Yashvardhan Bansal
Production & Industrial Engineering
<
>
Placements
BCG
Associate
Interviewed by:
Somya Maheshwari
Internships
Home
PPOs
Placements
20th September 2020
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
Q
When to start preparing for the Placement season?
Comparison between your intern and placement interviews?
Learnings from this placement season?
How did you decide your field of interest? What about backups?
Major problems that you faced?
Online vs Offline placements?
If someone does not get an intern via OCS in their 3rd year, what should they do?
Necessities for targeting your field?
By March-April, one should have a broad idea about what profiles you're applying for. I understand all of us don't really know about the different profiles at that time; therefore, one should instead focus on what skills do you wish to acquire by the time of the placement process
Start building a plan for yourself. Say you want to take up coding as one of the profiles. Even if you have not been a coding guy the whole time, if you start by March and practice crazy on competitive coding, you can acquire those skills by October.
For consulting, initially focus on shaping your CV. The shortlist for the interviews comes around the first-second week of October. Keeping that in mind, one can start practicing Case Interviews somewhere around August-September.
Start building a plan for yourself. Say you want to take up coding as one of the profiles. Even if you have not been a coding guy the whole time, if you start by March and practice crazy on competitive coding, you can acquire those skills by October.
For consulting, initially focus on shaping your CV. The shortlist for the interviews comes around the first-second week of October. Keeping that in mind, one can start practicing Case Interviews somewhere around August-September.
Honestly, I didn’t have the best internship season. I had just returned from my foreign internship and I was not at all prepared for the process. I was clueless and didn't really invest my time and energy for the preparation. I didn't secure an internship offer on the first two days and got a major reality check. That experience made me realize the lack of preparation I had. I finally got an internship at Publicis Sapient just around Minor 1. I realized the importance of sincerity and hard work. If only I had prepared for it like a lot of other people, it would have made a significant difference.
Although now when I look back at it, I don’t have any regrets as this experience helped me bounce back hard and strong during my placements. This time I was all fired up and prepared. I worked very hard to improve my skills and resume drastically within the next year. After getting the shortlists, I was determined to give my 100% towards interview preparation and wanted to see it through till the end successfully. And fortunately, I was lucky enough to get placed on Day 1 at BCG which was my first preference.
Although now when I look back at it, I don’t have any regrets as this experience helped me bounce back hard and strong during my placements. This time I was all fired up and prepared. I worked very hard to improve my skills and resume drastically within the next year. After getting the shortlists, I was determined to give my 100% towards interview preparation and wanted to see it through till the end successfully. And fortunately, I was lucky enough to get placed on Day 1 at BCG which was my first preference.
After all my endeavours in these four years at IITD, I finally learned not to become too outcome-oriented. Many of us have this instant gratification mode on 24x7. You tend to believe that every move you make must have an expected output for you in the end. But the truth is, and it took me forever to figure it out, that the real treasure is the journey and not the outcome. Try and enjoy the journey. Give every shot your best efforts, not just for the outcome that it may or may not produce but for the learning and the joy that it will bring you.
After BCG, I had Flipkart's APM profile at second on my list, but the odds were stacked against me big time. They were to shortlist only 10-12 presentations out of all the entries for the interview round. I gave my heart and soul to that presentation and worked very hard for it as I was really interested in that profile. Through the process, I actually started enjoying it and found it to be quite intriguing. After I finished working on my PPT, I had this deep sense of satisfaction. I was SATISFIED with my efforts and what I accomplished in that ppt. My thought process that time was that: "Iske baad nahi bhi hota hei na selection, toh koi baat nahi. I'm 100% satisfied with the effort that I have put in"
Finally, I did get selected among those 14 students, but I feel that it was only because of the fact that I put my heart and soul into that presentation and I didn't do it only for the outcome.
After BCG, I had Flipkart's APM profile at second on my list, but the odds were stacked against me big time. They were to shortlist only 10-12 presentations out of all the entries for the interview round. I gave my heart and soul to that presentation and worked very hard for it as I was really interested in that profile. Through the process, I actually started enjoying it and found it to be quite intriguing. After I finished working on my PPT, I had this deep sense of satisfaction. I was SATISFIED with my efforts and what I accomplished in that ppt. My thought process that time was that: "Iske baad nahi bhi hota hei na selection, toh koi baat nahi. I'm 100% satisfied with the effort that I have put in"
Finally, I did get selected among those 14 students, but I feel that it was only because of the fact that I put my heart and soul into that presentation and I didn't do it only for the outcome.
Well, if you think you're clueless about what you want in your life, don't worry. You're not alone :)
The best way to reach a conclusion is to explore. Explore different areas, different fields and pick the one that you enjoy the most.
