Met a pure soul in my XL interview

You can take it up as a transcript if you want — I am putting it out as a request to the universe.

So in the beginning reached my centre half an hour early, roaming around the waiting lounge as more and more people started coming up. Honestly, I was quite nervous, this was my best chance at a tier 1 so didn't notice her or anyone for the matter of fact.

Then came the GD call up. We were escorted from the waiting lounge on ground floor to 3rd floor where in a random suite everyone was made to sit on a circular pattern on chairs — pretty compact setting I must say, because firstly before this I had only attended online GDs so had no idea that I would have been sitting this close to each other in a real GD setting.

Transcript worthy part : Our GD topic was "Cybersecurity is the most dangerous hidden threat to businesses" something on these lines only, can't recollect exactly Members - 7 Duration - 2 minutes thinking time, 15 minutes discussion. Made 3 entries, GD actually felt like a discussion as I feel nobody had too many great points to add in so everyone was able to discuss and build upon the points together.

Coming back to her. I had literally went blank for the first 2 minutes of the GD. Had created points but people mentioned those before I could speak. The more people jumping upon the band wagon to speak the more restless I would get inside & at this point she made an entry with a gentle smile and made eye contact with me (we were sitting diametrically opposite to each other but she could have seen other 2 as well who were also sitting opposite to her just like me). She completed her point looking at me and it felt like she was hinting me to try and speak up and at that moment I gained all my courage tried and was able to put across my first point to which she was attentive to, nodding and at the end also smiled and kind said that yeah I have also seen that sort appreciating me like it was a great point.

In that moment, I swear to god guys, she literally saved me because after that I truly regained my confidence and made further more entries in to the GD which really felt like a conversation.

She definitely as anybody could guess had aced the GD. Poised, calm and composed through out and was able to make quite succinct points.

After that we were sent back to the waiting area except the first 2 and then we were called one by one for interview. I was 3rd in the group so didn't get much time to talk to her but I did congratulate her for acing the GD.

The interview I can say was very niche related to my particular domain so I don't think discussing that will help anyone here much. All I can say is that there was TMAY, they asked questions according to their moods. There were 3 panelist all male— superchill sir, super analytical grill master & the one balancing both out. I was asked to literally associate my niche with MBA, my college topics and my workex too. So I could say that the questions were mostly correlated to 2 different domains of my life and I was tasked to combine the 2 and suggest an outcome. I am not very sure how it went but it lasted around 20 min.

When I came back, I saw her and another "fellow panelist"😅, both talking together. So, I interjected asking if they knew each other. They told both had met prior to this during their IIM Ahmedabad interview and later came to know that their XL interviews were also coinciding. Then We 3 hit it off quite naturally, and I came to know that these 2 were basically prodigies giving interviews across A, B & C and I was the low life basking in their glory.

She was really welcoming and easy to talk to so much so that I jokingly asked her to ask for some mentos for all of us as none of those panelists offered us any candy and guess what she actually asked them to let her take a few at the end of the interview and got some for all of us.

Guys, I don't remember her face (or anyone else's from yesterday's interview) as I was so nervous but this experience will stay with me for the rest of my life. I was literally charmed by her composure & personality

I don't know whether I will be able to crack XLRI after yesterday's performance but if there is a god I truly pray our paths would cross each other once more and I get the opportunity to befriend such good people🙏🏻.