SPJIMR's Profile Based Calls Are Not By Academic Scores Alone

Rewind to 4^th December 2016:  I was standing outside the examination hall wondering what had gone wrong in my preparations. I had given every possible mock and tried my hand at every DI/LR problem I could find. I knew I had lost the chance to enter into a b-school this year, let alone a premium one. I felt like  I would have to start all over again. It was going to be a difficult road ahead.

This is precisely where a good profile can make a  huge difference to your probability of securing a call from SPJIMR. A  profile is your story that is scripted by you and offers a peek into your journey. The questions are an attempt to extract your life’s experiences and a sufficient amount of time is provided for introspection to think thoroughly about your choices. The answers present an opportunity to the individual to talk about himself/herself. These short answers allow the interview panel to truly discover who you are. Therefore, it is imperative that you put in your best efforts in writing essays about yourself. These will help you answer questions in the interview that awaits you and also streamline your thought process.

Rewind to 5^th Jan 2017:  The fact that I still remember the date is proof enough of its importance. This was the day the profile shortlist was declared for SPJIMR. I was elated to have been shortlisted for the interview based on my profile. It was time for a flashback to the application days.

Flashback Oct 2016:  Sitting at my desk in the office, a sudden phone call from the telecom service provider broke my concentration. I had been staring at the LED screen in front of me for the past hour. It was dark outside and I could see people rushing out for dinner. I realised I had overstayed at the office again. The deadline for filling the application form for SPJIMR  was closing in and I had been pulling my hair over how to make a strong case for myself in the application. I thought to myself, it’s no big deal and I ought to spend my time practising mocks rather than filling up the form. I packed my stuff and left for home. I had this habit of reading random stuff while travelling back home and chanced upon an opinion piece about the importance of these short essays that go into building a persuasive application.

Back to 5^th Jan 2017: The profile call came like a breath of fresh air. I knew the battle had just begun.

A candidates’ profile is unique to him/her and if presented in the right manner can prove to be a differentiating factor. A prestigious b-school knows that all its applicants are highly qualified. They are well aware of the fact that each one of these applicants will be able to handle the curriculum and derive benefit from the programme equally well. However, there is a fine line that separates the applicants from the converts and the profile forms an integral part of that line. The converts are able to demonstrate that there is more to them than just their qualifications. The story about how a b-school fits with their goals,  passions and their past experiences is the one that makes all the difference.

About the Author:

Jatin Adhlakha

(PGDM 2017-19, Operations & Supply Chain)

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