Taking the Risk: How This Fresher Faced Tough Finance Questions at the IIM Indore Interview

Candidate Profile

• Background: Undergraduate in Commerce (Honors) from a reputed university in North India.
• Work Experience: Fresher (graduated recently, did not sit for campus placements).
• Academics:
  • 10th Grade: 93%
  • 12th Grade: 95%
  • Undergraduate CGPA: 8.6
• Additional Highlights:
  • Holder of DELF A2 certification in French
  • Winner in multiple French Olympiads

Interview Panel

• Panel Composition: 2 Interviewers (1 Male ~35 years, 1 Female ~32 years)
• Date: 23rd February 2023, Forenoon Slot
• Mode: Offline, IIM Indore campus

Interview Questions & Candidate's Approach

1️⃣ Icebreaker & Profile-Related Questions

🔵 M: Which college have you graduated from? Where is it situated?

🔵 M: Did you get a placement? Why did you not sit for placements?

🔵 M: What would you do if you didn't get admission in an MBA?

🔵 M: How would you get a job if you didn’t participate in campus placement?

🔵 M: How confident are you about off-campus placements?

2️⃣ Analytical Thinking & Risk Orientation

🔵 M: It’s a high-risk, high-reward situation then?

🔵 M: Do you believe in risk-taking?

🔵 M: Does high risk always lead to high rewards?

3️⃣ Finance & Economics Questions

🔵 M: What is the repo rate?

🔵 M: What is the current repo rate?

🔵 M: If the interest on Fixed Deposits increases, what does it imply about the repo rate?

🔵 M: What is debt? What is a bond? Are they the same?

🔵 M: What is the Debt-Equity (D/E) ratio? What does it indicate?

🔵 M: Do you watch Shark Tank?

🔵 M: In Shark Tank, the sharks are offering debt more than equity—why?

4️⃣ Language Proficiency & Communication

🔵 F: I see you have DELF A2 and achievements in French Olympiads. Will you call French your second language?

🔵 F: What are the other two languages you can speak?

🔵 F: Speak for 2 minutes on: How does learning a third language have both pros and cons?

5️⃣ Business Fundamentals

🔵 M: What is opportunity cost?

🔵 M: What is the opportunity cost of learning a new language?

🔵 M: How would you evaluate two business ideas to decide which is better?

🔵 M: What is profitability?

🔵 M: What is ROI? What’s the difference?

6️⃣ Personal & Cultural Questions

🔵 M: Are you a Digambar or Shwetambar Jain? Are you a hardcore Jain?

📝 Key Takeaways for Aspirants

• Prepare well for finance, economics, and basic business concepts, even as a fresher.
• Be ready to justify non-participation in campus placements with confidence and clarity.
• Practice impromptu speeches—language or abstract topics can be tested.
• Expect panelists to blend casual friendliness with grilling—stay professional yet adaptable.
• Know your own profile well; everything you list in your form is fair game for questioning.