Congrats -If you are one of the lucky participants who cleared the CAT Exam. However now you must show equal preparation for the Group Discussion and Personal Interview for the IIM’s, XLRI, FMS- Delhi, IIFT and all the other management institutes in India

The Group Discussion is not only about content preparation but also psychological preparation. Here are 5 things to conquer before the Group Discussion

1. Fear
Many people freeze at the idea of public speaking, and in the case of a B-School Group Discussion you also have to compete while speaking publicly. Overcome any unexplained fear and anxiety by reminding yourself that no body is perfect, every great orator is nervous prior to public performance- you are after all human.

2. Negative thoughts and negative projections.
Stop hurting yourself by comparing yourself with the supposedly superior strengths an engineer from IIT may have, or that those having a background in Commerce would do better in economic concepts. You will be surprised how the super geniuses are geniuses only in a very niche field of expertise. The GD topic shall be such that it requires general knowledge and ability to communicate those concepts

3. Overconfidence
You may have had a good percentile in the CAT but don’t let that fool you in thinking you have a better chance. MBA institutes do NOT LIKE nerds. They want well rounded individuals who are aware of the economy, social problems, and political awareness with equal measure. Many with high qualifications and work experience have been rejected because of an attitude of superiority

4. Anxiety of performance
The best means of conquering your performance anxiety is by introducing yourself to an imaginary panel by speaking aloud every day for 5 minutes to understand the tones of your own voice. Are you too soft toned, too loud, take too many pauses. Listen to yourself as you speak to smoothen out the rough edges.

5. Knowledge and Preparation
Light eliminates darkness. Similarly knowledge and adequate preparation conquers all fear. Remember you are appearing for a MBA Group Discussion/Personal interview. An MBA finds solutions to problems in the economy, society, and even politics. Understanding of what is happening in Indian and World economy will surely give you an edge in the Group Discussion

Posted in Labels: INDIAN INSTITUTES OF MANAGEMENT / IIM'S AND GROUP DISCUSSIONS