Himanshu (M256-23)

HR Questions
1. The major significant changes that have occurred in your life so far. Bring out the people, purposes,
goals and other significant changes that have caused these significant changes/decisions.

One of the significant changes that occurred in my life includes the decision to peruse an MBA. Being a Life
Science graduate, a topper throughout in the field but something was missing and hence I introspected
myself, interacted with many friends, experts and family members, explored a lot. Finally, the arrival at the
decision of perusing an MBA was from a much bigger event of winning the prestigious EY Scholarship Case
Competition. I won INR 1,00,000 and an Internship with Ernst and Young LLP. These experiences shaped
my decision towards perusing an MBA. I am thoroughly enjoying the curriculum and an MBA life from an
IIM. My goals have been redefined and in the direction of a more holistic and richer life. I am meeting new
people each day and these people are from different walks of life.

2. Tell me about yourself – (500 Words, 100 Words, as a professional, a friend, a son/daughter)

I am Himanshu, a B.Sc. Life Science graduate from Swami Shraddhanand College, University of Delhi. I am a
lifelong learner and likes to learn about diverse fields. Practical learning is what I like the most. I am very
keen about entrepreneurship and would like to start my own startup in the future but before that I want to
gain theoretical and practical exposure through a Business School and by working in the industry. I am also
an EY Scholar (2021-22), and have completed an Internship with Ernst and Young.

I work in a structured manner. I plan my day and do my work systematically and on time. Before sleeping I
reflect on my day and subconsciously program positive affirmations in my mind.

I am very keen in gaining different experiences. I have experiences in Vocals, Harmonium, Website Designing,
Robotics, Science, Biology, Painting, Article Writing, Drawing, Skating and Business Case Competitions.

I have completed an Internship in the Digital and Emerging Technologies at Ernst and Young. My Project
Mentor described me as someone who completed all the tasks on time. He calls me as someone who does
extensive research and involves himself completely in the project.

My family would describe me as a jolly and happy person who loves his family and like to spend time with
them and like to share everything with them. My friend would describe me as a go – to – person who is
always ready to help them and likes to collaborate and work as a team.

3. Tell me about your family and childhood.

My childhood was spent between Haryana and Delhi. I thoroughly enjoyed walking in the fields, enjoying
the natural environment, playing in raw nature with friends. The experiences that I had during my
childhood, in my school, Delhi Public School, Sonepat, shaped me as a person. During my childhood, I had a
variety of experiences. I spent 14 years in the same school, and I thoroughly enjoyed there.

Regarding my family, I am blessed to have such a family. My family is very – very supportive in all my
endeavours. The care I got from them is imaginable. My experiences with my family shaped me what I am.
I can never repay what my family did for me.
4. Why MBA?

Master of Business Administration or an MBA, is a pivotal role in my career. An MBA would give me
theoretical and practical knowledge of business and entrepreneurship. I would apply this knowledge by
working in the industry. Getting exposure and expertise through MBA program, combined with peer
learning, would enable me to develop more skills and qualities necessary for my professional career

5. Identify 3 strengths of yours and elucidate with examples. List some attributes of yours that you are
really proud of. Describe some instances where your attributes helped you achieve a good outcome.

I consider myself a life – long learner. I try to learn from all the experiences that comes forward. This is one
of my major strengths and because of this I am open to learning from the diverse fields.
I easily gel within a team and this helps me to collaborate efficiently in a team. In a team or a group setting,
I take initiatives and lead the group in the right direction. My team mates and group mates have trust in me.
This I have observed in majority of the group settings.

I think and execute in a planned and structured manner. I plan my day beforehand and work accordingly. I
have perseverance and grit, once I start anything, I plan it properly and work towards it with perseverance
and grit. Time management and Leadership skills are my other strengths.

6. Identify 3 weaknesses of yours and elucidate with examples. Provide situations where
your weaknesses have hurt you. What have you done in such circumstances?

There are some situations where non – interesting work need to be done; I do not involve myself
completely in non – interesting things. For example, I don’t have much interest in exercising but it is
essential for a healthy lifestyle. To win over it, I have started exercising.

