How to write XLRI Essay Questions for the PGDM GM course?

If you are an MBA aspirant, then one of the most dynamic institutions that you can be a part of is Xavier’s Institute of Management. XLRI is among the leading business schools in India, which offers a variety of courses in business and management. Every year, lots of students apply for its Postgraduate Diploma in General Management program. The XLRI PGDM (GM) course has been designed to equip students with the essential managerial and leadership skills required to succeed in a competitive business environment. This diploma program not only aims to make you a proficient business leader but also a skilled professional with a deep sense of social responsibility.

It is an 18-month full-time residential program that comprises a 6-month field training in a functional area. Known for its rigorous curriculum, this program is taught by distinguished faculty members and industry experts and is popular for its promising placement record. If you are a working professional with a significant amount of work experience (minimum 3 years), then this program is most likely to provide you with a competitive edge that will enable your smooth transition to senior leadership roles across several industries. In addition to discussing the general admission requirements, the significance of the XLRI essay questions for the PGDM GM course, and how to prepare for them; this blog will also offer you sample answers to help you get started. If you need further assistance regarding writing an essay, you can look for the top professional essay writing services provided by companies such as Sop Pro.in. We have a team of the best professional essay writers who can help you out.

Admission Requirements for the XLRI PGDM (GM) Course

Due to limited seats and a vast number of applicants, there is an intense level of competition among students to seek admission to the XLRI PGDM (GM) course. If you wish to apply for the postgraduate diploma in General Management at XLRI, then you must have attained a recognized Bachelor’s degree of a minimum of 3 years in any discipline, along with at least 3 years of managerial/ supervisory experience. While filling out the application form for this program, you will be required to answer certain specific XLRI essay questions for the PGDM GM course. Apart from this, the general admission procedure for the course is as follows:

• You need to appear for the GMAT/GRE/XAT exam, and if you obtain the minimum qualifying marks in any of these exams, then you will be shortlisted for the next round of admissions.
• Shortlisted candidates will be called for an interview, which comprises multiple rounds. This is done to assess your personality and to determine whether you are a perfect candidate for the program. 
• Upon selection, you will be informed via an email, containing your offer letter for the XLRI-PGDM (GM) course.

Importance of the XLRI Essay Questions for the PGDM- GM Course

The essay questions are a critical component of the admissions process at XLRI. They help the admissions committee to evaluate your thought process, values, and insights regarding the program. These questions are related to your personal experience and growth, ethical, and social responsibility, and your leadership qualities. Let us see why the essay questions are of much importance:

• It gives you a chance to show how prepared you are for the XLRI PGDM (GM) course. Through the essay questions, you can show that you are aware of the latest developments in your field of study.
• Since this program has been designed to broaden your perspective on business practices globally, XLRI essay questions for the PGDM GM course serve as a medium through which you can display your way of addressing contemporary business issues and societal concerns. It presents you with an opportunity to discuss the ways you approach a specific problem and come up with effective solutions to mitigate it.
• It explains how your core values and principles align with those of XLRI when it comes to social leadership, empathy, and social responsibility. For instance, there might be certain questions that aim to gain insight into your ethical viewpoints. 
• You can demonstrate your communication skills, which are highly valued in a competitive professional setup, where you need to form a lot of essential business networks. 
• It allows you to self-reflect upon yourself, and bring your critical thinking, reasoning, and analytical skills into the picture. You get to share your personal stories, experiences, and what motivated you to pursue this program.

Sample Answers for XLRI PGDM (GM) Essay Questions

Now that you are aware of the importance of essay questions for the XLRI PGDM (GM) program, and how to answer these questions properly, let us get to see what kind of essay questions you will be required to answer while applying. To help you out, we have provided sample answers for the XLRI essay questions for the PGDM GM course, that you can have a look at. 

1. Please describe your current responsibilities, including your level in the organization. Kindly limit your response to a maximum of 250 words. 