In my opinion, having a back-up varies person-to-person based on your profile. I had an internship in Software Development Engineering field in my third year at Publicis Sapient, and they offered me a PPO after the end of the internship as well. Even though I enjoyed the tenure of my internship, I was clear in my head that coding might be something that I enjoy, and maybe I'm good at, but I don't want to pursue it for the rest of my life. So, I made coding as my backup. That PPO from a reputed firm like Publicis Sapient provided me with that cushion to have a back-up. So I had coding related shortlists as well but I was clear that I had this as my backup, and Consulting was my priority. Having said that, it wasn't like I didn't prepare for coding. I did practice a decent amount of coding questions as well.
The thing about backups, that most of you must be unaware of, is that they are very dynamic. The shortlisting process takes place in phases. Your perspective of looking at things keeps changing slightly according to the situation. By the beginning of November, I had a decent number of shortlists for business analyst and consulting profiles. After this, coding as my backup did fade away bit by bit. In my head, I was clear that I have these interviews lined up, and I have prepared decently well to hopefully convert at least one of them into a job offer. Though I didn't entirely stop my coding preparation, I reduced it significantly towards the end.
The idea of having a back-up is very fluid. You should have backups, but these backups can change according to your position. So it’s important to strike the right balance.
The best way to reach a conclusion is to explore. Explore different areas, different fields and pick the one that you enjoy the most.
In my opinion, having a back-up varies person-to-person based on your profile. I had an internship in Software Development Engineering field in my third year at Publicis Sapient, and they offered me a PPO after the end of the internship as well. Even though I enjoyed the tenure of my internship, I was clear in my head that coding might be something that I enjoy, and maybe I'm good at, but I don't want to pursue it for the rest of my life. So, I made coding as my backup. That PPO from a reputed firm like Publicis Sapient provided me with that cushion to have a back-up. So I had coding related shortlists as well but I was clear that I had this as my backup, and Consulting was my priority. Having said that, it wasn't like I didn't prepare for coding. I did practice a decent amount of coding questions as well.
The thing about backups, that most of you must be unaware of, is that they are very dynamic. The shortlisting process takes place in phases. Your perspective of looking at things keeps changing slightly according to the situation. By the beginning of November, I had a decent number of shortlists for business analyst and consulting profiles. After this, coding as my backup did fade away bit by bit. In my head, I was clear that I have these interviews lined up, and I have prepared decently well to hopefully convert at least one of them into a job offer. Though I didn't entirely stop my coding preparation, I reduced it significantly towards the end.
The idea of having a back-up is very fluid. You should have backups, but these backups can change according to your position. So it’s important to strike the right balance.
I'll be answering this question in two segments:
Tests
I struggled a bit with my consistency towards these tests. You know, in the beginning, you're all fired up! But you tend to feel tired when you have three tests a day for three consecutive days. It's hard to maintain your momentum. It is advisable to be done with all your preparations at least once before the tests begin.
It is imperative to be in the right headspace, as it can be quite stressful during this time. You should consider taking up healthy habits, for instance, doing some sort of physical exercise daily, having a balanced diet and maintaining a proper sleep schedule. I know they sound cliché but they’ll go a long way and will help you when you're under pressure.
Interviews
The harsh truth is that it doesn’t matter how good you are in general as ultimately what the interviewer will believe is only what you showcase in that one hour or so. So you need to be at your confident best on that day. You've got to believe in yourself and your skills.
People generally prepare for the technical round and omit the preparation for the HR segment of the process. In my opinion, it is crucial to prepare for the HR part as well as it can significantly change the course of your interview.
It all comes down to how comfortable and confident you are in your skin. Just be confident and keep your calm during the interview and deliver to the best of your abilities.
Tests
I struggled a bit with my consistency towards these tests. You know, in the beginning, you're all fired up! But you tend to feel tired when you have three tests a day for three consecutive days. It's hard to maintain your momentum. It is advisable to be done with all your preparations at least once before the tests begin.
It is imperative to be in the right headspace, as it can be quite stressful during this time. You should consider taking up healthy habits, for instance, doing some sort of physical exercise daily, having a balanced diet and maintaining a proper sleep schedule. I know they sound cliché but they’ll go a long way and will help you when you're under pressure.
Interviews
The harsh truth is that it doesn’t matter how good you are in general as ultimately what the interviewer will believe is only what you showcase in that one hour or so. So you need to be at your confident best on that day. You've got to believe in yourself and your skills.
People generally prepare for the technical round and omit the preparation for the HR segment of the process. In my opinion, it is crucial to prepare for the HR part as well as it can significantly change the course of your interview.
It all comes down to how comfortable and confident you are in your skin. Just be confident and keep your calm during the interview and deliver to the best of your abilities.
