Food- sliced in three different ways!

This week I want to talk about food. Not the agrarian crisis or the business of food or anything like that, but how I have been involved in different conversations around food over the last fortnight or so.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I am trying to organize a formal dinner at my college (Green Templeton) for some visiting Chevening scholars. So thats the first thread.
The second thread is for Enterprise Africa, a conference due to be held on 12th May'12 in Oxford. I am volunteering for the event and one question that came up during one of the meetings was if we could offer authentic African food to our visiting dignitaries. The problem was that people- including the Africans in the group- had a tough time describing what 'African food' really means. Well, I didn't find answer to that question but hey, something to keep an eye out for next time ;) (More info about the event at: http://www.oxfordafricanetwork.org/)
Lastly, the Peer Supporters in SBS have piloted a program called 'Who's coming to dinner?' The idea is for students to nominate themselves, after which they'll be organized in groups of 6-7 people. These people then organize a pot luck dinner at the residence of one of the participants, a college common room, etc The idea is to bring students and their families together in a smaller group in a more intimate setting. We piloted this only in the last term and got rave reviews. Turns out people  like to socialize and eat! :) For my group, we took the lazy way out and requested our Mexican host to cook some authentic Mexican food for us and we all chipped in some money for the supplies. The food was awesome and I am tempted to not re-invent the wheel this time around too ;)
Bon appetit !

Oxford- where you run into excellence at random!

Earlier in the evening today I attended an event organized by the Oxford Indian Society. The session was a Q&A with Members of Indian Parliament. And whilst the tete-a-tete was a great reminder that India continues to have quality speakers as the voice of her democracy, it was equally refreshing to know that well educated people are driving the country forward (amongst the panelists were {in the order they were seated- left to right} a Cambridge alum, an academic on agriculture, a Indiana University MBA alum who worked at McKinsey, a LSE graduate alum and a Magdalen College, Oxford, alum) The Q&A was interesting because the panelists were asked a variety of questions ranging from India's view of solar energy to the right to education bill and from the relevance of identity politics to the prevalence of dynastic politics. It was gratifying to see the panelists agree and disagree on a number of points. Isn't that the whole point of democracy after all? Living in peaceful disagreements!

But equally exciting was that I ran into a few Indians who are visiting Oxford as Chevening scholars (11 of them to be precise) and they will be in Oxford only for a couple of months. I met 3 people and one of them was a journalist, another a academician and one working for a large corporate house. They all had very different backgrounds and were all keen to explore Oxford! They really liked my idea to invite them to my college (Green Templeton) for a formal dinner with the MBAs and other students at the college. It would be another great opportunity for people from different backgrounds to mingle. One can only imagine what happens when excellence meets excellence! And so as we prepare for Week 1 of the Trinity term, I'll look to arrange a formal dinner and see how it goes from there. Oxford is one place where you run into excellence at random, indeed!

Consulting job prep

I've been asked on how I went about preparing for my McKinsey interviews and today I'll write about the same. I must start with the caveat that this is what worked for ME and its A way of preparing, please use the below as starting points/food for thought. Some things will sound obvious and since I am targeting a wide audience, feel free to cherry pick bits- if thats what works for you. Also, I'd like to apologize for the length of this post. But I hope that the next few minutes of reading will be time well spent :)

Right then, the first thing to do to meet/exceed a goal is to identify the goal. The goal in this case was to land a job with McKinsey. The next step was to break the goal into its components (a skill that I am told is very important in a consultant's life). The hiring process for McKinsey (barring the PST the process is common to most other consulting firms) was broken into 3 steps:

1. CV shorlisting
2. Problem Solving Test
3. Interviews
3a) Personal Experience
3b) Cases

1. CV shortlisting: The key messages should be easy to spot in the CV and present the facts in an easy to digest format (don't tell them you are smart, show you are smart) Ensure you are being clear about the outcomes of any initiatives and try to be as objective as possible (X $s were saved, turnaround time was reduced by Y, customer satisfaction increased by Z, etc) Other than that also consider your own story. People want to work with people and not automons (well most want to:)) so do convey successes not limited to just your work (I worked on rejuvenating a lake in Bangalore and mentioned it on my CV) Have 2-3 of your friends/people in careers team at your B-school review your CV to ensure a stranger sees as much impact from the CV as much as you do.

