Self-Assessment

1. Please describe yourself as a person. What are your strengths and areas of
improvement (at least 3 each)? Cite situations to exemplify each. (WL: 1000)
2. What is your single largest achievement so far? Why do you consider it to be
your largest achievement? What is your largest defeat to date and why? (WL:
500)
My single largest achievement so far would be clearing the Joint Entrance
Examination and joining Indian institute of technology, Madras in the
department Chemical Engineering for a four year B.Tech program. It was
certainly a dream come true, since I have been hard for nearly 4 years to
achieve the same. Starting with the Foundation IIT-JEE during my 9 th and 10th
grade followed by Achiever IIT-JEE during my 11 th and 12th grade. It was
tough especially tough during my 12 grade when there used to camps for all
the entrance examinations, namely AIEEE for NITs and CET for the
engineering colleges in Karnataka. The tougher task during those 4 years was
giving up my hobbies and other recreational activities. Despite my other
achievements during my school days in the various Olympiads, they certainly
acted as a confidence booster. But it never gave the satisfaction of
completeness. It was also the apt result for the work put in, probably with a
little bit of luck.
My largest defeat so far would be the placements in IIT-M. I wouldnt consider
this my largest defeat, rather it is a slight set back in my plan of things. After
4 years of hard work at IIT-M, with a respectable CGPA of 8.09, two interns
and two projects I wasnt able settle in a job of my preference. I would prefer
a job in consulting, corporate banking or in the supply chain of a FMCG. I
dont consider it as a major setback because both my interns where no way
related to the job I wanted. The first one was with National Chemical
Laboratory, Pune and the work was core to my discipline. The second was at
GyanData a startup, incubated by IIT-M Research Park. It involved with data
validation and reconciliation. And both my projects was involving
mathematical modelling of dynamical systems. Well the second intern makes
me look good for a data analyst job. But I landed at a coding job, probably not
hard core coding but still. Like stated earlier not a defeat but a setback.
3. What are your personal goals in life? Please elaborate in three separate
categories: Short-term (2-3 years), Medium-term (5-6 years) and Long-term
(ultimate objective). (WL: 1000)
Right now my goal for the next two or three years is to do well at IIM Indore
and gain domain specific knowledge. Work more methodically and not miss
out on any of the extracurricular activities and sports. The next on my list
would be to get a good job hopefully in finance or operational research and
continue to grow within the company for the next five or six years.
Long term continue to grow in the corporate ladder and possibly give
something back.

4. What are the three most important values that guide your thoughts and
actions and why? (WL: 500)
The three values that has always guided my thoughts and actions are:

Trust
Honesty
Punctuality

Trust, I believe is the foundation and corner stone for relationship.

Relationships include both personal and professional. We always need
someone we can trust irrespective of where or what we are. Like the famous
saying Rome was not built over night, even trust needs to be built over
time. Without trust it will more or less an individual effort, taking infinite time
to complete any work.
Honesty is required to achieve anything. I believe and learnt from my past
experiences that without an honest effort a seeming easy task can become
bumpy ride, whereas with an honest effort not necessarily a hundred percent
an uphill effort can become a flat track ride.
Finally responsibility is what it takes to get the job done. It also necessary to
take necessary to take responsibility when the work goes array and not
search someone to blame it on.
5. What type of assignments/tasks keep you hooked and charged and what are
those that you find unexciting? (WL: 500)
Assignments that keep me hooked and charged are mostly the one that I
dont have an immediate answer for. I especially love the ones for which a lot
of background work is required, as in referrals and ask assistance from
professionals, the tough one. I would prefer it to be related to mathematics
to some extent. More the math the better it is, well more or less I am well
trained engineer.
The tasks I find unexciting are generally the one for which I already know the
solution to. Basically HR questions, the things for I have to think about myself
or put myself in that situation and think about my reactions and what I am
expected of.
6. Who is your idol in life? Identify one of his/her weaknesses and elaborate.
(WL:500)
7. What are your hobbies and interests? How do you intend to pursue them
during your MBA and in the future? [At least 2 hobbies] (WL:500)
1. Basketball I am active almost most of the common sports and athletics. I
have been playing basketball since my 6th grade, though I cant remember
what in the game fascinated me when compared to all the other outdoor
sports. When I was elected as the school house captain in 2008, I have led

the team in the school inter house sports tournaments. Wherein we lost
the tournament in spite of winning the basketball tournament, when we
failed to capitalise in the other games. Despite not being able play
regularly for 3 years (10 th, 11th and 12th). When I restarted playing during
my 4 years stay at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT M) with
renewed vigour. I have been a silver medallist in intra-hostel sports
tournament, Schroeter in freshmen and 3 rd year. I have also been a silver
medallist in the Inter College Sports Fest hosted by IIT M in 2012 and
also have lead the team in the following 2013 edition of the fest. The 2012
edition of the sports fest gave me direct pass into the Inter IIT Sports
Fest -2012 held in December, from which I had to withdraw due to an
ankle injury in the final camp held in November. I intend to continue
playing at IIM Indore and also possibly represent the institute or at least
continue as a recreational activity, as it also helps me in maintain my
physical fitness and relieve me of the mental stress.
2.
8. What are your expectations from your stay at IIM Indore? What new skill sets
and traits do you hope to acquire while pursuing MBA here? (WL:500)
At IIM Indore I expect the institute to provide me with best
9. Which industry fascinates you the most as a career option after MBA? How
does your current educational qualification and skill set qualify you for it?
How would an MBA help you in this? (WL:1000)
Visualizations and Decisions Making
10.
Describe up to two incidents that have had a deep impact and brought
about a significant change in you? (WL: 500)
The first incident occurred when I was in my 5 th grade.
11.
How does an MBA at this stage fit into your scheme of things? Why
now? (WL: 500)
My actual scheme of things was to join for MBA after gaining at least 2 years
of work experience. When I did not land a job of my expectation I had to
prepone my earlier plan.
12.
At times, many of us are caught in a situation of moral conflict, where
we have to choose between two seemingly right alternatives. Describe up to
two situations when you faced this conflict. How did you resolve them? (WL:
500)
This
13.
Sometimes, we may find a group of people disagreeing with our
beliefs/points of view. How do you prefer to handle such a situation? Give us
an instance where you had to convince a group of people on your point of

view. (WL:500)
14.
Describe an
occasion when
you
realized the need
change/improvement/self-development. How did you respond? (WL:500)
15.

for

How do you define the following: (WL:250 each)

Success
Failure
Leadership
Ethics

Success - The dictionary meaning goes as the accomplishment of an aim

or purpose. But according to me, I believe it has more to do with the
satisfaction obtained after completion of the work than the material
benefits obtained, i.e. the satisfaction of the inner calling. Success should
not be measured merely on the profits made, but profit should also be a
parameter in the list. I believe that we must emphasize more on
excellence than success, because when we attain excellence in
something, success is something that is bound to it.

Failure

Leadership is a virtue. It is the ability to lead to a team taking everyones

opinions in to account, but not to blindly follow them.

Ethics by definition are rules that can be used to define or segregate good
deeds from bad ones.

Demonstrated Acts of Competence

16.
Describe a challenging project or a seemingly impossible task which
you have undertaken. What was the outcome? (WL: 750)
17.
Have you ever adopted a non-traditional approach to manage a project
/ situation or to solve a problem? Briefly describe the project / situation of the
problem, the approach and the outcome. In retrospect, do you think you
should have handled it differently? (WL: 750)
18.
Have you been a member of any social/cultural organization? (Yes/No).
If yes, please detail your position and accomplishments in the organization.
What was the key purpose behind your decision to be associated with this
entity? What are your future plans in this regard? (WL:750)
19.
Tell us about a time when you had difficulty with a co-worker/teammate and how you handled the situation. (WL:750)
20.
Give two examples of how you have demonstrated leadership and
inspired people towards achievement of certain goals. (WL:1000)