Tushar Bansal
Textile Technology
Placements
Indus Insights
Associate
Interviewed by:
Mihir Kedia
Internships
Placements
20th September 2020
Q
What all profiles did you apply in and how did you decide on that?
I did not have much interest in my core branch. Neither did I have interest in coding, so overall I applied in Consulting, Analytics, Product Management and Business Development.
Q
What difficulties did you face during preparation,how was the experience diff in terms of online semester?
First thing was that cases were difficult to do in the start. Most of my friends had formed case groups by June-July, but I was yet to form one. This particularly happened because of lack of communication in online mode. I was lucky enough to find a bunch of good friends later, which helped to prepare well.
Next thing was i got my first shortlist on Dec 4 that is Day 2.2 so it was mentally challenging. I did not have a single shortlist in any of the big firms contrary to my expectations. This prompted me to uninstall social media apps, so that I don’t get distracted.
Next thing was i got my first shortlist on Dec 4 that is Day 2.2 so it was mentally challenging. I did not have a single shortlist in any of the big firms contrary to my expectations. This prompted me to uninstall social media apps, so that I don’t get distracted.
Q
If someone does not get an intern via OCS in their 3rd year, what should they do?
OCS Internships are less in number and it's not a big deal if you don't get an OCS internship. According to me, an internship with a Multinational Company or an internationally renowned University has a great impact on your CV for a consulting profile. I agree that cracking such an internship might not be possible for all. Therefore, you can even apply in a startup and focus on learning, so that you have something great to share with the interviewer, if asked.
Q
What was your strategy of preparation and when it is advisable to start the preparation?
This contains mainly 4 things
Case Studies
Guesstimates
Quantitative Aptitude
Puzzles
Quantitative Aptitude is for the company tests and the rest 3 are from the interview perspective.
For cases I watched Youtube videos e.g. Victor Cheng (good collection of 12 videos) then referred to a textbook and later practiced cases with my friends. Important thing in this is to focus on quality rather than quantity, do less number of cases but revise them properly and also make a note of your mistakes.
Guesstimates are also more or less like case studies but you can do this individually as well, revision and note making being important.
For Quantitative aptitude, people usually prefer CAT model question papers. Apart from that, the placement cell provides subscription of some portal for practising.
For puzzles I referred to ‘Geeks for Geeks’ and ‘Brainstellar’. Questions usually come from these sites. I did little bit coding courses but it wasn't of much help.
For time of preparation 2-2.5 months are more than enough for non core profiles.
Case Studies
Guesstimates
Quantitative Aptitude
Puzzles
Quantitative Aptitude is for the company tests and the rest 3 are from the interview perspective.
For cases I watched Youtube videos e.g. Victor Cheng (good collection of 12 videos) then referred to a textbook and later practiced cases with my friends. Important thing in this is to focus on quality rather than quantity, do less number of cases but revise them properly and also make a note of your mistakes.
Guesstimates are also more or less like case studies but you can do this individually as well, revision and note making being important.
For Quantitative aptitude, people usually prefer CAT model question papers. Apart from that, the placement cell provides subscription of some portal for practising.
For puzzles I referred to ‘Geeks for Geeks’ and ‘Brainstellar’. Questions usually come from these sites. I did little bit coding courses but it wasn't of much help.
For time of preparation 2-2.5 months are more than enough for non core profiles.
Q
As you have been placed for a consultant role, could you tell us your experience regarding consulting?
The consulting shortlist is done on the basis of CV. Many people might say that some particular points in the CV are important, but my experience was certainly different from what I expected. According to me, shortlisting is a random process. Shortlists of some students might seem surprising to you. Irrespective of this, you should sincerely focus on building an all round CV packed with decent CGPA, Scholastics, Internships, POR’s and ECA’s.
Placement sem might turn out to be different from your expectations. Before sitting for placements, you should consult a variety of seniors and know their experience. Make sure not follow anyone blindly as these experiences are surely subjective.
Make a proper schedule for preparation, stick to one particular routine and do not take pressure. It is a little mentally challenging and if you get rejections do not take it very seriously. Do not feel bad about getting rejected from a particular firm.
Do remember that you are about to graduate from the premier institute of the country, and would definitely land in a very good job if you prepare well.
Most importantly, placements are not the end of life as it may sound. What is more important is that you are honest with yourself and enjoy the process rather than worrying about the result.
Make a proper schedule for preparation, stick to one particular routine and do not take pressure. It is a little mentally challenging and if you get rejections do not take it very seriously. Do not feel bad about getting rejected from a particular firm.
Do remember that you are about to graduate from the premier institute of the country, and would definitely land in a very good job if you prepare well.
Most importantly, placements are not the end of life as it may sound. What is more important is that you are honest with yourself and enjoy the process rather than worrying about the result.
Takeaways