2. Problem Solving Test (PST): The multiple choice test is comprised of 26 questions and lasts 60 minutes. Its broken up into 3-5 cases and questions are GMAT-ish at the higher end on the difficulty scale. For the test one should prepare for maths (no calculators allowed in the test) and Critical Reasoning type questions from GMAT. Not to forget speed. One could use stuff like GMAT 800, the OG and aim to answer questions quickly. I know people who had lost touch with these questions and couldn't attempt all questions because they were slow. Avoid this trap by practicing tough questions with a clock. There is also no negative marking for wrong answers so at least attempt all questions. Some more info about the test: http://www.mckinsey.com/Careers/Apply/Problem_solving_test

3. Interviews: This is the big daddy and the segment I found most interesting. Interviews are conducted mostly face to face and candidates will typically have 2 rounds of interviews with each round having 2-3 interviews. In the first round one can expect to be interviewed by Associates and in the second round expect Principals or Partners. The first round could be conducted in the McK office closest to you and the final round in the office you are applying to. Each interview is broken up into 2 sections. The first one is Personal Experience and the second is the case.
3a) Personal Experience (PE): this is the section where the interviewer tries to get a flavour of how one is an individual and whether (s)he would fit well in the organization. Firms would typically ask questions about a situation when you would have led a team through a tough change, times when you managed up, when you showed leadership, drive and influencing skills. Simply put these are skills a consultant exercises everyday and they want to check any evidence of these skills in your experience. Most people mistake this to be the lesser important of the two parts and think of having 'just a chat' before the 'real casework' begins. I beg to disagree. Think of this time as your chance to differentiate yourself from the next person who might do equally well on his/her case. Think of a compelling story that articulates the above skills. Try telling the story in the SAR (Situation, Action, Result) format . Say the story out loud and time yourself. I gave myself a target of 2 minutes to tell the whole story. I'd suggest keeping your target as close to that as possible. Get your friends to listen to the story and ascertain if all the challenges & successes are coming across clearly or not. And then re-tell the story. Ideally aim for 2-3 stories for each dimension (e.g., Leadership, Drive, Influence, Teamwork, etc) and there could be stories that work across dimensions. But still, have a good bag full of stories to choose from on your interview day.
3b) Cases: This needs a firm specific strategy. Whilst most firms might arguably be looking for similar traits in the PE section, many firms run cases in their own way (some may be interviewer led, others may be interviewee led, some may present a clear para-long problem statement, others may offer a one line problem, etc) . So some prep work might be common and some unique to the firm you are looking at. Here are the key bits I'd suggest to prepare for this part of the interviews:
i) Case in point- Case in Point by Marc Cosentino is a good starting point for your case prep. Use it to understand the basics of case interviews, the types of cases and some simple practices. I don't endorse rigid frameworks and don't recommend mugging them up but Case in Point is definitely good for some case types e.g., estimation cases. Also, it can provide for some structure to define a problem/solution tree.
ii) Victor Cheng- Victor is a McKinsey alum and has prepared some material on caseinterview.com. I'd strongly recommend viewing his video-taped class at HBS and also his Look Over My Shoulder (LOMS) audios. In LOMS, Victor shares audio recordings of case interviews, rates the interviewees and points out what went well/not so well in each interview. Some of the better rated cases are good examples to emulate and give an idea of how one should hypothesize and structure one's argument in a case.
iii) David Ohrvall and MBAcase.com- David is a Bain alum and presented in Said Business School a couple of times and his sessions were invaluable. Also helpful are his case videos at: http://www.mbacase.com/ctcs/videos/ctcs-library.htm The page has one minute problem statements followed by a minute or so long of hypothesis. Its a good way to get your mind to thinking about hypotheses and structuring a argument.
iv) Casebooks- Practice cases from casebook from different schools. For instance there are books from Insead, LBS and Columbia and some of the cases mention which firm were they asked in. These give a real practice problem and provide an opportunity to practice cases with a friend.

Lastly, one could be brilliant and still fumble at one of the steps. Don't worry, people who are smart and hardworking and are not consultants also succeed in life. Learn from your failures and avoid making the same mistakes again! Good luck with your interviews and job search!!

