SIMC Pune GE PI WAT / GDPI Experience

SIMC Pune GE-PI Experience – September 27, 2023

Panel Composition:

• 2 Panelists (1 Male, 1 Female)

Candidate: Alisha Kapoor

GE-PI Experience Details:

Panelist 1 (Male):

• Question 1:
• Scenario: What if Alisha Kapoor doesn’t get into SIMC? What if she doesn’t achieve her expectations in life or doesn’t secure admission in media and communication?
• Response: Alisha acknowledged potential disappointment but stressed the importance of learning from such experiences, personal development, and maintaining focus on her work.
• Question 2:
• Scenario: Would you consider taking a gap year? What are your backup plans, and what skills would you aim to acquire during a gap year?
• Response: Alisha highlighted the positive aspects of a gap year if utilized effectively. She outlined having a plan B, continuing her current work, exploring digital marketing, and concurrently preparing for exams like CAT.

Panelist 2 (Female):

• Question 1:
• Topic: Digital Marketing
• Question: What knowledge do you possess about digital marketing?
• Response: Alisha explained the three categories: inorganic, organic, and analytics. She delved into her current role, which involves content creation for social media engagement.
• Question 2:
• Topic: Specialization choice
• Question: Have you considered the specialization you want to pursue at SIMC?
• Response: Alisha expressed an inclination towards media management but mentioned some confusion between media management and brand communication.
• Question 3:
• Clarification: Why the confusion?
• Response: Alisha clarified her uncertainty, citing difficulty in understanding the syllabus and expressed a desire to choose her specialization with guidance after completing the initial semester.

Panelist 1 (Male):

• Question 1:
• Topic: Media Houses and Ad Agencies
• Question: Name some media houses.
• Response: Alisha mentioned Ogilvy initially but corrected herself, acknowledging it as an advertising agency.
• Question 2:
• Topic: Components in an Ad Agency
• Question: What are the components within an ad agency?
• Response: Alisha admitted uncertainty and offered a calculated guess involving design and content teams, execution and filming teams, and cost teams.
• Question 3:
• Topic: Future plans
• Question: Which department would you like to join within an ad agency?
• Response: Alisha expressed interest in the designing and creation team.

Panelist 2 (Male):

• Question 1:
• Topic: Social Media
• Question: How would your life be without social media? It seems your knowledge is primarily confined to social media.
• Response: Alisha clarified that her main reason for joining SIMC is to broaden her knowledge beyond social media. She conveyed that even without social media, she would still be associated with an advertising agency.
• Question 2:
• Topic: Career Plans
• Question: What if not SIMC? Why SIMC and this course?
• Response: Alisha discussed her communication skills, blog writing, and her current professional experiences.

Panelist 2 (Female):

• Question 1:
• Topic: Company Preferences
• Question: Which company do you follow the most? What do you like and dislike about it?
• Response: Alisha mentioned Zomato, appreciating its diverse ad campaigns and engagement strategies. She also mentioned disliking when campaigns become too extravagant.
• Question 2:
• Topic: Marketing Strategy
• Question: Isn’t going over the top irritating?
• Response: Alisha suggested that such an approach might be part of their marketing strategy to generate hype in the media.

Closing Remarks:

• The male panelist stressed the importance of resolving confusion between media management and brand communication.
• The female panelist wished Alisha good luck and advised her not to rush or panic.
• Alisha expressed gratitude, stating that the interview helped clear several misconceptions.

Key Takeaways:

1. The interview spanned various topics, including career goals, contingency plans, digital marketing, specialization preferences, understanding of media houses and ad agencies, and company preferences.
2. The candidate demonstrated resilience and a willingness to learn from potential setbacks.
3. Panelists provided guidance and encouraged the candidate to explore and clarify uncertainties.
4. The overall tone of the interview was positive and encouraging.