What does Great Lakes Institute of Management look for in a Candidate

“Do I possess the qualities required to get into a top B-School?”

This is the question that goes through the minds of all professionals a few years into their careers. Great Lakes Institute of Management goes through thousands of applications each year and only a select few get accepted.

So, what differentiates the selected applicants from the rejected ones?

Before answering this question, one must understand the fact that entrance exams like CAT, XAT, GMAT, etc. are just the tools for primary filtration. If a good test score is the only weapon in your arsenal then you’re in for a surprise as the final selection depends on a candidate’s performance in the subsequent stages that include PI, essays, group discussions etc. The basic idea behind such a rigorous admission process is that a candidate must be able to justify his/her test score with something more substantial.

The Great Lakes admissions committee is always on the lookout for that one factor in the applicants which makes them stand out from the crowd and if you possess even one of the following qualities, you’ll gain a significant advantage over rest of the applicants.

Potential to drive Business Impact through Leadership

Leadership potential is the top box to check when you apply to Great Lakes. We want to invest in an applicant who’ll go out and make an actual difference in the real world. Therefore, you will have to demonstrate that you possess what it takes to be a leader either in your work experience, academic life, extracurricular activities or elsewhere.

Demonstrated Track Record of Achievement

We keenly seek applicants who have a demonstrable record of achievement. We truly believe that achievement can manifest in many forms, from academic excellence to college extracurricular activities to professional accomplishments, to personal wins.

We value demonstrated achievement irrespective of its scale and sphere; whether you’ve started up a company, headed a project at work, captained a sports team or organized a relief fund, we consider all these as examples of achievement.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills

As an MBA Grad, you’d be expected to not just be good at what you do but also effectively portray that you are good. You need to be able to market yourself and effective communication and interpersonal skills are the key to do that. If you are a brilliant professional but can’t make a pitch for your ideas and opinions or can’t convince others about your potential, then you probably aren’t ready for the big leagues. The essays and personal interviews are the stages of the admission process where you can showcase your communication skills.

Relevant Work Experience

Work experience of minimum 24 months is a mandatory eligibility criterion for applying to the PGPM program. But more than your career choice, you’ll be assessed on the basis of the progress you made professionally vis-a-vis your earlier self. The factors that make you stand out are the consistent upward movement of our career graph, roles & responsibilities on the job, team-building, managerial tasks and proactive approach.

Thought Clarity & Career Aspirations

When you’re applying to Great Lakes, you must have a few choices to help you lay down a foundation. Whether you wish to achieve a leadership role or switch careers or become an entrepreneur post your graduation, you must be able to clearly communicate it to the Admissions Committee. Remember, it’s not just about securing a place in a B-school, it is more about what difference you want to make in the real world and neither is possible without aspirations and ambitions.

Right Fit with the Program

All MBA programs have a personality. For example, the PGPM at Great Lakes is best suited for professionals who have proved their mettle in the industry and are now looking for an accelerated growth. The PGDM, on the other hand, has a completely different approach as it prepares the individuals to face the real world business challenges for the first time. In order to secure a place in Great Lakes or any other B-School, you’ll have to effectively justify that you’re not just compatible with the program but with the culture of the school as well.

We at Great Lakes are looking forward to meeting you. So, Good Luck and May the odds be ever in your favour.

 

Team Admissions

The Final Question

“A panel interview is also an opportunity to get to know more about the programme, and show that you’ve done your homework”

Many candidates prepare for questions commonly asked by panels during admission interviews. There are a plethora of websites offering insights into the kind of questions asked and their probable answers. Usually, there is one question asked at the end of the interview, and that is, “Any questions?” We never prepare for this. After all, we are not interviewing the panellists, are we?

We ask questions like “How did I do?” or “When will I get to know the results?” which are really of no consequence. The interviewer is not going to tell you about your performance and the question about results can be answered by the support staff.

The Right Questions

So, what questions could you ask which would make an impact on the panellists’ decision?

First of all, be familiar with the institute’s activities. You do not need to meet or search for people who know about the institute. The institute is as keen to sell itself to outstanding candidates, as you are to sell yourself to them. They would have showcased the things they are proud of on their website or in the brochure. You should have gone through this material in detail. Your questions should reflect that you are serious about joining this institute.

