Placement Papers - IBM

IBM PATTERN & INTERVIEW - 26 JUN 2007 - PUNE

Hi Friends

IBM.. International Business Machines also known as Big Blue conducted campus at MIT on 26th June, 2007. Students were from PVG, SKNCOE, SCOE and MIT.

Criterion was aggregate 60% (For 5 semesters). Nearly 95 students got short listed from the aptitude test. Further 72 cleared the Group Discussion and finally 59 got through. I was one of them.

1. Aptitude Test: It was very interesting.
It had 3 sections:
· Matrix Manipulation: Three 5*5 matrices were given and there were 5 Qs on each matrix such as interchanging rows and columns, replacing one symbol by other, etc. (15 Qs in 13 min) there was no -ve marking for this section, so, I attempted all Qs.
· Series completion: 20 Qs to be solved in 4 min. It had -1/4 marking. So, I attempted only 18.
· Quantitative: 12 Qs in 17 min. It had -1/4 marking. I attempted only 7 Qs.
This section was a bit tough.

2. Group discussion:
Topic for our group was 'Should Politicians be Honest?'
We were a group of 16 students.
It was an extempore. Each one had to stand up and present his/her views.

3. Interview (At around 10 pm)  

Interviewer: Ajay
(Last Interview of the day!!)

Ajay: Finally..
Gauri: Yeh..Good Evening, Sir.

Ajay: So, what do you feel about being the last one to be interviewed?
Gauri: I got to know the questions that you asked to all my friends..

Ajay: Oh, really?? What did they tell you??

Gauri: They told me that you asked
1. Tell me something about yourself?
2. Why IBM?

Ajay: That's it??
Gauri: Yeh.

Ajay: (smiling) These are just to start the interview..!! (I just smiled.)

Ajay: Tell me some things which you don't like about your college..
Gauri: Sir, our college conducts re-tests if we have not cleared the regular unit test, and they send the reports back home.

Ajay: They really do that??
Gauri: Ya, they do.

Ajay: Have you ever given the re-test?
Gauri: Yes sir, 2-3 times. Because we were busy in Firodiya Karandak practice..

Ajay: (Interrupting me..) Have you done Firodiya??
Gauri: Yes sir.

Ajay: As what?
Gauri: As a Singer. I sung a Telugu song in S.E. and a Portuguese Song in T.E.

Ajay: Do you know something?? I am a musician.. I have all instruments at my home. I have a reserved floor for music in my bunglow. IBM has it's own band and we perform all over the world. I am the president of IBM club.
(He was going through my resume.)

Ajay: So, should I grill you on C++ or Java??
Gauri: Yes Sir, you can.
Ajay: (smiled) Should I??
Gauri: You can, sir.

Ajay: Anyways, you are watching me since morning, what do you think about me??
Gauri: (Thought for a while) Sir, you are pretty honest and can go naughty at times.. and I think you don't really prefer job hopping. Do you play guitar??
 
Ajay: I play all instruments..
Ajay: Do you know, IBM takes special care of it's women employees?? IBM has won the Best Employer award for 10-15 years..
(I just nodded.)

Ajay: Ok..tell me something about yourself..
Gauri: I am from Bombay ..
(He immediately stopped me)

Ajay: Bombay or Mumbai??
Gauri: Mumbai..Are you from Mumbai?

Ajay: No, But its like my second home. Why did you think that I am from Mumbai??
Gauri: A person who is so particular about saying Mumbai and not Bombay must be closely related with the city..
(He just smiled)

Ajay: Continue..
Gauri: I love computers. I never get bored of them. It can be gaming or surfing..
Ajay: (Interrupting me..) So, which was the last site you surfed?

Gauri: It was IBM.
Ajay: What did you like about it?

Gauri: Sir, I loved the latest logo in which 'I' is shown by vertically drawn eye and 'B' is represented by a honeybee.
Ajay: It is not really a logo..
Gauri: Ya, not exactly.. but that particular picture..

Ajay: Ok. What is IBM's slogan?
Gauri: What makes you special!!! (He nodded in appreciation.)

Gauri: Sir, actually I didn't know this but my mother messaged me after I told her that I have cleared the G.D and have to go for the interview.
(He smiled.)  

Ajay: So, do you want to ask anything?

Gauri: Sir, when did you join IBM?
Ajay: I am with IBM since last 4 years. Before that I was working with a Japanese company.

Gauri: Sir, and what about the training?
Ajay: Training will be for 3-6 months depending upon the project requirements.

Anything else you want to ask?
Gauri: No sir.

Ajay: Sure?
Gauri: Yes sir.

Ajay: (Smiling) Ok..So, now you will tell your mother immediately about the interview??
Gauri: (Smiling) Yes sir.

Ajay: Do you think I will select you?
Gauri: Yes sir.

Ajay: Are you sure?
Gauri: 100% sir.

Ajay: confident?
Gauri: Absolutely Sir..

Ajay: (Smiling) Anyways, it was nice interacting with you..
Gauri: Thank you, sir.

Ajay: Wait for the results now..
Gauri: Yes sir. Bye.
Ajay: Bye.

Finally, around 10: 50 pm results were declared and Expression Of Responsibility was given to us!!!!  

Gauri Joglekar