Lessons from failure

I just gave my final round interview at McKinsey and want to write to share my experience (and to destress- in no particular order of importance:)) This was my third round at McK after clearing the PST and I owe credit to some failures for helping me reach here.
First, the PST. McKinsey's written test was my second such test. Earlier in the year I wrote a test for another firm and didn't clear that test. I was complacent. I thought,"Heck, I got a 700+ in GMAT and am doing my MBA in Oxford. There is no way I'll fail a math test." Turns out I was wrong. That was a good wake up call and brought me to my senses. The consulting industry is quite competitive. Top that with the current economic climate where firms don't appear to be hiring as many people and an extremely stiff competition for London base roles. You get the picture. It's tough. So when I got a call to write the test for McK I ensured I worked on my maths and verbal skills to ensure I give it my best shot. The effort was rewarded. Of the 40-odd people invited for the test from SBS, about 12 got interview calls.
My first round interview was in London. Just around my McK interview I had a final round with another firm. I didn't clear that and the feedback that I got shook me up a bit. I was told things that were basically nothing like how I am as a person. So I figured one's performance in the interview is as important as the interviewer's perception of the individual. Its something one can't completely control but can certainly influence. I wrote down the feedback and actioned on only things I thought were genuine areas I could focus on/improve. It was hard to ignore feedback but it's also an important skill to develop.
Anyways, after the first round I was the only one from SBS to be invited for a London based role (2 other Canadians were invited for final rounds for Canada based roles too) I was now the only non-UK resident to be invited to the final round at a big firm for their London ops. Many international students coming to SBS are aiming for a London job. With a dismal job offer rate so far (our Careers team informs us this is normal and hiring should pick up in the summer. But with impending visa changes students are more anxious than usual) many
students pinned their hopes of success on me. Some were jokes, of course, but some were real. And so I wanted to do well not just for myself but also keep the hope alive. Big things can happen.
In my 'final' round I met a very senior partner, a Principal and a Associate Principal. All my PEIs went really well. My performance on one case was the equivalent of a home run, another went quite well but the third was very average. The last one didn't go well because I couldn't understand something in the case. I asked for a clarification
but didn't understand the clarification too. I didn't seek further help- when I should have (I was later told by the recruitment team that it won't have been held against me if I had asked again) This was Friday. On the following Monday, at 1:30pm I got a voicemail from the senior partner to discuss the output from Friday and that he'd call me later in the day again. I listened to the message around 1:35pm and couldn't resist being excited. If I hadn't cleared, someone from HR would've called me and not a senior partner, I reasoned. So I stared at my phone for the next few hours expecting the call. It came 5 hours later. The feedback was that I hadn't done as well on the cases though everyone enjoyed meeting me. And they wanted to offer me another chance to prove my
capability on cases- if I was still interested. It felt bad and a sort of step down because here I was expecting a call with an offer and that wasn't the result. But I decided to stay positive and focus on the areas that I didn't do well in. A week later-today- I had 2 interviews and I think I did quite well. I prepared some more cases along side my revision for the subjects-my exams scheduled for next week! I have a couple of other firms lined up for interview but nothing will move for the next 2 weeks. So now it's time to focus on my studies (someone please tell me what have we learnt in Macroeconomics please ?!?) But I feel quite good about today. I don't think I could've done any more/else. So whether I get through or not, I will have a good memory of this time. I worked hard, learnt about
taking feedback and working on it and avoided repeating any mistakes. If this doesn't work out something else will, soon enough. Wish you luck in pursuing your goals and your journey getting them! Keep learning and you'll be there sooner than later.:)

PS: Within a day of writing the above I got a call from McKinsey and I will be made an offer to join the London Operations practice. Yay!

Lots going on!

It feels like we had the term break ages ago! And I can't begin saying how long back did we have Michaelmas exams! The results should be out by end of this week and you'd expect the students to be worried about it. Not really. We have other activities keeping us busy.
The engagements vary. From Zumba classes to Football practice to working with one of 3 study groups for the Hillary term to applying for jobs and having mock interviews to getting used to the joy of clearing various rounds in different firms to falling down and learning to pick ourselves back again. Its all going on right now.
About 7 weeks back I started blissfully wasting time, enjoying the post exam break. Played Cricket on lawn tennis courts a few days, went to the gym a few times and opened the books for the next term. Only to frequently replace one or all of the above with more sleep. That didn't last long. About 4 weeks back the second term began and its only got busier from then on.
I am currently in the interviewing process with 2 consulting firms and have great stories from both. We have classmates from both firms and whilst one has organized group chats to help students get a flavor of what their (ex and future) firm is looking for. Regarding the other firm, I have spoken to a classmate and received feedback on their culture, hiring process, etc. I've also spoken to a couple of alumni of SBS at the latter firm and they've been extremely helpful too. The school also offers a number of Sector Consultants. These are typically seasoned professionals who've had decades of experience in their respective industries. I've spoken to a couple to practice for my interviews,etc. and have got some really simple and effective tips to improve my performance in interviews. There are lots of resources that one can leverage. And sometimes it is a challenge to figure out which one to use!
During this term I have also had the opportunity to listen to a number of fabulous leaders. Some of us visited Cranfield to listen to a talk by Sir Andrew Witty, CEO, GSK, about business leadership. He is a great speaker and has an inimitable style of explaining leadership principles in simple terms. Loved his chat and Cranfield as a school. SBS has hosted a number of influential people too. From Nick Hughes and his experience running M-Pesa and now Signal Point Partners to Hassan Heikal, CEO, EFG-Hermes, speaking about the Arab Spring. The diversity of the speakers has been matched only by the diversity of thoughts they've brought. Oxford is truly a great place to come and learn.
I have to write about having just formed our Foosball teams. SBS now has 2 teams in Division 2 Foosball group in Oxford and we'll be playing matches against a few colleges in the coming term. Should be a good practice for the upcoming MBATs too where we hope for a top 3 finish!