Another weakness is that sometimes I am too pressing on a work to be done. I sometimes become anxious
when a work is not completed especially when my team members are not working. This has hurt me
sometimes as it has led to my team members getting annoyed on me. I am currently working on assertive
communication strategy so that I can better handle the situation.

One of the major weaknesses is the control over my nerves. I prepared for CAT exam well but got anxious
during the exam and this costed me. I am aware of it and in order to improve it I have started meditation
and this condition is slowly improving and I am sure that till I join my MBA college, I would have a better
control over my nerves.

7. What motivates you in life? Who is your role model? Why do you admire him/her? In what way
are you similar to your role model?

The new pursuits and experiences which life can offer motivates me. Meeting and integrating with people
from different facets of life motivates me to work harder so that I can reach heights of success where I can
interact with more people.

My role model is my father. The attitude of life long learning, was given by him to me. There is a say that
education becomes difficult after marriage and kids but my father completed his law school. He worked the
hardest when it comes to achieving goals and having a better life for him and his family. I try to infuse
these qualities of him in my life.

8. How do you typically respond to the problems facing you? Give instances where you took charge of
a difficult situation/challenge and resolved it. (These problems could be in any sphere of your life.)

Whenever I encounter a problem. I never jump directly towards the solution. The first step after looking at
the problem involves breaking the problem into small parts. Then I analyse each part carefully, looking at
various parameters. In the case of more complex issues, thorough research is involved. Devising solutions
for each part and then combing them. Each solution is backed by solid research and reasoning, which is
logical and rational. A recent example of solving a complex problem was during a Live Project that I did
with NTPC. We were assigned the Problem Statement to bridge the gap between NTPC and Private Players.
NTPC is a huge organization, and the scale of the problem needs to be devised. I divided the problem into
several stages and set timelines for each stage. Then subdivided each stage further. The next crucial step
involved thorough research and applying different frameworks, tools, and techniques available. Solving
each sub-stages and then finally arriving at the final solution.

9. Describe a situation in which you initiated a new idea and implemented it.

I participated in the International Robotics Competition; we had a problem statement of waste management
using Sensors and Colour Sensing robots. It was the year where Artificial Intelligence was not very prominent. I
thought of implementing Artificial Intelligence to our Robots. We implemented by complex programming and
after successful implementation, we received appreciations from the organizers.

10. What was the toughest decision you had to make?

I was pursuing Life Sciences from the prestigious University of Delhi. I was academically brilliant at it
securing 1st position for many continuous years. But I felt that something was missing, something was not
right. Then I started exploring different fields. This was the toughest decision as pivoting from something
you are good at is not easy. Then I gained numerous experiences in life related to the field of Business and
Management. I even won the prestigious EY Scholarship program, won INR 1 Lakhs and an internship with
EY. Similar experiences helped me pivot to an MBA and I am thoroughly enjoying my MBA.

11. Describe one incident or event where you initially stumbled, but eventually recovered and were
able to achieve your objectives.

I was very active and indulged in Skating. I even went to the National Levels. During my initial years I was
good but overconfident, this affected me but a stumbled crashed my overconfidence where I lost my
competition. I self-introspected and focused more on practices as that is only in our hands and we should
focus on that. I recovered and even went to the National Level.

12. Describe one incident or event in your life which you regret the most. Why so? If given
an opportunity to re-live that incident, what would you do differently and why?
Whatever I am today is because of all the experiences (good or bad) in the past and also my future course
is based on my present. I don’t want to change much except I should have done more internships in the
past in diverse fields.

13. How have you gone about achieving your goals in the past? What lessons have you learnt to
further your pursuit of future goals?

I am person who like to have important goals for myself and my team. I like to work to the best of my
abilities so that I can fulfil those goals set my me and for me. I divide the goals into small actionable tasks
with defined deadlines. An example was during my live project, where the problem was huge but we are
working by dividing the problem and solution into small actionable tasks. I learned the important aspects
of prioritization, goal and task setting from these instances.

14. Where do you see yourself 5 years down the line? Where do you see yourself 10 years down the line?

5 years down the line I see myself as a very important asset for the company adding great value to the
company. Someone who is looked upon and trusted the people and the company. 10 years down the line I
see myself in top positions leading great teams and providing a lot of value to all the stakeholders.