The seven questions to ask:

• Sir, going through the website I noticed that there is focus on industry interaction. Do the students also have a role to play in engaging with the industry or is it institute-driven? — This shows proactive nature as well as enthusiasm for taking part in the institute’s functions.
• There appear to be many activities during the year. Given my background, what kind of activities should I participate in, to develop my personality? — This shows your knowledge of the activities and desire to do something apart from academics.
• Is there a formal mentorship programme to guide us in your institute?
• You can discuss special interests or community activities, and ask how the school could help you pursue them. For example, I am an avid ( ), will there be an opportunity in your institute to showcase my talent?
• You could ask about faculty research or the school’s approach in an area that concerns you – I am a keen (), will there be an opportunity in your institute where I could contribute?
• What courses or activities should I engage in before joining your institute, which would enhance my learning experience? – This would showcase a keen interest in improving yourself and using the time between selection and start of the programme in a constructive manner.
• What are the student bodies that I could join to contribute to the institute’s legacy?

Originally Published on The Hindu

Author: Dr Poornima Gupta

Associate Professor, Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Mangement

Great Lakes, Gurgaon.

XAT 2018 – Last Minute Tips and Strategies

With less than 72 hours to go for Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT 2018), you must be well prepared for one of the most coveted B-School entrance exams held in the country. In these crucial last few hours, there is no point in cramming up new things. What you need to do now is work towards revising and retaining what you have already studied in the past months.

Now that XAT is just around the corner, here are a few last minute tips that will keep you calm and help you do better on the D-day.

Get Acquainted with the New Test Pattern

XAT 2018 is going online for the first time in the history of XAT and therefore, it will be wise to get acquainted with the new pattern. This will help in saving crucial minutes when you sit for the actual test. You can get familiarised with the new XAT test pattern on www.xatonline.in. The link for the mock test is available on the tickr at the top of the home page.

Revision

This is the time when you need to focus heavily on revisions and treat your short notes as The Bible. Revise all important concepts, facts, dates and formulae. Don’t waste your time in starting new topics at this stage. Instead, devote your time on clearing confusions and strengthening what you have already prepared.

Speed & Accuracy

Your performance in the upcoming XAT 2018 is highly dependent on what you have prepared and how good your command is over the topics you consider to be your strengths. Remember the fact that speed and accuracy matter more than anything else. There is a negative marking of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer and a penalty of 0.05 marks per question if you skip more than 12 questions. But XAT is a low scoring exam, so focus on accuracy is extremely important to ensure that you don’t lose hard earned marks. If you can’t answer a question, it is better to lose 0.05 marks for not attempting as compared to losing 0.25 marks for a wrong answer.

Formulate an Exam Strategy

Entering the exam centre without a sound strategy is like going to a gunfight with a wooden sword. If you want to score well on the exam, you need to finalise a strategy and then stick to it during the test. It is advisable that you set aside 45 minutes for each section of Part 1 of the exam and use the remaining 35 minutes to revisit tricky questions from each section. While working on Part 2 of XAT, get done with the General Awareness section in the initial 10 minutes and then focus on the essay for the remainder of the time.

Don’t be in a Hurry with RCs

Reading Comprehensions are the trickiest part of the paper and hence, take your time with them. Read the paragraphs carefully and follow an elimination approach while attempting the questions. Do not over attempt the questions and revise topics like Active Passive, Direct Indirect, Jumbled Sentences and Figures of Speech before entering the test centre.

Decision Making

Decision Making is a unique section of XAT. But, if you are weak in Quantitative Ability, then you can make up for that in this section. Questions in DM can be a little mind boggling and you might feel that all the options sound like the right one. Hence, be careful, read the questions wisely, and practice a lot of examples. Also, revise all the tips and tricks religiously to keep them fresh in your head while taking the exam.

Don’t worry too much about General Awareness

General Awareness section’s marks are not a part of your XAT percentile calculation and your performance in this section doesn’t matter if you are aspiring for any B-school other than XLRI. Even for XLRI, scoring 5-6 marks here will be enough to counter any negative perception.

Stay Composed and Determined but most of all, DON’T PANIC

If you have prepared well and have given your 100 per cent till now, then there is no reason to fret. Stay calm and confident during the exam. Don’t panic even if you are unable to answer the first couple of questions. Remember that you’ve got this, you’ve prepared well for it!!

Good Luck!!

