The final stage of admission to the IIMs and other elite business schools is the personal interview. Despite months of preparation, no one can precisely foresee an interviewer’s questions. The personal interview aims to assess your interpersonal and communication abilities and learn about your goals and vision as an aspiring MBA candidate. This blog will walk you through some frequently-asked personal interview questions and themes in the B-school selection process.
The most important and inevitable question you require to answer is, “Tell me about yourself.” It will establish the interview’s tenor and tempo. Given that there are few situations in which you would have used your conduct research for the personal interview.
Learn as much as possible about the institution you are getting interviewed for. Delve deeper into the business you want to make a career in. By conducting a thorough study, you will maintain your confidence in this matter and be prepared to respond to any inquiries that may arise. Visit the organization’s or institute’s website and read the “About Us” section. Ask acquaintances who have attended the same school or worked for the same business what they think of the institution or company.
Personal interviews are primarily intended for two categories of candidates: Those with job experience and those without it.
Candidates with work experience are typically questioned on topics like responsibilities within the workplace, job description relationships with peers and bosses, accomplishments, innovations, and strategies they apply at work. There can be inquiries about career advancement plans, including short- and long-term objectives, knowledge about the industry and company’s target market, and competitors. In a nutshell, ensure you are detailed with your profile, your rivals, and the firm’s history if you have worked there.
Those with little or no work experience can anticipate questions from a more comprehensive range of subjects covered in college since they are yet to use their managerial abilities in many situations. Take your UG discipline courses very seriously, as the IIM interview panel will test your knowledge of geometry, basic number theory, introductory statistics, etc. The inevitable question is why you would like to pursue an MBA when you could acquire some work experience. Questions on current events, general knowledge enquiring about your opinions, and suggestions about how to change/improve the scenario are asked. There will be questions about your interests and hobbies. Only mention your hobbies if you are confident about them. For example, if you claim that viewing movies is your pass time, you should feel at ease discussing different movie genres, well-known filmmakers, and films.
Apart from this, a few hygiene pointers that a candidate should be mindful of are:
- Be Elaborative & open to communication
An interview shouldn’t look like a one-sided interrogation; it should be smooth communication between you and the interviewer. Cite relevant examples with every answer you give & ask questions.
- Keep your essential documents handy
It’s crucial to keep your essential documents like 10th, 12th & graduation mark sheets, etc.; the interviewer might want to ask you questions. Accordingly, ensure you’re thorough with the conceptual question/concepts from your bachelor’s as sometimes interviewers tend to grill the candidate on this.
- Follow the basic Interview etiquette.
Maintaining a formal dress code, being on time, etc., can fetch points. It would also leave a lasting impression on the interviewer.
- Mock Personal Interviews
It will give the best exposure to PIs for the CAT with various subjects and scenarios that will ensure you stand out during the event and ace it on D-Day.
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