Folks,
Based on what we are hearing from our clients who are interviewing at HBS, Stanford, Wharton, Ross, Duke, Booth, Kellogg, LBS, etc., some new interview tips for you.
Before you go, a few reminders to be prepared...
- To speak to each experience on your resume in detail, if asked to, and don't be caught by surprise when asked to deep dive on a extra curricular hidden away at the bottom of your resume
- To introspect and explain what your REAL weaknesses are when asked - 7 of 10 people say they "over commit" and are "perfectionists"
- For a probing / not so casual interview, especially if you are interviewing with Ad Com at any school
- To discuss why you chose the academic track that you did or the undergraduate university that you did
- To discuss why you switched careers or companies if you did
- To explain your short term and long term goals in the context of your experiences
- To explain a major accomplishment in any specific role
- To discuss behavioral situations that applied in various professional and community experiences - e.g., tell me about a time when you faced conflict in company xyz
Hope this helps!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
HBS Interview Experience and Tips
Over the last few weeks, a number of you wrote to us asking if the HBS alum could post a blog on the HBS interview experience so here it is...
"The HBS interview is not the Wharton interview - don't go in expecting a casual conversation that you can drive. Go in expecting an interview that will be driven mostly by the interviewer. Expect them to be taking notes and assessing you during the interview. Expect a few tough questions - also, expect that you will get almost no encouragement from the interviewer while you are speaking. Of course, it could turn out that your experience is much more casual than this, but we would encourage you to go in expecting this.
The interviewer will know you, your profile, your essays and your resume before you even step in to the room. They will look to see if they hear the same person that they read about - so be sure to stay authentic and true to the voice that you reflected in your application.
There could be one or maybe more deep dives into your resume - be prepared with at least a few snippets or phrases that you want to cover when a question like this comes up for any of the experiences you have on your resume. Same with questions about your undergraduate education. Expect a few behavioral questions too.
HBS interviewers are either AdCom or a few select alumni so they are experts are doing this (vs. interviewing with students at some other schools). Walk in confident, but not arrogant, and describe your experiences with humility. Show your personal side and give the interviewer something to remember you by when they are done at the end of the day.
Don't forget to Practice, Practice, Practice - webcam, mirror, mock interview with family / friends (and us!). Good luck!"
To do a mock interview with a HBS alum, send us your preferred time slots (EST) in an email at essaycritique@gmail.com
"The HBS interview is not the Wharton interview - don't go in expecting a casual conversation that you can drive. Go in expecting an interview that will be driven mostly by the interviewer. Expect them to be taking notes and assessing you during the interview. Expect a few tough questions - also, expect that you will get almost no encouragement from the interviewer while you are speaking. Of course, it could turn out that your experience is much more casual than this, but we would encourage you to go in expecting this.
The interviewer will know you, your profile, your essays and your resume before you even step in to the room. They will look to see if they hear the same person that they read about - so be sure to stay authentic and true to the voice that you reflected in your application.
There could be one or maybe more deep dives into your resume - be prepared with at least a few snippets or phrases that you want to cover when a question like this comes up for any of the experiences you have on your resume. Same with questions about your undergraduate education. Expect a few behavioral questions too.
HBS interviewers are either AdCom or a few select alumni so they are experts are doing this (vs. interviewing with students at some other schools). Walk in confident, but not arrogant, and describe your experiences with humility. Show your personal side and give the interviewer something to remember you by when they are done at the end of the day.
Don't forget to Practice, Practice, Practice - webcam, mirror, mock interview with family / friends (and us!). Good luck!"
To do a mock interview with a HBS alum, send us your preferred time slots (EST) in an email at essaycritique@gmail.com
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wharton Interview Tips
A few tips and guidance from our reviewers, two of whom interviewed successfully at Wharton:
"First, let me clarify - at Wharton, unlike other schools, the interview won't keep you out of the school. However, it is obviously one of the many things that counts towards the strength of your application and can come down on either the "Yes" or "No" side of your decision heavily. So it's key to be prepared.
The style is almost always conversational - regardless of who you interview with. Your answers to the 'script questions' should be authentic, well thought out and prepared - Why Wharton, Why MBA, Why Now, ST / LT Goals, Walk through your resume, etc. Prepare these in front of a mirror / webcam - you have no idea useful this can be! Even better, do a mock interview with us or with someone else.
For the behavioral / leadership / teamwork questions, have a few thoughts in your mind that you can pull out and use if the opportunity presents itself. Know yourself, know the school, know your story. Be friendly, humble and project your accomplishments without coming off as arrogant. Body language is important!"
To do a mock interview with a Wharton alum, send us your preferred time slots (EST) in an email at essaycritique@gmail.com. To get our blog discount, mention WHDISC in your email.
"First, let me clarify - at Wharton, unlike other schools, the interview won't keep you out of the school. However, it is obviously one of the many things that counts towards the strength of your application and can come down on either the "Yes" or "No" side of your decision heavily. So it's key to be prepared.
The style is almost always conversational - regardless of who you interview with. Your answers to the 'script questions' should be authentic, well thought out and prepared - Why Wharton, Why MBA, Why Now, ST / LT Goals, Walk through your resume, etc. Prepare these in front of a mirror / webcam - you have no idea useful this can be! Even better, do a mock interview with us or with someone else.
For the behavioral / leadership / teamwork questions, have a few thoughts in your mind that you can pull out and use if the opportunity presents itself. Know yourself, know the school, know your story. Be friendly, humble and project your accomplishments without coming off as arrogant. Body language is important!"