This varies from profile-to-profile.
For a Data Science or a Core Coding profile, your past experiences hold lesser value in getting you a job offer. It's your skills they want. They don't really care about your past; it's your problem-solving skills that matter to them.
But when it comes to profiles like Consulting, since they don't conduct any tests or so, like the core coding related profiles; they do rely on your past experiences to judge you as an individual. An OCS internship, bagged on the first or second day, without a doubt holds significant value in the shortlisting process. The people involved in the shortlisting are all IITD alumni. They know the process in and out; if you think you can fool them by over glorifying your achievements, you're wrong! The whole process of a company coming to campus, hiring interns from a pool of brilliant minds, and shortlisting you from the lot adds to your credibility.
Having said that, you need to understand that at the end of the day, that OCS internship will only be a segment of your Internship section in your CV. People tend to make a very big deal about it. It is definitely beneficial if you have it, but it's not the end of the world even if you don't. If you don't get a decent internship via OCS, you can apply for off campus internships via the companies’ career portals, LinkedIn, etc.
Remember this; these internships will only be a component in the Internship section of your CV. Even if you fail to bag the best internship via OCS; you can still improve your Internship section via other means and there are still three other sections on your CV that you can strengthen to ace the shortlisting process.
For a Data Science or a Core Coding profile, your past experiences hold lesser value in getting you a job offer. It's your skills they want. They don't really care about your past; it's your problem-solving skills that matter to them.
But when it comes to profiles like Consulting, since they don't conduct any tests or so, like the core coding related profiles; they do rely on your past experiences to judge you as an individual. An OCS internship, bagged on the first or second day, without a doubt holds significant value in the shortlisting process. The people involved in the shortlisting are all IITD alumni. They know the process in and out; if you think you can fool them by over glorifying your achievements, you're wrong! The whole process of a company coming to campus, hiring interns from a pool of brilliant minds, and shortlisting you from the lot adds to your credibility.
Having said that, you need to understand that at the end of the day, that OCS internship will only be a segment of your Internship section in your CV. People tend to make a very big deal about it. It is definitely beneficial if you have it, but it's not the end of the world even if you don't. If you don't get a decent internship via OCS, you can apply for off campus internships via the companies’ career portals, LinkedIn, etc.
Remember this; these internships will only be a component in the Internship section of your CV. Even if you fail to bag the best internship via OCS; you can still improve your Internship section via other means and there are still three other sections on your CV that you can strengthen to ace the shortlisting process.
Securing a consulting job is a two-step process: You need to get shortlisted, and you have to crack the interview.
For passing the shortlisting threshold for a consulting profile, you will need a comprehensive, well-balanced CV. It's not necessary to have a glorious POR behind you to back your claim, but they do expect an all-round CV having a decent CG, good Scholastic Achievements, Internships, Extra Currics and Positions of Responsibility.
You can ramp up your CV in many ways to sway your chances towards getting a shortlist. Try and identify which sections can be your “Peaks” and work towards making them stronger.
The interview process is much more dynamic than the shortlisting. IITD has an excellent consulting culture, and you will find ample resources to strengthen your preparation process. Given the consulting culture at IIT, you'll have your seniors giving you the necessary tips and tricks to crack the interview. There are also many Case Interviews solved books to help you understand things from scratch. Apart from that, after getting shortlisted, you’ll have proper case practices as part of the buddy process. You’ll be assigned a buddy who would mostly be one of your seniors in the firm. To crack the interview, you'll need a good mix of structuring, problem solving, business acumen and communication skills. Starting well in advance and practicing a decent number of cases while trying to improve each time will make you good to g
For passing the shortlisting threshold for a consulting profile, you will need a comprehensive, well-balanced CV. It's not necessary to have a glorious POR behind you to back your claim, but they do expect an all-round CV having a decent CG, good Scholastic Achievements, Internships, Extra Currics and Positions of Responsibility.
You can ramp up your CV in many ways to sway your chances towards getting a shortlist. Try and identify which sections can be your “Peaks” and work towards making them stronger.
The interview process is much more dynamic than the shortlisting. IITD has an excellent consulting culture, and you will find ample resources to strengthen your preparation process. Given the consulting culture at IIT, you'll have your seniors giving you the necessary tips and tricks to crack the interview. There are also many Case Interviews solved books to help you understand things from scratch. Apart from that, after getting shortlisted, you’ll have proper case practices as part of the buddy process. You’ll be assigned a buddy who would mostly be one of your seniors in the firm. To crack the interview, you'll need a good mix of structuring, problem solving, business acumen and communication skills. Starting well in advance and practicing a decent number of cases while trying to improve each time will make you good to g
I’d say it's not so black and white and rather a grey area. Both have their pros and cons. Definitely, I wanted an offline season, and you know, be a part of 'the IIT Delhi Placement Season"., But I think OCS did a fantastic job pulling off such an awesome placement season in online mode. I did miss being on campus, being with my friends, and getting placed together. I feel that in offline interviews, body language plays a crucial role. Hence, I did miss the distinctive look and feel of an interview. When you're in a one-on-one interview being physically present there, you can sort of sense the tone of the interviewer, or read his/her body language and try and steer your interview that way.
