Cheat-Sheet to ADPR GD & PI

Devica Joshi is an alumnus of Advertising and Public Relations batch of 2013-2014. After graduating from Delhi University in Mass Communications, her keen interest in Public Relations got her to IIMC. Currently Devica Joshi is placed in 20:20 MSL as a Management trainee through campus placement.

Exactly a year back…

I get a call from a friend who informs me that IIMC’s results for GD/PI are out. My heart skips a beat as I hastily sit in front of the computer to check whether I qualified or not. I open iimc.nic.in nervously. Go to the result page. Type CTRL+F and my roll number. Voila! I am there! I could not contain my happiness while informing my parents about the same.

Exactly a minute later, I opened the admission counselling blog (yeah, this blog) and read all the helpful articles regarding GD/PI. Those articles helped me a great deal and I hope I will be able to do the same for you. After all, I know how it feels 

Congratulations for making it to the GD/PI

After you qualify the written exam, you are shortlisted for sitting in the Group Discussion and Personal Interview round.

Please note that GD and PI are not mutually exclusive and will happen on the same day.

Group discussion will be taken by senior advertising, marketing and PR professionals. The topic can be related to Current Affairs or could be an abstract topic. The topic for my batch last year was ‘Aadhaar card’ while the other batch had ‘Full stop’ as their topic. Make sure to express yourself clearly, take a stand and substantiate yourself. Your inputs could be factual or creative. So if you don’t know about the topic, first listen to others who do and get your creative streak on! Do not interrupt others, don’t shout or try to dominate. Remember, they are not only testing your articulation but also observing you as team player.

Personal Interview is a very scary stage for many, however this need not be. In your personal interview, the panel wants to know about your personality. Your academic records don’t really matter, so chill if you don’t have great scores. The questions could be based on your performance in the GD, your resume or your interests and hobbies. It is about you. Honesty is the best policy here. Be prepared for frequently asked questions like Why advertising or PR? Why do you think you are suitable for this profession? Which campaigns do you like and why? How would you have done xyz campaign differently?

Creative people... don’t forget to take your portfolio with you and show them your work. The portfolio could have your writing (poems, essays, shorts stories), pictures you clicked or edited, layouts you made for your college/school magazines or even a short film you made.

You should dress in Indian or western formals (yes even if you are a devil-may-care kind of a creative). This not only makes you look presentable but also shows that you are a serious candidate.

Lastly, take a deep breath and keep calm. You will get through if you are good.