I am a bsc(pcm) graduate from an ordinary college with not so much practical exposure. I have applied for cat 2018.

Hi Aditya,

Your academic scores tell that you've been quite good at your studies. So, you are good to go for CAT exam. The exam is less than 3 months away. So, keep practising mock test papers regularly and keep analysing your performance to do well in the actual exam. Here is everything you need to prepare for CAT exam - All CAT Preparation Tips

As far as job interview or personal interview is concerned, it's nothing but the conversation. And being introvert doesn't mean that you cannot talk. An interview is just about talking, having a conversation with the interview panel, and telling what you know in a confident manner.

First thing you need is self-confidence and second knowledge of the English language. To practice, you can take help of your friends and family members. Start reading newspapers, journals, books to get general knowledge and to improve your language skills. Try talking with your friends in English. It will boost your confidence. Practise mock interviews with your friends.

Hope that's helpful. All the best.

Hi Aditya.

Your question reminded me of the similar kinds of problems and dilemmas I faced a few months back, during my preparation days. My academics are almost like yours, which proved quite advantageous, as I managed to get calls from good institutes even on a decent, not so great CAT percentile. My diversity factor (academic and gender) helped me as well.

Apart from all these advantages, I was not able to convert the best calls I had. The reason being my shy and introvert nature, lack of any practical experience (internship or job), and a relatively low general awareness about diverse topics (topics apart from my core subjects).

Almost the same situation as yours, right? I am not telling you all this to demotivate you, but to warn you to not make the same mistakes that I did. I left it all up until the very last moment. I thought it's better to concentrate on CAT first, and on the subsequent stages. But trust me, I couldn't be more sorry for what I did. You need to start working on these things as early as possible, because these aren't things that you can develop overnight by reading a couple of articles and watching a few youtube tutorials. It's a continuous process. The earlier you start, the better you will be.

Carry on with your CAT preparation. But, maybe in your spare time, try to read an article or watch a TEDx video or anything that might prove helpful some day. Connect to people on social platforms like quora and talk to them, try to get their perspective on things, get to know how they manage to interact confidently with strangers and how they tackle tricky situations. Dedicate half an hour daily for things like these, and you'll surely see an improvement.

All the best for your journey ahead!

Pragya (IIM Jammu PGP 2018-20)