Problem. What did you understand about the Cultural Revolution depicted in the book? How does it connect with real Chinese history?”

🔹 Finance Fundamentals

🔵 F1: “What is cost of capital?”

🔵 F1: “Write the formula.”

🔵 M1: “Define cost of capital in detail.”

🔵 M1: “When would you use Gordon Growth vs. CAPM to calculate equity returns?”

🔵 M1: “What’s Beta? How is Beta calculated?”

🔹 Personal Motivation & Influence

🔵 F1: “Why did you pursue CFA?”

🔵 F1: “You’ve written your mother worked at a bank. Did that influence your interest in finance?”

🔹 Candidate’s Turn – Asking Questions

🔵 M1: “Do you have any questions for us?”

Key Takeaways for Future Aspirants

• Stress interviews may deliberately push you out of comfort zones—stay calm and don’t panic over a missed answer.
• Expect cross-disciplinary questions, especially if your profile spans engineering and finance.
• Know the books or hobbies you list in your form—interviewers may quiz niche details.
• Don’t expect to steer the interview entirely; be ready to adapt.
• A clear, structured approach to even partial answers can salvage tricky moments.