Imagine having a connectivity issue during your online interview; it would be devastating. During an interview, your mind is having all sorts of thoughts and processing them, and on top of that, the last thing you want is not being able to hear the voice of the interviewer clearly.
Though frankly, there were a lot of advantages too that came with this online mode of placements. In my personal opinion, the stress level was slightly less than what an individual on campus would have experienced. You know how in the campus, you're shuffling back and forth from your hostel to the CSC three times a day to give companies’ tests. Then you get the results, and there's this fierce competition, and all your peers in your friend circle and in your hostel are competing head-to-head. Most of the people around you have been toppers all their lives and are used to aiming for the best. There can be moments of insecurities when sometimes, people don't filter what comes out of their mouths. Plus, there's this huge added pressure which contributes further to the stress. During your interviews, you don't want that kind of negativity inside your head accompanying your thoughts. That's where I feel the Online Placements had an edge as all this time, I was with my family and was connected to my close friends; they are the best support system one could ask for. I talked mostly to my immediate close group of friends, friends who I know would help me and support me no matter what.
Just the one small regret I have is that I could not enjoy those moments with my friends as we all got placed. But overall, I think it was an amazing Placement season.
Imagine having a connectivity issue during your online interview; it would be devastating. During an interview, your mind is having all sorts of thoughts and processing them, and on top of that, the last thing you want is not being able to hear the voice of the interviewer clearly.
Though frankly, there were a lot of advantages too that came with this online mode of placements. In my personal opinion, the stress level was slightly less than what an individual on campus would have experienced. You know how in the campus, you're shuffling back and forth from your hostel to the CSC three times a day to give companies’ tests. Then you get the results, and there's this fierce competition, and all your peers in your friend circle and in your hostel are competing head-to-head. Most of the people around you have been toppers all their lives and are used to aiming for the best. There can be moments of insecurities when sometimes, people don't filter what comes out of their mouths. Plus, there's this huge added pressure which contributes further to the stress. During your interviews, you don't want that kind of negativity inside your head accompanying your thoughts. That's where I feel the Online Placements had an edge as all this time, I was with my family and was connected to my close friends; they are the best support system one could ask for. I talked mostly to my immediate close group of friends, friends who I know would help me and support me no matter what.
Just the one small regret I have is that I could not enjoy those moments with my friends as we all got placed. But overall, I think it was an amazing Placement season.
Q
It is very easy to lose yourself in this competitive rat race since you have so many smart and talented people around you. In such circumstances, you will be tempted to underestimate yourself, second guess your decisions and envy others. But DON’T! Don't let these thoughts get the better of you. At the end of the day, nobody’s opinion matters more than your own opinion about yourself. Have faith in yourself and your abilities, even if people around are doubting you.
Don’t be too outcome oriented. Instead try and learn from the journey and the process. Try to enjoy it and simply give your best. That will give you a deep sense of satisfaction and you won’t have any regrets even if the result is not in your favour (which will be the case many times).
Finally, I’d just like to share what I told myself right before joining the very first zoom meeting for my BCG interview after being under stress and pressure for days anticipating how this interview will go. I just said this to myself: “It’s okay. Stay calm. You’ve got this. Even if you don’t get the offer, I know you’re much more than one interview. And I have full faith that you will eventually make something good out of your life.” This made me feel calm, composed and confident. I was able to execute and implement smoothly what I had practiced for days. And I guess now I can safely say that it went well :p
Don’t be too outcome oriented. Instead try and learn from the journey and the process. Try to enjoy it and simply give your best. That will give you a deep sense of satisfaction and you won’t have any regrets even if the result is not in your favour (which will be the case many times).
Finally, I’d just like to share what I told myself right before joining the very first zoom meeting for my BCG interview after being under stress and pressure for days anticipating how this interview will go. I just said this to myself: “It’s okay. Stay calm. You’ve got this. Even if you don’t get the offer, I know you’re much more than one interview. And I have full faith that you will eventually make something good out of your life.” This made me feel calm, composed and confident. I was able to execute and implement smoothly what I had practiced for days. And I guess now I can safely say that it went well :p
Takeaways
C
BSW IITD 2021 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED