XLRI PI Experience

8th March, 2007
The Ashok, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

3.15 p.m. - Reached the venue. I was wearing a black suit with a light blue shirt and a blue tie. Forgive my immodesty but I've to admit I looked pretty smart. There were 3 guys (no girls). All of them were looking very smart (Is there something about suits that makes a guy look smart? Or is it that only smart people have come to give their interviews?). As soon as I reached, I finished 2 glasses of water, that calmed me down a bit. Started talking with the guys. Don't remember much of the conversations except I remembered telling one of them that talking helps in reducing the nervousness and started making remarks which makes other laugh. Well, that's one thing about me, sometimes, I can make strangers at ease with themselves (only sometimes, when I'm in the mood, I'm a moody person). The only thing is - who's going to put me at ease. Anyway, after about 20 mins, the 2 glasses of water started to take effect and I'd to go to the loo. God, the doors to the loo were looking similar to the normal room doors and I almost went inside the one for the opposite sex. Thank God, noone was there to saw me. I came out, chat for another 10 mins and then one of the professor called my name around 3.50 p.m.

3.50 p.m.
There were 3 members in the interview panel.
Left: Mr. Ashish K. Pani, Information Systems
Centre: Mr. Paul Fernandes, Ethics
Right: Mr. Vijayraghavan, Information Systems, Operations Management

PF was smiling, VR has a slight smile, AP was neutral. All three were very cordial and friendly.

Me: May I come in Sir? (Forgot to wish them Good Afternoon but I guess that's fine)
All 3 nods
PF: Have a seat
Me: Thank you (Sat down and adjusted the height of the chair)

PF pushed a sheet to me for me to sign

VR asked for my certificates

VJ: How do you pronounce your surname?
Me: (Looking up) Cha-bung-bam

PF: Where are you from?
Me: Manipur (and not Imphal, why?)

PF: So, your father is a proffesor in the Manipur University?
Me: Yes, Sir, he's the Vice Chancellor right now (feeling proud)

PF: And your mom?
Me: She's the principal of a college (didn't elaborate)

PF: Both your parents are in academics, why not you? Don't you like to be a academician?
Me: (Smiling) No, Sir, it's nothing like that. Our parents have given us the freedom to choose our own professions and I choose computer science engineering because I was fascinated by computers when I was a child.

AK: How many are you?
Me: (waiting for this question) We're 3 brothers, I'm the youngest. My eldest brother is in Kolkata and is an officer in the IRS (should have expanded it to mean Indian Revenue Service and not Indian Railway Service). My second brother is working in Microsoft, Hyderabad as Program Manager. He was also an XL alumnus. He passed out in 2005. His name is Sameer... Sameer Singh Chabungbam

AK or VR: The football player?
Me: I don't know if he played football, Sir. (I asked TaSameer afterwards, he didn't play football).
They were still looking at me...
Told them my bro's 2005 passout, BM.

PF: So, u’re staying in Bangalore. Why did you choose Delhi as an Interview center? Chennai is much nearer to Delhi.
Me: I studied for 2 years in Delhi, did my +2 from Army Public School, which is at Dhaula Kuan. I wanted to visit Delhi again and right now is the perfect time to visit Delhi as Delhi is quite pleasant and beautiful this time of the year.

PF: U studied in Delhi. How do you compare Delhi and Manipur?
Me: (Got confused as to compare which parameter... cultural, education, weather, etc.) Sir, I'll talk about education as that was what I came to Delhi for. The first thing I find is that parents takes more active interest in their child's education. For e.g., there is PTA. This is not the case in Manipur. Secondly, I found that children in Delhi schools can speak English very well. I spoke to children who are studying in Class 3 - 4, they spoke English better than me. Out there in Manipur, it's only in the later classes that students pick up English. (Thought for a while). Beyond these two points, the rest is pretty much similar.

(Silent pause. I hate silent pauses. Although I can out-silent anyone, I'm expected to fill in the void here.)
Me: The other parameters are the same. Students in Manipur are as competitive as in Delhi. They are as hard-working and as diligent too.
PF or AK or VR: And?

Me: And that's it, Sir
(Later, I realized I could have talked about frequent bandhs, strike, not condcutive study environment, blah, blah.)

VR: What do you do in Bangalore? Studying? (Most probably deliberate, they have my profile form)
Me: (Smiling) No, Sir. I'm working... in as a software engineer
VR: What do you do in your company?
Me: I'm a software engineer. (silent pause)... a developer (silent pause, i out-silent them. Well, what do they actually want to know? what's a developer?)

