From Mechanical Engineer to Deloitte Professional: How This Candidate Navigated the IIM Lucknow Interview
Candidate Profile
- Background: Mechanical engineering graduate with a passion for operations and analytics
- Work Experience: Approximately 2 years at a Big 4 consulting firm, primarily in supply chain and sourcing solutions
- Academics:
- 10th: 97%
- 12th: 96.9%
- Undergraduate: 83.9%
- CAT Percentile: 99.12
Interview Panel
- Panel Composition: 3 members (all male)
- Mode: In-person interview at IIM Lucknow campus
Interview Questions & Candidate’s Approach
1️⃣ Icebreaker & Profile-Related Questions
🔵 Panelist: “Introduce yourself.”
🔵 Panelist: “Tell us about your job profile.”
2️⃣ Technical & Analytical Questions
🔵 Panelist: “Explain the difference between sourcing and procurement.”
🔵 Panelist: “What do you know about uniform tax and variable tax?”
🔵 Panelist: “What other economic concepts have you studied?”
🔵 Panelist: “Define inflation.”
🔵 Panelist: “What is negative inflation? When does it occur?”
3️⃣ Domain Knowledge & Application
🔵 Panelist: “You have a Six Sigma certification—tell us about it.”
🔵 Panelist: “How will you apply production concepts in a service-based role?”
🔵 Panelist: “How has your mechanical engineering degree helped in your consulting work?”
🔵 Panelist: “Tell us about operations management and roles in it.”
🔵 Panelist: “What is Industry 4.0?”
4️⃣ Curveballs & General Awareness
🔵 Panelist: “Explain the second law of thermodynamics.”
🔵 Panelist: “Why don’t you want to join SM and ABM?”
🔵 Panelist: “What other calls do you have?”
🔵 Panelist: “Do you support the NEET ban?”
🔵 Panelist: “Tell us about the recent governor walkout in the assembly.”
🔵 Panelist: “Explain sustainability.”
Key Takeaways for Aspirants
- ✅ Expect panelists to probe deeply into certifications and work experience.
- ✅ Be prepared to apply academic concepts to practical, real-world contexts.
- ✅ Stay calm and acknowledge when you don’t know something—integrity matters.
- ✅ Keep up with major current affairs, especially governance and policy issues.
- ✅ Answer ideological questions diplomatically, balancing personal opinion and objective reasoning.
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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