Placement talks, MBA life and career path in consulting -By Mauli Kundlia from IIM Indore

Placements used to be one of the most popular topics back in MBA while consulting was one of the most coveted career paths. Right after I entered my first year, I had always heard people saying that consulting was a career path for people with work experience. Being a fresher I had to let go of all my hopes.

I was fully focused on making a career in marketing. However, I could not get a PPO from my internship, and I was slightly disheartened that I continued working hard on my studies. And then there was this fateful day. I had just woken up from my sleep to see missed calls on my phone.

The interview was the actual exam

I called back and got to know that I had received a notification from one of the top management consulting firms in the world. Well, I couldn’t believe it was happening. But it was just the beginning of the struggle. The interview was the real battle.

Consulting interviews are typically divided into 3-5 rounds, with each evaluating several skills including problem-solving activities and communication. As I had never prepared for it. I had no clue about where to start and how to practice. I had never experienced even an interview like that. The next few days were spent on researching on what the interview process was like.

Case Interview Secrets and preparing for career path in consulting 

I came across this book, Case Interview Secrets and was pretty sure anyone preparing for a career path in consulting must have heard of it. I was spending all my days panicking but at the same time preparing for the interview. Also, I had started practising mock interviews with other people who got the notification. I believe it wasn’t a competition, but rather a collective effort to prepare and try our best to get in together. Moreover, I used to go for an hour-long walk daily and then sleep by 11 in the night and wake up by 5 in the morning to study and practice.

I seriously prepared for the strengths and weaknesses. I sat down to make a genuine list of each of them. We had our classes and exams lined up at the same time, even for a competition for which we had managed to reach the regional level. This was the first time ever I was preparing so hard for something. I had not prepared this hard even for my board exams or CAT. However, I wanted to do justice to this interview. I considered this as an opportunity to prove myself and hence I was trying my best. Still, I always felt like I wasn’t doing enough.

On the day of the interview, probably everyone was nervous, and I too was nervous. Just two days before the interview, the stress was taking a toll on me. I had stopped studying altogether and just listened to music all day. To get over it, I was thinking that even if today I do not get through, it will be a great learning experience for me.

The most peaceful evening of my life

I had four rounds of interviews. The entire process ended by 5 in the evening. I had no idea how they had gone, but I had no regrets because I had tried my best. That evening was probably the most peaceful evening of my life for a very long time.

The results came a few days later. I was the one who got the offer. I was so happy. Looking back at my school days, it was probably my constant dedication to my studies, my humility, and genuineness that always took me to the shore. Since I was sincere all throughout the year, that sincerity gave me the results and I hope I can continue to keep this attitude.

This article was submitted as a part of Become an Author conducted by Dare2Compete.