Currently, I am working as a Senior Social Media Executive at Astra Vision Pvt. Ltd. I have completed 5 years in this firm, wherein as a part of my job profile I was assigned numerous roles and responsibilities. My primary responsibility is to work on enhancing the social media strategy of the company through various social media platforms, like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. My daily routine involves creating new content that connects with the youth, for which I need to interact with various youth influencers and personalities, from all fields of work. Apart from this, our company has partnered with a regional NGO named “Nari Shakti”, which works on women’s empowerment. As a part of this initiative, I have to visit the NGO and organize workshops that focus on social media literacy. For this, along with a group of volunteers, I teach rural women how to create content and effectively use social media. In addition to this, our company supports women entrepreneurs, for which we have designed an app called “Stree Can”. My role involves researching various upcoming women entrepreneurs across India, and reaching out to them so that we can feature them on our app, wherein they can share their success stories. In addition to this, along with my team, we help these women develop effective marketing strategies that can increase their customer base. Overall my primary responsibility is to work on the company’s social media strategies in a way to amplify the brand’s reach.

2. ⁠Please elucidate your objectives and aspirations in connection with your participation in this program. Additionally, elaborate on the valuable insights, skills, and expertise you believe you can contribute to the learning experience of fellow participants. Kindly limit your response to a maximum of 250 words. 

If given a chance to be a part of the XLRI PGDM GM course, I wish to develop my strategic decision-making and leadership skills. The institution offers a holistic and immersive learning experience. The program’s curriculum has been designed in a way that aligns with my current set of skills, interests, and career aspirations. In the future, I wish to work in the realm of women’s entrepreneurship, and I believe that I am most likely to benefit from the institution’s vision for making capable leaders with a deep sense of social responsibility. This course will be instrumental in enriching my knowledge base about the current business realm. This program will help me know further about the effective use of data in a business context, financial risk management, and how to maintain ethical standards while operating a business. All these are essential components that alleviate any kind of business, especially when it comes to supporting women-led ventures. My professional background as a Social media Executive will help me contribute to the institution’s social media reach, for which I wish to assist the institution in developing effective media campaigns. This will allow me to develop a collaborative mindset among my peers so that we can collectively work for the institution’s betterment. Apart from this, I look forward to interacting with my peers and teachers from diverse backgrounds and helping them work on their strengths and weaknesses, as I believe that everyone should be valued and allowed to develop to their fullest potential. 

3. Drawing from your recent work experience, kindly highlight your top three accomplishments from the past three years. Additionally, provide an explanation for why you regard these achievements as the most significant in your career. Kindly limit your response to a maximum of 250 words. 

In my 3 years of experience as a Senior Social Media Executive, I have had my share of ups and downs. When it comes to discussing my professional accomplishments, I would like to say that during my 3rd year at Astra Vision Pvt. Ltd., I was made the Project Head for one of our projects that was about women’s safety. For this, I was sent to one of our company’s branches in Seoul for a year, where I had to work on enhancing the company’s social media presence in South Korea;  and received recognition for my contributions in the form of an award. I joined the company as a Junior Social Media Executive and was soon promoted to Senior Social Media Executive, within 2 years. I am grateful that my work received the due recognition of my seniors and peers in the company. This built my confidence and fuelled my passion to work even harder to help my company reach heights. In addition, I was also awarded the “BEST EMPLOYEE” award last year, on our company’s foundation day. I was given this award, as I was the only employee within our organization, who had been able to get the maximum clients registered with us for their social media branding. This was the first time that I was given an award in my professional career, which is why this award holds a special place in my heart. All my professional accomplishments have motivated me to put in my best efforts. 

4. ⁠Please share the most challenging/difficult situation you faced at your previous workplace(s). How did you handle it? What did you learn from that situation? Kindly limit your response to a maximum of 250 words. 

One of the most challenging situations that I had to face in my professional life, was when I was appointed as an intern in the previous company that I worked for which was Sunshine Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. I was given the task of surveying the use of social media among people living in slums. For this, I had to visit the nearby slums and interview people about what purposes they use social media. I had gathered all the data and essential information regarding the survey. Since there were many slums that I had to visit, I faced issues while compiling the huge amount of data. This was the first time that I had to conduct a survey that had a vast amount of information. At first, I was quite tense as the deadline was approaching. However, I calmed myself down and told our project head about this issue, and asked her if I could take help from one of the company’s data analysts for compiling the data. Once she approved and granted me permission, I asked one of the company’s data analysts, and with his support, I was able to finally compile all of the data. Finally, I was able to complete the task assigned to me, and my seniors were very much impressed with the work that I had done. This situation made me realize the importance of being more systematic and organized, the value of teamwork, assembling all the essential information, and getting the required help for it in advance, to avoid any last-minute hassles.