Chairman Emeritus Reconnect 57 – Spirituality

My dear friends,

Spirituality originates from the term “spirit” or “soul” which is invisible and imperceptible. Therefore people at large avoid dealing with it. But, there are several invisibles like Electricity, Magnetism, X-rays, Gravity, Goodwill and Blessings which can’t be seen but felt, having their own relevance.

India is believed to have “spirituality” in its soil, but many consider it as a pursuit to be indulged in post-retirement life. Spiritualism is not a leisure activity; it is a way of life. It is a certain way of being, turning inwards and remaining connected with the inner self- the supreme intelligence, which can convert filth into a lotus or a mango. There is a captive creator trapped within each one of us, like any other creation. We shouldn’t miss him. If we recognize the source of creation within us, we are spiritual.

Fingerprints of the Supreme Intelligence

Since the dawn of civilization man has gazed in awe at the stars, wondering what they are and how they got there. On a clear night the unaided human eye can see about 6,000 stars. Prior to the 20th century, the majority of scientists believed our own Milky Way galaxy was the entire universe, and that only about 100 million stars existed. Now, Hubble and other powerful telescopes indicate there are trillions of them clustered in over 100 billion galaxies. Our sun is like one grain of sand amidst the world’s beaches. The positioning of the cosmos besides its creation is awesome!

The coding behind DNA reveals such intelligence that it staggers the imagination. A mere pinhead of DNA contains information equivalent to a stack of paperback books that would encircle the earth 5,000 times. And DNA operates like a language with its own extremely complex software code. Microsoft founder Bill Gates says that the software of DNA is “far, far more complex than any software we have ever developed.”

Genius behind the Grand Design

Albert Einstein called the genius behind the universe “an intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection.” Atheist Christopher Hitchens was most perplexed by the fact that life couldn’t exist if things were different by just one degree or one hair.

Davies acknowledges “there is for me powerful evidence that there is something going on behind it all. It seems as though somebody has fine-tuned nature’s numbers to make the Universe…. The impression of a Grand Design is overwhelming”.

Who am I?

If you ask a question hard enough to yourself “Who am I?” the answer comes loud enough that you are not your name, your qualification, your position, your body, your gender or your species. Consciousness (चेतना) and Energy are responsible for your existence, growth and self-healing. The moment these leave you, you are declared dead.

Is our life on Autopilot?

For most of humanity, life is on autopilot. Body consciousness overpowers our existence. Soul does not get a chance to reveal and assert itself, though it vibrates and reverberates in the form of inner voice (intuition). Its existence is also concomitant to 6^th sense or 3^rd eye.

“The source of life is within you. If you remain in touch with that source, everything about you will be beautiful” says Padma Vibhushan Sadhguru of Isha Foundation. “Talk to your own self at least once a day, otherwise you will lose an opportunity of meeting a wonderful person on earth,” said Swami Vivekananda.

We have to be constantly aware that we are spiritual beings (individualised units of supreme consciousness – we may call them God sparkles) having human experience! God sparkle (a piece of life) has unlimited scope for blossoming, flourishing and undergoing infinite expansion.

Being Spiritual

Being spiritual is just being aware of the spirit inside and attending to its needs. Our body has material needs of food, water, cleanliness, exercise etc. which we fulfil duly as it keeps us running. Similarly, our soul too has needs of peace, purity, humility, positivity, righteous living, love, bliss etc.  Do we fulfil these needs?” More we fill ourselves with these divine virtues, more happiness we will experience ourselves and receive the gift of closeness with the prime-moving divine.

Spiritual Maturity

What is spiritual maturity? Spiritual Maturity is when you stop trying to change others, …instead focus on changing yourself; when you understand everyone is right in their own perspective; when you learn to “let go”; when you understand whatever you do, you do for your own peace;

when you don’t seek approval from others; when you are at peace with yourself and you can productively use the 3-faculties of soul i.e. Mind, Intellect and Sub-conscious recordings (संस्कार).

Spirit is consciousness (चेतना), rest of our existence is energy and matter. Being spiritual is to align with the divine virtues of the spirit stated above. It can transform our lives altogether. Our actions will automatically be positive and enchanting!

Let me wish you a happy, insightful and fascinating new year 2018!

 

Satyamev Jayate!!!

With Best Wishes and Regards,

Dr B.S.K.Naidu, BE (Hons), M.Tech., Ph.D., D.Eng. (Hon), FNAE, Hon.D.WRE (USA)

Chairman Emeritus, Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurugram, INDIA