15. What do you seek in a job? Why?

The most important I seek in a job is continuous learning, personal as well as professional development.
Without continuous learning and development leads to stagnation and this is one of the biggest fears of
mine. The opportunities of continuous learning, personal as well as professional development are very
important for me.

16. Why should we select you/ how will you be an asset to our organization? -200 words

I want your name interested in applying for your esteemed organization I have the request its skills and
required knowledge for the post. I am a lifelong and always try to learn different things and from different
people and situations and this quality help me to adapt to new technology and new trends in the industry
that would help me to stride forward. I have lot of grit and always try to complete the work in hand. I have
been academically strong throughout. I also had a lot of extracurricular and cocurricular experiences to my
credit. I am a National Level Skater. I am also the winner of International Robotics Competition held at
Singapore University of Technology and Design. I received 100% Scholarship to attend Sakura Science High
School program held at Japan. These variety of experiences including national as well as international
helped me gain valuable experiences in various facets of life. I am also the winner of EY Scholarship, where
I received INR 1,00,000. I interned with EY in their Technology Consulting practice and gained valuable
corporate experience. I work with my personal values of Professionalism, Honesty, Integrity, Transparency
and Resilience. I would be an asset to your organization, work to the best of my abilities and prove to be a
valuable asset for your esteemed organization.

17. Why do you want to work at our company? (PwC/Maruti Suzuki/EY/Deloitte etc.)

Yours is an esteemed organization with a great reputation in the industry. You have a proven history of
success. The culture of your company attracts me. The work ethics and people make me excited and
enthusiastic to work with your company. The opportunities for professional as well as professional
development are very important for me and your company provides with these. I am a lifelong learner and
opportunities for new learning activities are very important for me and your firm provides opportunities
for learning.

18. What do you know about our organization? (PwC/Maruti Suzuki/EY/Deloitte). What seems
most attractive about our company and what seems the least attractive?

EY is an esteemed organization. It is a global firm. I had an experience of working with EY as a Technology

Consulting Intern in the Technology Consulting practice. As EY is one the big 4 auditing firm but it also a
huge and prestigious consulting practice. EY provides great value to its clients after carefully analysing the
clients’ requirements. Your culture and the people attract me more. I want to work with people from
office, remote work would be less attractive as I am a people’s person and like to interact with the people
from different walks and facets of life.

19. Would you lie for our company?

Honest is very important as it makes life less stressful. Being honest increases credibility of a person. I
would not lie for the company as the firm for which I would be working should trust me in every situation
and being credible and truthful is very important.

20. Which is your dream company? Justify your answer.

I am a people person and would like to work in a company that would give me opportunities to interact
with various people and in this sequence, I would like to work in a company related to Sales and Marketing
domain. One of my dream companies includes Asian Paints. The company provides opportunity to visit and
explore different places and people from different walks and fields of life. This would lead to my personal
as well as professional development along with me as a valuable resource.

21. Can you work under pressure? Give instances where you had to work under pressure? Mention
your approach.

I can surely work under pressure. I believe that if you had a great opportunity ahead of you, one must work
beyond the normal hours and pressure in order to achieve the goals. One instance is during the National
Finals of the International Robotics Competition. The stakes were very high as the winner would receive
scholarship to attend the internationals to be held at Singapore University of Technology and Design. We
had only 15 days in hand and the pressure was immense as the competition was tough and require intense
practice. We worked a continuously every day for 12+ hours. The pressure was huge but we approached it
with lot of enthusiasm and pressure. We also employed coping mechanisms such as taking some hour off
the work. We successfully managed the pressure and also winning the competition.

22. Mention an incident in your life where you convinced a group of people to do a task. How did you go
about it and what were the problems and learning? What was your contribution to the whole thing?

I am currently doing a Live Project where we need to find problems which are very crucial to solve for the
organization and also suggest innovative and better solutions that would help the firm. I suggested the group
about a problem that we can work upon. It was very crucial as the problem identification would determine
our time; we need in order to solve the problem. I gathered all the data about the problem, prepared a
detailed pitch in order to convince the group. I pitched in front of the group and also did some negotiations
and convinced the group to take up the problem. I learned the essential skills of negotiation, preparation
and pitching in front the group. Our problem statement was appreciated by the authorities and also, we
were able to better manage the solution phase.