5. Please share one mistake from your work experience which really troubled you. Explain why did it happen? What did you learn from that mistake? Kindly limit your response to a maximum of 250 words. 

During the first month when I started as a Junior Social Media Executive at Astra Vision Pvt. Ltd., I was assigned the task of making a promotional video about women health workers, that I had to post on our company’s social media handles. However, when I posted the video, there was a major cultural event happening, and the post did not resonate well with the audience, and we received a lot of negative feedback. This happened because I did not thoroughly research accordingly and take into consideration the timing, and cultural context of our target audience. I should have taken into account other external factors as well, and should not have focused only on marketing. Even though no strict action was taken against me, I was given a warning so that I wouldn’t end up making such a mistake again. This experience taught me the importance of engaging with our target audience and keeping in mind their needs, and sentiments. To avoid making such a mistake again, I cross-check the important dates, cultural events, and festivities before posting any promotional content for the company. From this experience, I learned to be careful about the scheduling and timing of our company’s social media posts, and to have a more empathetic and mindful approach to content creation and scheduling, so that I do not make such mistakes in the future.

Points to Remember while Writing the XLRI Essay for the PGDM (GM) Course

By reading the sample answers above, that we have provided for the XLRI essay questions for the PGDM (GM) course, we hope you have a basic understanding of how to frame your answers. However, to help you write in a better way, here are some points that you should keep in mind while writing the Essay for the XLRI PGDM (GM) course.

• Before you get down to writing, ensure that you go through the essay questions properly, and understand what you have to answer in a specific prompt. You should answer the question directly, by giving a proper explanation, rather than a vague, and generic answer.
• While writing about a personal experience, don’t just narrate the incident, but also talk about how you faced the situation, and what you got to learn from the experience. Remember, that the admissions committee is looking for authenticity, so you need to share your original thoughts, ideas, and perspectives.
• You should keep a proper flow, and write as per the prescribed format and guidelines so that it becomes easier for the reader to understand. Have a proper introduction, put forth your viewpoints and arguments in a logical manner, summarize what you have discussed, and write about what you learned from a particular incident.
• Please make sure that when writing about experiences, you also underline your skills, qualities, and interests, as that brings out your caliber and potential for the program. This way, the admissions committee will be able to assess your worth for being a part of their institution. 
• You can include site examples, related to the incident you are talking about to make the essay an interesting read. This will help you present your information in a much better way and make you distinct from other students applying for the XLRI PGDM (GM) course.
• Do not write unnecessary details that are not related to the question that you have been asked to answer. Provide clear, and concise answers to the essay questions. Also, ensure that you maintain a polite tone while answering, and don’t use any foul language. 
• Before you submit the answers, go through what you have written to avoid any grammatical mistakes. A well-written essay demonstrates that you have good communication skills, and pay attention to the details. 

Conclusion

The XLRI PGDM (GM) course is quite popular, as it is a perfect blend of theoretical and practical learning of business principles. This course teaches you about the essential managerial and leadership skills that will make you a capable business leader with a deep sense of social responsibility. However, due to limited seats and a large number of applicants, getting admission to this program is quite difficult. While applying for the program, you need to write an essay. The XLRI Essay Questions for the PGDM (GM) course have been designed to assess your communication skills, understand your values, and determine your potential for the institution. The essay questions present you with an opportunity to self-reflect on your ideas and thoughts about the program and to talk about your skills, qualities, interests, and qualities in a way that makes you distinct from the other applicants. 

Writing an essay requires you to be clear, and concise, have clarity of thought, and stick to the prescribed format and guidelines. However, if you feel that you require more guidance regarding the writing of an essay, you should look for the best essay writing services. We, at Sop Pro.in have a team of professional essay writers, who are well-versed in writing essays for various Business schools and universities worldwide. We can help you draft a well-written essay once you have given us the basic information about yourself, academic and professional details, and also the XLRI PGDM (GM) course that you wish to apply. Therefore, do not hesitate to ask us in case of any query that comes to your mind about essay writing.

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