After acing the CAT, crafting your essays, and tightening your resume, it’s time to start prepping for your personal interviews at top B-schools.
Does the thought of facing a B-school interview make you nervous?
In the recent past, many B-schools in India have replaced Group Discussion with a Writing Ability Test. They’ve added other components like Case Discussion or Group Exercise in their final rounds of selection. However, the Personal Interview is something that has stayed intact.
The following tips can help you to ace your Personal Interview at the top B-schools in India.
- Know The Answers To Sureshot Questions
There are a few questions that you must have ready answers for. Questions like ‘why MBA’, ‘what do you plan to do after MBA’, ‘your experience and how it’s relevant to your MBA plan’, ‘why this institute’ are usually asked in all B-schools and you need answer these confidently.
Interviewers may also grill you on your academic knowledge. They can also ask core questions related to your past experience. They can ask you questions on subjects you studied during your graduation or post-graduation. Ensure that you have answers to tough questions you might face regarding a career change decision that you made. They can ask why you thought this is the right time for you do an MBA, and other questions like this.
There might be questions on general knowledge and current issues too. Interviewers can also ask you about your interests and hobbies.
When you’re sitting in front of the interviewers, even the simplest of questions can seem difficult. Having the answers already in mind can help a lot in these cases.
- Prepare Well
While it’s important to answer questions correctly, it’s even more important to give natural and informative answers. Review your application thoroughly for this.
Reflect on five key pieces of information that you want to touch on in your personal interview. When the interview is being conducted, maintain a mental checklist and keep ticking off the points as you make them.
Ensure you prepare for this ahead of time, so that you don’t regret forgetting something important that you wanted your interviewers to know. You’ll want to be ready even if it doesn’t necessarily come up during the question and answer session.
If you’re prepared, you’ll naturally feel confident which takes us to our next tip.
- Look Confident
The key to success lies in answering questions confidently. Your body language and posture should reflect confidence during your interview. It’s common for interviewers to cross-examine candidates, even when they’re answering correctly. This is done to check their confidence in what they’re saying.
You can only be confident when you have the answers ready in your mind and you know they’re right.
- Be Honest
It’s easy for the interviewers to figure out whether you’re giving answers or dictating lines from your essay. They’ve been doing this for many years and can easily figure it out.
Integrity is one thing you’ll be tested for during your business school Personal Interview. You should be able to justify everything you say and prove why you think it’s right. Sometimes, it’s not about being right or wrong, but about how your present your thoughts.
If you don’t know the answer to any question, skip it. They’ll appreciate honesty more than you trying to look impressive.
The interview is a two-way process. Remember to ask questions about the program or anything else that you want to know about the school. Stay positive and don’t forget the basics.
Also Read: Find Out Your Higher Education Options After CAT Score