Sunday, October 16, 2005

How (not) to answer in an interview?

I had a mock interview (2 mentors) 12 at night today. We were told to mail our CV and a functional area along with two preferred companies so that they can do a focused interview. I wish I could be choosy about the functional area for now. I’d put marketing anyway (because most companies are marketing)

Mentor: Why is marketing important?
I: Organization exists for creating value for customer. So marketing is very important.

M: So you say finance is not important?
I: Do a volte-face. Finance is the backbone of any firm as firm exists to create value for shareholder!

I’d toned down my deep voice just to show (off) that I’m Mr.Humble.
M: Are you not meek for a marketing manager?’
I: No. The old management paradigm is that companies try to sell aggressively the products the firm produces but the new paradigm (I like that word. Makes me sound smarter than I actually am!) is whatever….

M: What’s the difference between customer and consumer?
I: Hmmm… I don’t know
M: Try
I: Okay. Consumer is the one who consumes one’s goods and services and customer is an all encompassing term that includes all the stakeholders of the company
M: Who is a stakeholder?
I: One who has a stake in the company.

The two mentors look at each other and think the time is up.

PS: I met a senior Jassi who was supposed to interview 10 people, but only three turned up. A couple of them even dared call him up and give him a silly excuse like preparing for P&G case. One fellow who had acknowledged Jassi’s mail at 8 pm called him up at 12 and said he didn’t see the mail.  It seems I’m living in a utopian world and in reality the legacy is not that rich after all.

4 comments:

Id it is said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Id it is said...

Not meaning to offend, but I'm confused here! So are you disappointed with your mentors? I would be too, going solely by the quality of questions they asked you at 12midnight! One doesn't have to be a Management 'pundit' to have asked those questions! Even someone like me, a non MBA, could have generated more dynamic and thought provoking dialectic than these two seniors of your did, and who apparently were trying to prep you up for a real life interview. You may be better off minus this 'rich legacy' afterall!
Apologies, if any have I offended.

sivananth said...

Hey, it was only a part of the questions. My objective was not to put down anyone but myself. And the only people i was disappointed with were my peers. No offence(I'm too simple to feel offended. Infact i'm the humblest person on earth, no paradox intended!)

Anonymous said...

what with mocks and actuals, puns and paradoxes, offences n apologies!

gimme a break plzzzzz

already too much for me to think about already