From Software Engineer to IIM Kozhikode Aspirant: Facing Unexpected Twists in the Interview
Candidate Profile
- Background: Engineer with a degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering
- Work Experience: 2.5 years as a Software Engineer in a mid-sized IT firm, specializing in backend development
- Academics:
- 10th Grade: 93%
- 12th Grade: 94.2%
- Undergraduate CGPA: 8.4
Interview Panel & Setup
- Institute: IIM Kozhikode
- Date & Time: 23rd March, 11:00 AM
- Mode: Virtual Interview
- Panel Composition: 2 male professors (P1, P2)
Interview Questions & Insights
1. Icebreaker & Work-Related Questions
🔵 P1: Tell me about your work. What exactly do you do?
🔵 P1: Do you know your company’s recent financial numbers?
2. General Awareness & Current Affairs
🔵 P1: There are elections coming up in some states. Can you tell me which ones?
🔵 P1: Who is the current Finance Minister of India?
🔵 P1: Can you name some of the past Finance Ministers?
3. Technical & Conceptual Curveballs
🔵 P2: What’s the difference between voltage, current, and power?
🔵 P2: What is a superconductor?
🔵 P2: What happens when we pass voltage through a superconductor?
4. Values & Personal Reflection
🔵 P2: Tell me the last good thing you did in your life.
Candidate Reflection
“I struggled with the electrical engineering questions because they were outside my current work scope. I handled them by admitting my knowledge gap while trying to recall basic definitions. For the personal question, I shared a small volunteering activity I recently did.”
Key Takeaways for Future Aspirants
- ✅ Always revise basic concepts from your undergraduate discipline, even if you’ve pivoted in your career.
- ✅ Stay updated with key political, economic, and business developments.
- ✅ Be ready with company stats—don’t just know your work, know the business.
- ✅ Practice answering value-based and personal reflection questions.
- ✅ Maintain composure even when faced with unfamiliar questions—your attitude counts.
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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