Group Discussion

Group Discussion and Personal Interview Tips For MBA Aspirants (GD - PI).
Dear Friends, "Group Discussion and Personal Interview Tips for MBA Aspirants" e-book is an attempt to help you prepare better for GP PI of various Management Institutes. The author of this e-book, Mr. Kartik Raichura, Founder and CEO of www.ManagementParadise.com has taken due care that the language used in this book is lucid and simple so that even a layman can read it, get wiser and secure a seat in his dream bschool. People preparing for GD and PI might also want to take a look at Kartik's new Venture: www.ManagementPedia.com : An Encyclopedia for Management Students and Professionals' which has created quite a buzz in the industry. Now, we know that Time is of Paramount importance for MBA Aspirants, so let's start the learning process.
All Rights Reserved. A Management Paradise Publication
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INDEX Introduction Five Point Yourself Panel Perspective Group Discussion is all about "Role Play" Do's and Don'ts in a Group Discussion Group Discussion Gyan Personal Interview Dress Code Body Language Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Personal Interview Strategies
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Introduction To Group Discussion and Personal Interview. Before the GD Discussion and Personal Interview is the Written Test. The written test is a rejection technique which tests your Analytical Ability, Time Management, Ability to handle pressure, Creativity and Aptitude. Clearing the written test is your first step to get into your dream B school. Getting a call from your dream B school is just the beginning; the real struggle lies in proving yourself the best from among the herd of highly intellectual and capable candidates. This e-Book will help you excel in the GD and PI process. If you wish to excel in a GD, you should be aware of why B-Schools conduct GD in the first place. Group Discussions bring out your personality. The discussion puts out your team skills and your conflict resolution abilities to test. The corporate world demands team work and tolerance level. It demands that you keep your cool, accept various perspectives of the group and then reach towards a common consensus for an acceptable solution.
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Five Point Yourself

You Can Excel at the GD with a "FIVE POINT" approach. 1.) Analytical Ability 2.) Communication Skills 3.) Team Player Skills 4.) Knowledge of current events. 5.) Personality Let me explain each point in brief: 1.) Analytical Ability: Analytical ability means defining the topic. This is best done with the Key Word Approach. So suppose the topic is "Reservations in Higher Education", You break up the 2 keywords in your mind, viz: i.) Reservations ii.)Higher Education Now you start the Group discussion by explaining the meaning of Reservations, give your group an understanding of the current scenario by articulating facts and figures. You then define the scope of higher education and then you direct the GD.
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The person who opens the GD has the panel's undivided attention and hence it's only wise to open the GD if you are confident about communicating your ideas. Analytical ability also means looking at the topic with different perspectives. You have to demonstrate your analytical ability by understanding different perspectives of your team and structuring the thought process. 2.) Communication Skills: Communication Skills mean clarity in conveying your thoughts and expressions in a structured manner. A good communicator makes his mark by communicating strong points in a brief, clear and concise manner. Good communication skills also demand control over the language, logical clarity and knowledge. 3.) Team Player skills:
A Team player is a good listener. As a Team player you need to be assertive and not aggressive. Your behavior should be sensible, objective and sensitive. You should take into consideration various perspectives of the group members and then steer the Group to reach a common solution ground.
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4.) Knowledge of current Events: Know-how of current ongoing events is a must for an MBA aspirant. You should be aware of the recent happenings, hot debates and news that make headlines. You should be well read. Your source of information can be anything and everything ranging from newspapers, magazines, Business books, Novels, Tv channels like CNBC, IBN LIVE, BBC etc. 5.) Personality:
A personality is a mixture of all the above 4 points. Your creativity, leadership skills, listening skills, inspiration and motivation skills, interpersonal skills, analytic ability to solve the problem at hand, your negotiating skills and your skills to persuade the rest of the group create your personality. Your personality is how you carry yourself in those 10 - 15 mins. And those moments will decide the fate of your marriage with that institute.
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PANEL PERSPECTIVE
Your best performance might not be the best performance from the panel's point of view. Many aspirants come out of the GD and brag about how they slayed the group with their points and how they were aggressive and dominated the whole GD and then they wonder why they did NOT get admission. It's best to know before hand what panelists look for and perform to be the best in the eyes of the panel. The Panelist rates you on different skill sets, viz: 1.) Content: Content is King. Think different ways in which you can relate to the topic. Give examples. If the topic needs a solution, give different ways to solve the problem. 2.) Delivery:
This needs clarity in thought process. Brief and sharp up to the point statements give you an edge over the rest. 3.) Body Language:
Use hand gestures when explaining your point. Do not point pen or finger at someone in your team.
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Control yourself from frowning when you dislike someone's point. 4.) Leadership Qualities:
Direct the GD, motivate and inspire others to come up with different angles. 5.) Team Player Skills:
Let others speak, do not step on someone. Know that you are a team and everyone has a role to play. Guide the discussion and try to reach on common ground. 6.) Listening Skills:
Do NOT keep blabbering. Let the others speak. Be receptive to what they speak and respond whenever appropriate. Communication is a two way process. The panel will not give you points unless you respond to the groups statements. You will have to take care of all the 6 areas. If your focus is only on content and not on the rest 5 points, no matter how well the content, you will stand a chance to loose your seat.
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Group Discussion is all about "ROLE PLAY"

