General Management GyaanA set of arbit tips for those aspiring to get into A-grade GenMan companies like Tata and B-grade GenMan companies like every other GenMan company. (paid publicity :P)That was a joke. Ok, now serious.There are some pretty good GenMan companies recruiting from IIMB, and getting into any of those would be difficult. Partly because nobody is sure what exactly theyre looking for, and partly because the process itself is quite random. My help will be limited to enlisting factors I feel (in my limited experience) are important to crack a good GenMan company. For politically correct reasons, I refuse to list the best GenMan companies. It would suffice to say that most of them offer amazing exposure in terms of profiles and a good pay package.

Allaying doubts and fears:In addition to some of the myths busted during the sector talk, Id like to point out + reiterate some of the common misconceptions.1) GenMan companies prefer work ex/look for freshers: two contrasting opinions, both equally wrong. One cannot draw conclusions out of one-off cases. GenMan companies love relevant work experience, but they would rather have someone who has performed really well in whatever sector he/she has worked in. A stellar Work Experience box on your resume will work well for you. Freshers neednt worry as this is not a prerequisite. If your other boxes are good enough, the companies are bound to notice you.2) Shortlisting is totally arbit: To some extent, true. But one place you can significantly improve your chances of getting a shortlist is the company form. Make sure you devote sufficient time to think your answers through. Be aware of tricky follow-up questions, especially if you make strong statements and have worked for a few years. If you need more help or guidance, feel free to approach seniors/me directly by mail/WhatsApp. Your application will be judged on the combined weight of your resume and your form. If youve covered your bases well, you should get a shortlist. Some companies might have a Psychometric Test, which is a different ballgame. Apart from advising you to be consistent and to sort out of your life priorities well in advance, I cannot really help you there (mostly because I suck at Psychometrics).3) Special, intense preparation is required for GenMan GD/PI Rounds: Incorrect. Ill get to this point shortly.4) You will fail if you are not a natural-born leader: These companies are not looking for very special people who display fantastic traits very early on in their lives. Theyre looking for people with some potential to learn leadership skills. So, if youre an introvert or under-confident, dont fret. You can learn to be better. Work on your speaking skills.5) I want only GenMan, nothing but GenMan will do: this is not a great attitude to have. Nobody can really guarantee you a shortlist in the company you want. Ive seen some amazing people miss out on shortlists in their dream companies. So, have multiple backups. For freshers: be open to Sales & Marketing roles. Work-ex peeps: be open to IT/Ops profiles. There are tremendous opportunities in these areas and the work is fun too. Dont get bogged down by the wave of people rushing towards GenMan profile. All profiles in all companies will eventually shape up to become a GenMan profile, so chill.

General Guidelines for GDs:1) Be very polite while speaking. Never cut people off when theyre speaking. Wait for your turn, but if you havent been allowed to speak in a while, interject like a boss and say I havent spoken in a long time so if you all are okay Id like to make a point2) Posture: be very careful of how you sit. Dont slacken or cross your legs or look down. Your general GD rules apply here. One of the people observing you will be a core HR person, and they are very particular about body language.3) Tone: strong but respectful. Now I dont know how to cultivate such a quality. Ask your friends if your GD tone sounds arrogant. If they say yes unanimously, learn to soften your tone a bit.4) Build on others ideas: in the hurry to put your own point across, dont invalidate the opinions of others. Instead, build on them. Work like a team, not like Arjen Robben. (bad football joke)5) There is no limit to how many people get selected from one GD group: so, aim for a peaceful, amicable GD with proper conclusions in each round, rather than an average GD with you shining out in each round.

GD/PI Prep1) Special Preparation + Keeping Backups: GenMan doesnt require structured, focussed prep like Consulting or Marketing does. In these sectors, youll need to form proper study groups and practice cases/GDs according to protocol. You will see seniors and clubs handing out Case Prep booklets and Marketing prep material. If they havent already, they will soon. In these sectors, going back to the textbook and memorizing key concepts is useful. GenMan doesnt require that. a. Revise 2-3 of your favourite courses. If interviewers ask, you shouldnt promptly answer My favourite course was Competition & Strategy and then bumble when they ask you questions on Porters Model. Sometimes, they might ask you your favourite case studies or companies. Be thorough with the business models of a couple of your favourite companies: be it McDonalds or Zara or Dabbawallahs.b. While prepping for GenMan in summers, also prep for one additional sector. It could be Marketing or Consult or Ops. You cannot afford to invest all your effort into GenMan prep (which is not very focussed) and then look like an idiot on the d-day with no GenMan shortlists. Generate sufficient backup options. They dont have to be very organized. Dont go into too much detail. But at least be open and realistic about your chances in each sector and prep accordingly.2) Your Passions: key concept in GenMan interviews, which tend to be more HR focussed than others. If interviewers ask you about things you feel very strongly about, you cannot afford to draw a blank. Your passions could be music/dance/sport/some course/some social issue. But whatever you choose, be very thorough about your idea and why you feel so strongly. It doesnt have to be leadership or India-related. You dont have to force-fit typical GenMan sentiments of leadership or development or CSR. Be honest to your passions.3) Chairman GD: read about the concept and the structure. FOCAL will conduct several sessions on this topic closer to the placements, so no need to panic. There should be some general caselets available online that can be used for practice. Form your own group of 6-10 interested students and practice on controversial topics.4) Be aware of current affairs: Follow the recent happenings in politics, economics, finance, sports and entertainment. I used to maintain a notebook where I made notes (pros vs cons) about every major controversial issue that could be a possible topic of discussion in the GDs.5) HR Questions: MOST IMPORTANT THING EVER!a. Prepare all HR questions (sent by PlaceCom) very well. They are exceptionally important in GenMan interviews. These companies are trying to judge you as a person, not your knowledge level. You being in IIMB is proof enough of your ability to mug and slog. Now show them your human side and come across as an affable person with a strong character and set of principles.b. Tell Me About Yourself: could be a make or break question. Prepare this extremely well. Dont repeat stuff from your resume. If unsure, take help from seniors. Remember, this question is not asking for information, they dont care where you were born or what your parents do. They want to know why they should consider hiring you. This is a pitch! Pitch yourself well. List your strong suits and fortes and build your answer around them. At the end of the interview, they must have something to remember you by haan, woh short-film director wala banda or haan, woh fashion model wali bandi types. Your USP should be clear.

Material for Prep1) Some GenMan internship stories: http://insideiim.com/tag/general-management/2) GD experiences: http://insideiim.com/forums/forum/interview-experiences/general-management-roles/(Yes, Im working for this InsideIIM website so this is full-blown publicity for the material. Despite violating ethical norms and a clear conflict-of-interest, I would recommend you go through these.)3) Chairman GD caselets: http://www.tiss.edu/leftbottom/group-discussion-caselets-for-chairpersons-discussion/view4) Chairman GD failure story: https://tas2014.wordpress.com/tag/chairmans-gd/