23. Mention any certification you have done in your area of interest. Tell us three learnings
and challenges you faced.

I did a certification on Indian FMCG industry. I am a people’s person and love to interact with people from
different walks and facets of life. This quest interested in the field of Sales and Marketing. The learning
includes how much important is FMCG sector to the people’s life, especially in countries such as India
where we have a huge population. The next learning includes how the customer behaviour affects the
company’s decision in having their product position. Another learning includes appreciating the efforts of
different FMCG companies that contributed and impacted various people and their lives.

Some of the challenges that I faced was gathering the requisite data in order to complete the project as
the industry is very diversified. Next challenge was setting up a definite schedule as the duration of the
certification was long and required dedicated efforts.

Another challenge was to better relate with the real-life events as the concepts are many and required that
I can better understand the concepts.

24. Give an example of a situation where you faced an ethical dilemma. How did you resolve it?

I am very early in my career and have experienced less situations, where I had to make a difficult ethical
decision in the workplace. One instance that I remember was when I was doing a consulting assignment
with one of the big consulting firms. We were a group of four summer interns. We were allotted a project
that would have involved a huge lot of research. The client wanted authentic research. We were working
fine, then one fine day we got an email stating that we need to submit the particular section of our report
by the End of the Day. But another problem was that almost all of us were amidst of our college exams. So,
one of the members said that instead of doing original research we can collate from the available company
resources and use AI tools such as ChatGPT. This would be unethical as the client specifically mentioned
that they require authentic research. I stood up and firmly told that this was unethical and would not
happen. But we had exams. Then we devised a strategy so that we could optimize in the best possible way
and were able to submit on time. For me my ethics be it in workplace or whether in my personal life are at
the top priority. Unethical decision may seem good in the short term but if we need to sustain in long
term, it's only the ethical decisions which keeps us afloat.

25. Give an example of a situation where in you had to lead a group towards some very important goal.

We were amidst the International Robotics Competition to be held at Singapore University of Technology and
Design. We had 1 month in hand. Participants from various countries would be competing for the competition. I
was a Team Leader and Captain of my team and I had a very crucial responsibility of leading my group towards
the goal. We started bit by bit. This ensured that we get deep into the problem statement. This ignited a spark
in all of us. Next task for me to make a detailed plan and priority list in order to achieve our goals. We acted
systematically, put in long hours and eventually winning the Internationals at Singapore.
26. Give an example of a time when you used someone else's idea to solve a particular problem that
you faced or your group faced.

It was a crucial submission. Deadline was approaching. There was a lot of stress and pressure upon our
whole group. It was very crucial that we address this issue. We need a coping mechanism that would not
only ease the pressure upon the whole group but also help us complete the tasks in hand. We took the
idea of stress management and effective project management from one of a senior. He suggested us better
ways and ideas to manage stress effectively and manage the project in a better way.

27. Give an example of a time when you had to achieve something very critical with limited
resources. Explain the situation and the limitations faced as well.

During the pandemic time, our undergraduate exams were approaching. The subjects were very tough. We
didn’t have our practical sessions and no books or other resources. It was very crucial for me to score well
in the exams. Resources were limited and scarce. But I faced the challenges, gathered whatever was
available and started studying for the exams. Also compensated for the practical by exploring online
resources. Eventually I worked really hard and received Rank – 1 in college.

28. Give an illustration of a time when people came to you for help, how you handled it, what
the outcome was, and what did you understand about yourself from the process.

It was the time just before the exams. We had an exam the next day. The subject was considered difficult
by almost all the batchmates. One of my friends called me at 11:30 P.M., he was very anxious as he had
not studied, if I didn’t help him, he would definitely fail the exam next day. I have to take a decision of
sacrificing my sleep and helping him, that may also cause decrease in my performance the next day or
ignoring his request and going to sleep. This situation led to the development or enhancement of empathy
in me. I took the decision of helping him. He passed the exam; I faced some loss but it was worth it as it
helped my friend and also helped me understand myself better.

29. Give an example of a situation where you took risk which did not pay off and, did pay off.

Risks are very important as they lead to great progress. There have been many risks that paid off but at the
same time there were some risks that didn’t paid off. One of such risks that paid off was getting in the
public and speak, without the thought of humiliation and changed public perception about myself. This risk
paid off, and I became a confident public speaker. One of the risks that didn’t paid off was when I worked
on a project that was very different from my background and knowledge. I spent 2 months on it but it
yielded no results but it was a great learning experience in itself.

