MBA Admissions Interview

I did my homework, researched about the Admission Manager, listened to his tunes, and finally made a pre-interview call. The Admission Manager, who was a part-time music director, wasn't interested in the call. I wasn't completely sold on featuring the MBA program in F1GMAT either since the school didn't publish post-MBA salary. The 15-minute call was one of the most awkward conversations I ever had. Mind you - I have been interviewing for 8 years.

I wasn't motivated. My research was peripheral - learning about the hobbies of the person I was interviewing instead of creating a conversation plan. Don’t make the mistakes I made. Follow these 5-conversation plans before the interview:

1) Be Ready with talking Points

Most admission team specifically mentions that the interview is about evaluating your candidacy, and expects the admission officer/alumnus to lead the conversation. I agree. Don’t interrupt or dominate the conversation, but the most awkward part of most conversations is the starting phase. I was prepared to talk about the admission manager’s passion – music, but felt that it would look forced. I waited till the ‘serious’ talk ended. The hesitancy altered the tone of the conversation. It was like one of the blind dates set up by parents. Both didn’t want to be there. Now it is an obligation.

Related:...

Business Schools might have obsessively evaluated your motivation to do an MBA, but don’t forget schools, and admissions team have motivations too. Selecting the best candidate is a goal not the motivation behind the evaluation. When an MBA Admission Interviewer - an Alumnus, takes time away from their schedule to meet you and discuss your plans, they are not getting paid by the hour as a consultant. For a member of the MBA Admission team, the interaction is much more focused. They cannot give excuses like “I was busy last week”. It’s their job.

The Clock Watcher

When candidate Y shook hands with the interviewer – an alumnus, the meeting had finally happened, after three rescheduling. Past two appointments were cancelled at the last minute, and Y was even considering calling up the Admissions team, but better sense prevailed. When rescheduling happens more than 2-times, you can be sure that the interviewer is a Clock Watcher, a fake busy body or genuinely overwhelmed consultant – you will never know, but the phone will be on silent not switched off, and between conversation, he will check for messages at least two or three times. As an interviewee - this can be demotivating,...

F1GMAT: How can we prevent nerves from affecting our performance in the interview?

ZoomInterviews: There’s no substitute for preparation when it comes to feeling more relaxed and comfortable in the interview.  Many applicants underestimate how much preparation it actually takes to have polished and compelling answers.  When you feel confident in your answers, this helps to lower your nervousness.  Another reason applicants get a case of the nerves before and during the interview is because there are elements of the interview that they can’t prepare for.  Even if they have done their research and prepared their questions, there is always an element of uncertainty around how the interview will actually be, as well as the level of sophistication and professional polish that needs to be brought into the interview.  This is where actually seeing current MBAs give examples of effective answers and/or working with a professional interview coach that specializes in the...

We caught up with ZoomInterviews and asked them about the Do's and Don'ts for MBA admission interviews. We also asked them about the importance of a good handshake. They have some valuable advice for all you MBA hopefuls. Here is the transcript.

F1GMAT: As in any other interviews, preparation is very important for MBA admission interviews. What are some of the pointers that an interviewee has to keep in mind before attending the interview?

ZoomInterviews:

Do’s

...

F1GMAT:  During the interview process what are the Dos and Don’ts that a candidate has to keep in mind?

ZoomInterviews:

Do’s

1. Make a connection between your career goals and what the school can offer you; explain to the interviewer why attending b-school, especially this one, is the next best step in your career.

2. Be able to convey your key message(s) for each answer in about 1 to 2 minutes maximum. If the interviewer wants to hear more details, they can ask a follow-up question.

3. Express your excitement for the ways you would like to contribute to the school through the various activities, student groups and individual initiatives you want to pursue.

Don’ts

1. Don’t try too hard to impress the interviewer.  They meet with amazingly qualified candidates year after year.  Be confident in your accomplishments to date, but most importantly, be yourself and show a humility as you...