To do a mock interview with a Wharton alum, send us your preferred time slots (EST) in an email at essaycritique@gmail.com. To get our blog discount, mention WHDISC in your email.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Ross Interview Guidance
As the interview invites start to roll for Ross Round 2, here are some useful tips from one of our reviewers who successfully interviewed at Ross:
"The great thing about interviewing at Ross is that there are a few questions you absolutely know you will be asked. Be fully prepared to answer:
- Walk me through your resume / background
- Why MBA? Why Now?
- Why Ross (being prepared for this is critical)
- What will you bring to Ross?
Besides these questions, you will be asked a couple of behavioral questions - describe a team experience, challenge you have faced, mistake you made, failure, confrontational situation, disagreement with a colleague, etc.
Quite frankly, the answer to the "core" questions above are very important and you should spend the majority of your time practicing and re-practicing those answers so that you know clearly what your story is and how you are going to communicate it.
There is a fine line between communicating your story and sounding arrogant so be careful not to cross it. Also, you should have a clear idea of what you will be involved in when you get to Ross and how. "
Between the hours of 7 - 10 pm EST, our reviewers are now conducting thirty minute mock interviews. Mention ROSSDISC when you contact us and get a discount for reading this blog!
"The great thing about interviewing at Ross is that there are a few questions you absolutely know you will be asked. Be fully prepared to answer:
- Walk me through your resume / background
- Why MBA? Why Now?
- Why Ross (being prepared for this is critical)
- What will you bring to Ross?
Besides these questions, you will be asked a couple of behavioral questions - describe a team experience, challenge you have faced, mistake you made, failure, confrontational situation, disagreement with a colleague, etc.
Quite frankly, the answer to the "core" questions above are very important and you should spend the majority of your time practicing and re-practicing those answers so that you know clearly what your story is and how you are going to communicate it.
There is a fine line between communicating your story and sounding arrogant so be careful not to cross it. Also, you should have a clear idea of what you will be involved in when you get to Ross and how. "
Between the hours of 7 - 10 pm EST, our reviewers are now conducting thirty minute mock interviews. Mention ROSSDISC when you contact us and get a discount for reading this blog!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Mock Interviews by H / S / W Alums
Starting Monday, January 18th, our four reviewers will conduct mock interviews between the hours of 5 - 11 pm Eastern Time on weekdays and for a few hours on the weekends.
The thirty minute interviews will be conducted via phone or webcam and reviewers will provide a detailed analysis of your responses and your body language / non-verbal communication right after the interview. If these timings don't work for you (or if you don't want a live interview), we are also offering an analysis of a recorded interview.
Interviews will tailored to the school that you are interviewing at and feedback will be provided based on the school's requirements.
Why do a mock interview?
You've gotten this far, so don't stumble now. Practicing is the key to successful interviewing - and what better way to do this than with people who've been in your shoes not too long ago? The feedback you get will be detailed and will include suggestions for improving your verbal and non-verbal communication.
Interested? Send us your details and preferred time slots at essaycritique@gmail.com
The thirty minute interviews will be conducted via phone or webcam and reviewers will provide a detailed analysis of your responses and your body language / non-verbal communication right after the interview. If these timings don't work for you (or if you don't want a live interview), we are also offering an analysis of a recorded interview.
Interviews will tailored to the school that you are interviewing at and feedback will be provided based on the school's requirements.
Why do a mock interview?
You've gotten this far, so don't stumble now. Practicing is the key to successful interviewing - and what better way to do this than with people who've been in your shoes not too long ago? The feedback you get will be detailed and will include suggestions for improving your verbal and non-verbal communication.
Interested? Send us your details and preferred time slots at essaycritique@gmail.com
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
HBS Essay - Career Vision
A number of you have written with questions about HBS and it's "Career Vision / Why is it meaningful to you" essay. We realize this is a hard question so here are some guidelines you can follow -
"To describe your career vision, think long term - it is important to articulate to HBS AdCom where you see yourself over the long term. In many essays that we read, this career vision seems unrelated to your past experiences - and while it is alright to want to make a career change, it is equally important to highlight why this career change is your career vision e.g., if you are in Technology and describe your career vision as a leader in the Microfinance sector, it is critical to highlight how this became your goal.
To describe why this vision is meaningful to you, you can concisely describe past personal or professional experiences that make this vision relevant. Especially if your vision is a "popular" MBA vision (e.g., entrepreneurship), try to highlight why this is different for you by using this "meaningfulness" criteria.
We also see a number of applicants try to force fit the "Why HBS" angle into this answer. It is alright to include this component if it makes sense in the context of your essay and story, but not required - do not force fit it if it means compromising other parts of the essay"
"To describe your career vision, think long term - it is important to articulate to HBS AdCom where you see yourself over the long term. In many essays that we read, this career vision seems unrelated to your past experiences - and while it is alright to want to make a career change, it is equally important to highlight why this career change is your career vision e.g., if you are in Technology and describe your career vision as a leader in the Microfinance sector, it is critical to highlight how this became your goal.
To describe why this vision is meaningful to you, you can concisely describe past personal or professional experiences that make this vision relevant. Especially if your vision is a "popular" MBA vision (e.g., entrepreneurship), try to highlight why this is different for you by using this "meaningfulness" criteria.
We also see a number of applicants try to force fit the "Why HBS" angle into this answer. It is alright to include this component if it makes sense in the context of your essay and story, but not required - do not force fit it if it means compromising other parts of the essay"
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