30. Give an instance you received constructive feedback and how you worked on it.

I take constructive feedback very seriously and act on them, as it leads to positive change in me. I was once
told that I need to improve on my communication skills, this was strange to me as, I was of the opinion that
I had great communication skills. But when I carefully analysed, I found out that there was an actual issue
with my communication skills. I worked on them, and I am constantly improving so that I always in a loop
of constant improvement.
31. Give an example of a time when you compromised on values.

Values are very important to me. I try to always stand to me core values of Honesty, Humility, Resilience,
Professionalism and Grit. But sometimes there may occur such situation where one has to compromise a
little bit on the values front. Once it occurred that my brother was stuck in a conflict, I have to hide from
my parents till the situation has improved. This was important not to cause stress to my parents.

32. How successful do you think you have been so far?

I will try not to consider myself as successful. Considering myself successful may lead to stagnation. As I
may think that I have reached but I think that this should not occur as this may slow down my progress. I
want to always stride forward, try out new things, explore and always lead an active life.

33. Write your epitaph.

My epitaph is that people can rely on me. In any situation where a responsibility is bestowed upon me, I
make sure that I go to a greater extend in order to accomplish it. People can trust me with anything, they
have faith on me that I would rise to their expectations.

34. Had you not been an MBA student, what would you be doing?

Had, I not been an MBA student, I would be doing a small-scale business. This business would be such that
it would take to places far away. The business that would help me interact with various people from
diverse areas and different walks of life.

35. Which is your favourite subject? Why?

One of my favourite concepts in Micro Organizational Behaviour (Micro OB). The reason of this being my
favourite concept is my inclination towards observing the complex human behaviour. This subject helps me
predict the human behaviour and also analyse the patters. This also helps me analyse my behaviour and
also improve my actions.

36. Mention about any project you have done/completed so far.

During my internship with Ernst and Young LLP, I completed a project on CRM Software. My project
involved through research and analysis on the current market and future trends that would shape the CRM
industry. I worked towards this project and was successfully able to get solutions and future trends. The
project was appreciated my manager and later, I was informed that the project was used by my firm.

37. What fields of business administration are you interested in? Why?

I am a people’s person, and like to interact with people from diverse fields. I like to carefully observe
people and their actions. People’s behaviour is complex and I like to observe that. Because of these
reasons I have an inclination towards Sales and Marketing; and Human Resource.
38. List your hobbies/interests. How do you balance your interests with academic/professional
life?

Some of my hobbies includes watching Travelling vlogs; reading, listening and watching espionage stories.
These hobbies help me rewind from my busy schedule, these acts as a stress buster for me. Balancing
interests with academic/professional life is easy as these activities makes me feel comfortable, rewind and
reenergize for the next activities ahead.

39. Have you considered starting your own company?

Starting my own company has been in my mind for long time. Having personally seen the start – up wave
and culture in India, have always motivated and inspired me to get new ideas and the ways in which I can
implement ideas, so that I can solve a real-life problem that the world is facing currently. There are a lot of
problems the world is facing and it requires companies which bring innovative solutions. If I find a relevant
problem which can make a big impact for the society and our planet, I will set up a company to solve this
problem.

40. What is your biggest fear? Does it come in the way of achieving your goals? How do you/would
you overcome that fear?

One of my biggest fears is remaining average in life. I want to gain new experiences in life, does not want
to remain mediocre in life. I don’t want to settle for less. This fear haunts me more. In order to overcome
this fear. I am trying out new things in life so, which gives me new perspectives in life. I try to excel or at
least try to excel in every aspect so that there is a satisfaction in the trial.

41. As a manager, how will you return to the society in terms of people, planet and profit

A company earns profit from the people. Involves resources from the planet. It becomes imperative that
company returns to the society and do good for the society as a whole. As a manager, I would ensure that
we act collectively act towards the planet and the people. I will ensure that we follow the CSR policies
religiously, the responsibilities that the company has towards the people and the planet. Would engage in
various activities would generate positive impact for the people and the planet.