I had a reader who planned a call with me and forgot to attend the session. He was such a person of integrity that after he got admitted to a top school, he kept promoting F1GMAT to compensate for that 1 missed appointment. That is not the case for many applicants. Many assume that the interviewer can adapt to their flexible timing.
In an interview, always assume that the interviewer is taking time out – most likely an unpaid hour to interview you and see if you fit in with the school’s culture. The person has the power to make or break your future.
Follow the timekeeping strategy for these three scenarios:
1. Scheduling Process
Depending on the school, there are systems to reach out to the interviewer and schedule the interview. The challenge arises only when the interviewer is an alum. For most current students, as an interviewer, the scheduling runs smoothly. There are schools that share the information of the interviewer only a few days or even a few hours before the actual interview. Some have system-assigned time slots, while for many, you must negotiate the ideal time. Make sure that you follow the lead of the interviewer and don’t impose a preferred time unless you have an important meeting or milestone on the same day. Let the interviewer schedule or re-schedule. Politely oblige.
2. Answers – Short and Targeted
There are stereotypical characteristics of veterans. One is a group that doesn’t want to talk about the horrors, while the other will narrate stories and hearsay from a bomb that fell a mile away, often embellishing their heroics. One time, I heard an acquaintance’s father explain a beautiful and tragic story of defending a post. Later, I learned that he was a cook in the army who barely saw any action. So our BS meters are strong when we hear someone start with long-winded answers. Always – I mean always start with the question. Then, build context. One easy way to do that is to rephrase some part of the question in the answer itself – at least the first sentence.
3. Leading vs Manipulating
Leading a conversation towards your strengths is a delicate game. It can easily turn manipulative when the transition looks forced. Most interviewers have a fixed set of questions that they want to cover while asking follow-up questions only about interesting experiences. The follow-up questions are driven by the ‘details’ you capture in the answer.
Many emphasize certain experiences and look at the interviewer curiously to suggest, “Are you not going to ask me about that detail?”
The interviewer can see such strategies from a mile away. Better to keep the focus on the answer and include strategic information gaps. Not too wide that the interviewer doesn’t get it or not too obvious that they feel it is manipulation.
