Profile - 9/8/8, GEM, 3+ years of work-ex in Royal Enfield
CAT - 84.21, MICAT - 25
Interview Location : Mumbai
My interview took place first followed by GE. Interview lasted for around 25 mins. There were 3 panelist(1 professor & 2 industry professionals)
Panelist : So you have come from thane, how was your journey(intending metro)?
Me : I actually took a rickshaw as suggested by my mother to avoid exhaustion.
Panelist : That's good. People who listen to their mother are smart.
(we all laughed for a moment)
Panelist : So what do you offer to MICA?
This question completely took me by surprise as I had prepared for TMAY, why MICA,etc. and blurted random things like I have work ex,know about marketing,etc. however the panelist was still not convinced at all. One of the panelist offered me some water and think about the question and then answer. I said I am okay and then started to answer the question.
Me : Considering I'll be studying with a lot of freshers and having worked in an organization for around 3 years I can be of help to the people(freshers) around me whenever they face any difficulty in terms of management, academics,etc. Moreover I can bring an unique marketing perspective to the classroom, case studies having seen the automobile industry up close and working in it. (Apparently they liked this ans)
Panelist : So you have already worked in RE for around 3+ years, you could simply switch companies and get around the same CTC as someone who would passout from MICA. Moreover you would have to start your journey again after doing MBA and get into entry roles. Why do you want to go through such hassle?
Me : Mam, I have a mechanical engineering background and was fortunate enough to get placed(campus placement) in RE and then work in the brand & marketing department. However I want to learn the foundational stuff which can actually help me make better decisions whilst working in an organisation. Moreover to climb the corporate ladder and get opportunities to sit for legacy brands is what motivated me to pursue MBA from MICA. Moreover, I talked with around 5-6 MICA alumni's who were working alongside me in RE and they spoke highly about it.
Panelist : RE has always been seen as a macho brand and has built its personality around men. Don't you think there's a lot of space to explore around women & youngsters.
Me : Mam, I would like to disagree as RE has explored all domains and moreover with the launches of new motorcycles like Hunter, Meteor the TG has broadened. Also we have been working with female influencers as well to promote our presence around women.
(Infact outside the interview waiting room, I interacted with a girl who owned & rode a meteor and said this to the panelist and they literally loved it)
P.S - Do try to talk to people as much as you can, you never know where it can be helpful
Panelist : However in Punjab, the bullet is often co-related with masculinity as seen in movies like Kabir Singh. Don't you think it tarnishes RE image?
Me : I agree that there was once such an image about RE in punjab however the actual positioning of Bullet revolves around culture,heritage and legacy. Sadly because of few people the communication on ground changes and the actual picture blurs.(we had a to & fro discussion on this for about 10 mins but they were pretty much convinced by my answers)
Panelist : So your father works in Mumbai Police, what are your thoughts on safety about women in public spaces?
Me : I talked about how safety is a subjective topic however the current situation is quite good considering how the safety standards are increasing day by day.
(However the panelist was still not convinced by my answer and asked women still fear to walk alone at night or don't make an eye to eye contact whilst walking on streets)
After discussing on this for about 5 mins I simply said it's the innate fear of women that makes them do so and it's the women themselves that should bring the confidence to walk confidently. Surprisingly that was the answer they were looking for.
Panelist : So you must have applied only for PGDM-C right?
Me : No mam, I have applied for both PGDM-C & PGDM since both the programs have almost the same curriculum apart from some specialization. I would be happy with any of them.
(They cross questioned me on the specialization subjects and my preference)
Panelist : So do you have any idea about AI and are you applying it at your workplace and how it has changed how do you work?
Me : (Luckily a day before I watched a podcast about agentic AI and stuff and blurted out everything about it and the panelist were stoked to hear about it). Also AI sites were blocked in our organisation hence couldn't speak about it much.
We then talked about generic things like how are you planning to pay loans, start again at the age of 28 at entry level roles,etc.
Panelist : So last question, tell me why should we not select you?
Me : (Without thinking I jokingly said I have crooked teeth just to lighten the mood. But that kinda backfired and they asked to give another answer.) Then I talked about how MICA prefers freshers and hence I have less chance of converting. Moreover as you guys have already pointed out about my high work ex hence you might reject me.
Panelist : Still not happy with your answer. But its okay.
They offered me toffee and wrapped up the interview.
My thoughts and piece of advice : You can't predict and prepare for the MICA interview as you can get any kinds of questions from all walks of life. They did not asked about TMAY, why marketing, why MICA,etc.
My advice would be to be thorough with your SOP, be honest with your answers and always keep a smiling face. At times I spoke in Hindi as well to reflect my emotions in a better way haha.
Hit me up if you have any questions regarding MICA.
All the best folks.