There are different roles that a person can play in the GD. A candidate can play the role of opening the GD. The person who starts the GD has to be confident about his communication skills as he has undivided attention of the panelist. You can be the person who gives examples to substantiate someone's points and support or oppose his opinion. You can play the role of the person who summarizes the GD at regular intervals and maintains the flow of the GD. You can be the mediator in case of a dispute which is most likely to happen in a emotionally driven GD. You can show cast your persuasive skills best in such a situation. Also demonstrate your interpersonal skills and portray yourself as a team player. Assuming you are not the leader and given the circumstance that the group disagrees to the person who is dominating the GD with his communication skills, you can agree to the dominating person and back him up with your points. You can agree to disagree to the group and show them the other side of the coin and come out as a person who thinks outside the box. Ofcourse, be careful, you have to maintain the same level of out of box thinking throughout the GD.
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You can be a late entrant, speak clear and upto the point with sharp points that create an impact on the discussion. Not all is lost if you speak very late. Speaking brief and upto the point gives you added points. You can play the role of the person who summaries the whole discussion and gives a conclusion. Make sure that you do not "conclude" in the initial 3-4 minutes of the GD.
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Do's in a Group Discussion

Know your facts right. It's always good to give facts and figures related to the GD. Make sure that you do not bluff. Use the Key word approach. If you have good communication skills (which should be the case), open the GD and define the scope of discussion. If there is a person who knows more than you in a GD, do not get insecure. Accept that he is the better man. Add to his/her points. There's nothing wrong in supporting someone who is better than you. Be reception and involve others to take part. Inspire and motivate people to come up with new perspectives.
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Don'ts in a Group Discussion

Do NOT add to the fish market by yelling on top of your voice. Do NOT attack members on a personal front. Do NOT frown or laugh if you dislike someone's reply. Do NOT keep silent until the GD ends. Do NOT criticize without giving reasons/solutions.
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GROUP DISCUSSION GYAN

Some times you will face situations when you don't know how to react or what to do under certain circumstances. Below is the gist of certain permutations and combinations: If there is a person who communicates better than you and knows the subject better, support him. If you are the whole and soul person who knows the subject best, put your best foot forward and then inspire others to speak. Co-ordinate and direct the GD. Come out as a leader and a team player. If you do not know anything about the topic, listen to others, build upon it and come out with your set of interactions. If you have not said anything during the better half of a GD, but you have a good point to make, go ahead, be brief and concise. You will get more marks to speak upto the point. If the GD is a fish market, do not add to the commotion. In every GD there are highs and lows. Put forth your point in the right manner at the right time. Playing as mediator will demonstrate your interpersonal skills and give you added points.
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Taking notes during the GD would be a good thing if you are a very active person. It will help you summarize the GD at the end. If you are not that active, then it's a bad idea as you will loose out on what the group is discussing when you focus on jotting the points.
You can also visit http://www.managementparadise.com/forums/t1048-yahoomessenger-gd-proceedings.html where you will find more than 400 Group discussions conducted online on yahoo messenger. If you wish to participate in such online GD's, add yahoo id: "onlinegd" to your messenger list and you will be invited to participate in the group discussions. If you wish to read more on Group discussions, check out http://www.managementparadise.com/forums/f53-groupdiscussions-gd-.html
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Personal Interview
DRESS CODE: BOYS:
Light Shirt, Dark Trousers, Appropriate Tie, Leather Polished Clean Shoes. Trimmed Nails Decent Hair Cut (If Long hair, make sure they are set properly)
Girls:
Salwar Kameez Formals Decent Hair No Chunky Jewellery Keep it simple.
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BODY LANGUAGE
Sit Straight, Do NOT lean forward or backward Do NOT point finger or pen pencil at others. In the GD, maintain eye contact with all the participants and not the evaluator In PI, maintain eye contact with the panel. Do NOT laugh or frown in the GD or PI. Smile and be natural when in PI.
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Personal Interview
Personal Interview is all about "YOU" and who knows you better than Yourself !? In a personal interview, you guide the interview. The panel will start with questions like tell me about yourself to break the ice. Your answers will direct them towards a set of questions. If you say your role model is Mr. Narayan Murthy then it is obvious that the next chain of questions will be on Infosys or Narayan Murthy. Be a little prepared when going for an interview. Be prepared to answer questions like your strengths and weaknesses. Stress on your Positive points. Be HONEST, Be natural. People interviewing you would be experienced people and will have the intelligence to catch you whenever you bluff. This is normally the case in good institutes. If you get away with bluffing, then the institute is not good enough for you.
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Being ethical is good, being unrealistic isnt. After all as a manager you need to be a little shrewd to smash competitors and protect the interest of your share holders. Make sure you are carrying a handkerchief. Wipe your hands with the hanky before you get in the PI room. Knock the door, ask for permission to get in, if they dont respond, get in, after all you have the ticket inviting you for the PI. When you get in the room, ask for permission to sit. If the panel acts all busy and doesn't reply, sit and make yourself comfortable, do NOT stand like a watchman waiting for them to give permission.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Tell me something about yourself !?
Start with your name, academic background, family, hobbies, strengths, aim in life etc.
Why Do you want to pursue MBA !?