The spirit of giving thanks and a rather average movie

(Written on 27th Nov'11)

Belated Thanksgiving to the Americans! And a slightly more belated Thanksgiving to the Canadians!
I write this on my way back from Reading where I was a part of a group of 12 who watched Desi Boyz. The movie was alright. Maybe 2.5 on 5. And to make our way back to Oxford we got a slow train. It was slightly noisier than the usual train too.
As I sat in the train, my head against the window, I was put in mind of the late night rides I had when I worked graveyard shifts in GE Capital. I could suddenly imagine myself back in the cabs, then in the big buses that we took early morning to return from work. We were often half dead. My memory then jogged back a bit further to my college days when I travelled via DTC buses in the sweltering hot Delhi summers. The bus rides where I often had to stand for one and a half hour and not get a seat. And then my mind went further back to my days in Kanpur. As a kid in 10th grade playing Cricket in my verandah with my brother.
I recalled my journey in life so far. And the different seats I've sat in. My bicycle seat and the wooden tables in my school in Kanpur. The hard seats in DTC buses that I'd gladly take after having stood for an hour. The more comfortable buses and cabs in GE. The tight yet purposeful economy class seat to reach London. And my ride now from Reading to go back to Oxford.
I don't know what it may really mean. But I am greatly proud of what I have done in my life so far. I want to think a little more about what all this means. Why me and what next. I think rather aimlessly for a bit and let my mind wander.
I didn't get any answers but I just felt a feeling of gratitude. A feeling of saying thanks to the almighty and my family for believing in me. To life for throwing so many positives my way. For allowing me to be able to keep the memory of the times passed.
Thank you. Thank you.

Happy thanksgiving!

Support classes, Exams and Holiday season!

(Written on 23rd Dec'11)

I write today, the last working day of this year for many in the UK, about what has happened in the last month or so.

The end of the Michaelmas term was a bit of a whirlwind. It started with the week 6-8 classes when people started thinking seriously about the exams. This was followed by revision classes in week 9 and exams in the following week. We had 5 exams in as many days. Most of us had written exams 6-8 years back and so were slightly rusted with  the whole method. Writing with a pen and not a keyboard was a hurdle by itself ! To this add the fact that we had to dress up in a white shirt, white bow, black suit and a subfusc! Clearly it wasn't the most comfortable setup for many. But we managed to scape through.

I do want to mention, however, what preceded the exams too. SBS is a great place not only because of its presence in Oxford or its professors, but equally because of the students. We have students who are professional accountants and they ran support classes for each section every week. There wasn't an economist in the class but a few people had studied it in their undergrads and they ran support classes for that. Similarly there was help at hand for finance novices. So people with no backgrounds had a lot of support to gain better understanding of the subjects from not just the professors and the TAs but also from their fellow students. It truly was a collaborative exam prep! Thanks to Jean-Philippe Poissant, Prateek Jain and Rob Mills for running the Accounting sessions, , Amandeep Singh, Erkin Kudratov, Nithum Thain and Sean Mullin for the Economics classes, Aunnie Patton and Prashant De for the Finance classes and Daniela Papi and David Damberger for flashcards and notes on Strategy!

I have to also share a small anecdote about the diversity in the class. When going for our exams I shared my cab with people who stayed in the same building as I did. The four people in the cab were: a Chinese, an Indian,a Portuguese and a Slovak! Four different accents in the cab are always fun!

We ended the term with a Christmas Gala where it was great to exchange presents and have a good time before people leave Oxford to visit their families, go on vacation or stay back and play Cricket (like I am doing!) Couple of shout outs: First to the band from our class, called Double Entry and their take on Hotel California (or Oxford MBA), at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q543iMjIYx0&feature=related and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgnIAzaxNZI&feature=related; The second shout out is for Mike Navarrete for this awesome video on the silent library disco: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RL49r-aD72c&feature=share

While I do feel a sense of emptiness now after a really busy term, I intend to relax during the break and prepare for the next term. After all it isn't called Hellary for no reason. I am sure we'll moan and complain, but we will make it through! This break is akin to sharpening the axe to ensure it cuts well when it gets back to chopping the wood. A well deserved and necessary break for all of us!

Hope you are thinking about sharpening your axe regularly too. Work hard, rest well and have a great time off. Happy holidays to you and your loved ones!