VR: Ok, what do you find is different between Delhi and Bangalore?
(Hesitated a little. Was thinking where to start, from weather? or infrastructure? or job opportunity? VR seemed to read my mind...)
VR: Culturally
Me: Well, both are metropolitan cities so both cities have got mixed cultures. People came from all over India to work in Bangalore, and they bring their own cultures. And Delhi is the national capital, and people from all over the country came here to work as well as to study so I don't think Delhi has its own distinct culture. However, I found one thing that people in Bangalore are more orthodox than in Delhi. For example, pubs and disco are closed at 11 pm. (Stupid, that's me... can't you give a better example)...
VR: Here, they are closed at 7 pm. (All three laughed, I smiled... Didn't argue)

PF: What are your plans?
Me: (Gave my Why MBA answer) wanting to work in strategic unit of a business so as to achieve the organization's goal, blah, blah

PF: So, what will your strategy be to make manipur the foremost state amongts the seven sisters?
Me: Can you give me a few mins to think, Sir
PF: Please...

(Thought for sometime, about 1 min)
Me: Talked about 4 points mainly
1) Insurgency - Solving insurgency problem. Military solution not working, a political solution needed. Hampering development, blah, blah
2) Education - Mainly primary and secondary education. Wants to bring it in par with the rest of the country. Don't want the excuse by a student saying that since "I came from Manipur, I cannot get into IIT" (decided to forego school dropouts thing)
3) Tourism: Manipur is really beautiful, lots of scope for tourism. Wants to promote Manipur as tourist's destination like Kerala promotes it's tourism with "God's own country" line. Needs to develop infrastructure and roads for this.
4)Border Trade: Talked about Moreh. More transparent trading between Myanmar and India.

PF: (Summarized what I just said)
Me: Yes, Sir
VR: What about sports? (Why am I forgetting about sports?)
Me: That's also one area I would like to develop. Manipur is doing really well in sports. Came second in the National games. Heard that Andaman n Nicobar got their first medal... a bronze medal in kayaking and it was by a Manipuri. (Later, I thought I should have mentioned something like Manipur doing very well in the national arena, wants to develop sports to bring it in par with international arena.)
AK: Cultural? Manipuri Dance
Me: Yes, that's also quite famous. Talked a bit about Ras Lila, Pung Cholom (Could definitely answer better)

VR: Ok, tell me 2 things that make you happy, 2 things that make you sad and 2 things that make you angry
Me: Happy
1)Books, talking about books
2)Love, feeling of being loved
Sad
1) Breaking trust
2)Can't think up
Angry
1)Hypocrites
2)Sloppy work, people not doing what they are capable of doing. Mentioned having problem at work because of this.

PF or VR or AK: How did you handle it?
Me: With patience. Talks to the person. Tells him it wasn't only affecting him, it was affecting the whole team. Talking helps a lot.

PF: Are you good at Maths?
Me: Yes, and bragged about my achievements in Maths
PF: But there is no Maths in Computer Sc. so, why did you take Comp Sc?
Me: Although there is no pure maths after 4th sem, the application is still there. After all, what does Maths teach us? To think analytically and logically. While writing a program, u have to think logically, like how data will move from one module to another, blah blah

VR: How will your friends describe you?
Me: The first thing they'll say about me is that I'm intelligent, though I don't know why (All laughed)
They'll also say I'm smart and a little bit arrogant (thought I'll put in some weak points)
VR: Lovely, friendly?
Me: Oh, I'm quite friendly.
AK: Polite, quiet?
Me: I don't think they'll say I'm quiet although that's the first impression people usually have about me
PF: So, u mean u're someone else at college and someone else outside?
Me: Well, sir, I'm an introvert and it takes time for me to open up, so I'm usually quiet and polite the first time I meet somebody. But once I opened up...
PF: you are unstoppable (they all laughed though I didn't get the joke. I just smiled)
PF: From which one of your parent do you think u've inherited your intorvert nature?
Me: I don't know (An embarassed smile)
PF: Which one of your parent is more introvert?
Me: My dad is more introvert

PF: That's it.
VR: Any questions you want to ask us?
Me: Yes, Sir. There is actually one. I've heard XL has got little international connection. I talked to many alumni and they all confirmed this. Why this is so?
(They told me about XL opening up new campuses in Dubai and Singapore. Students exchange programme available. International connection really picking up in the last 2 years. PF asked me where I wanted to go)
Me: Not as such but will be good to have students exchange programme. Students who went there can share experiences with others, blah blah
They thank me for this.

That's it$. It's done.