Although its implicit, do NOT say you want to do it for money. Speak points like how management is needed in every organisation and that in todays competitve world every organisation needs an MBA. There is tremendous scope for an MBA. An MBA degree will expose you to new horizons and help you develop your skills and apt. In short, Glorify the significance of an MBA degree in your life and relate it to personal growth and the industry.
Tell me about your Strengths and weaknesses !?

Be prepared for such questions. Be natural. Give short examples to substantiate your answer for strengths. For weakness, tell them how you are trying to overcome your weakness. Do NOT bluff or lie.
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Where do you see yourself 5 - 15 years down the line !?

Do not be over optimistic or pessimistic. Be realistic. Its all about how you can convince them to believe in what you believe.
Why Do you wish to join Our B-school !?

Make sure you have gone through their brouchers and website. Find out what unique they have to offer. Link that uniqueness with your goals or preferences.
Who is your Role Model !?

Make sure you know about this person in and out. After all he is your role model. Saying I do NOT have a role model is a bad idea. Apart from this, you should have information about your academics, your family, your hobbies and your work (if any) on your fingertips.
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Personal Interview Strategies

When you dont understand the question I would need more information Sir. When the answer is too long I would like to answer this in parts sir. When there is no Quick way to answer a question or you are not sure about the answer. I can try and attempt this question logically sir. When the question is sensitive In my opinion ....... You can go through http://www.managementparadise.com/forums/f54-personalinterviews--pi.html for more information on Personal Interviews. Feel Free to share your PI experience in that section.
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COMMON MISTAKES
Taking Interviewers comments personally and arguing Getting defensive and acting all set to battle with the panel Getting demotivated with stress questions. Over reacting to the silence treatment. Do Not over explain just because you get uncomfortable with silence. MANY TIMES, the interviewer will act hostile, will act like a jerk, will act stupid. It's all part of the game. He just wants to know how good a manager you will be. How tolerant can you be? How efficiently you handle stress? If you don't know questions like what's the capital of SPAIN, don't get de-motivated, the panelist is just trying to see how you react under stress. THAT WRAPS UP THIS E-BOOK. Hope you enjoyed it !? Best Of Luck !! Warm Regards, Kartik Raichura Founder, Management Paradise E-mail: kartik@managementparadise.com
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OUR OTHER INITIATIVES www.ITpalace.com : Forum for IT Students www.Gujratis.com : Connecting Gujratis Worldwide www.ManagementPedia.com : Management Encyclopedia that anyone can edit www.JobSuvidha.com: Your Job Search Agent
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SPONSORS:
This e-book is distributed absolutely free of charge, which means a huge chunk of YOUR target audience will be reading this ebook this minute.
Sponsor this e-book. E-mail your enquiries on marketing@managementparadise.com
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Group Discussion and Personal Interview Tips For MBA Aspirants (GD - PI).

All Rights Reserved. A Management Paradise Publication

All Rights Reserved. A Management Paradise Publication

Five Point Yourself

All Rights Reserved. A Management Paradise Publication

All Rights Reserved. A Management Paradise Publication

All Rights Reserved. A Management Paradise Publication

All Rights Reserved. A Management Paradise Publication