How An Mba Should Prepare For An Interview?

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Passing the MBA with the highest possible marks with the help of best teachers for CAT preparation is only half the battle. The real battle awaits you in the interview round, which can be quite daunting for many of you. Again, it is perfectly normal to be nervous before the interview. After all, this is the stage that will determine your future.

There is nothing to be concerned about in terms of the interview. All you need to do is be strategically ready for it. Your next question would be, "How?" So, here is how an MBA candidate should prepare for an interview.
Let us start with the beginning.

Admission Process For An MBA/PGDM
As previously stated, clearing the entrance is only the beginning; the real battle begins after that. Every MBA candidate wishes to be admitted to the best business school. And to do so, the candidate must perform admirably in the group discussion and personal interview rounds, as well as achieve a high score on the MBA entrance exam.

As a result, the candidate must pass three stages in order to be admitted to the MBA program.

1. MBA entrance exam
2. The ...
... Group Discussion (GD) Round
3. Personal Interview(PI) Round

The personal interview round is the most difficult of the three. And in this blog, we'll go over how to prepare for your MBA interview round.

Best Tips To Ace Your MBA Admission Personal Interview
The first and most important tip for passing the MBA interview is to be confident at all times. The purpose of the personal interview is to assess the candidate's confidence, presence of mind, communication skills, stress management, leadership skills, team skills, clarity of thought, learning skills, adaptability qualities, task orientation, future goals, and so on.

In short, it all comes down to you and your personality.

5 Essential Tips to Succeed in MBA Interview

#Tip 1 – Work On Your Personality:
In a personal interview round, the interview panel usually consists of 2-3 experts, and the first thing they judge is the personality. As a result, you must be flawless. Some of the parameters on which you will be evaluated include:

* Body language (that includes how you walk, talk and sit)
* Personality – (your dressing sense and overall appearance)
* What are your future goals
* Is your thought process clear
* How well do you know general knowledge and awareness?
* How knowledgeable you are about your field.
* Take care of all of the aforementioned points and consider the first hurdle overcome.

#Tip 2 – First Impression Is The Last:
You've probably heard from your personal tutors for CAT preparation that the first impression is the most important, so make the best one possible. And in order to do so, you must attend to minor details such as:

* Dress professionally
* Ask for permission to enter by knocking on the door.
* Do not sit unless you are asked to.
* Welcome the interviewers (Good morning, good afternoon or good evening as per the time of the day).
* Introduce yourself briefly and discuss your certifications and accomplishments.
* Maintain eye contact and speak confidently at all times.
* Do not be overconfident; if you are unsure of the answer, say so.
* Provide clear and concise responses.
* Before leaving the room, say thank you or good day.
* Being confident is essential for making a good first impression.

#Tip 3 – Be Prepared For The Common Questions:
Most panelists have a list of questions prepared in advance that they ask all of the candidates. As you prepare for the interview, make sure you have answers to the frequently asked questions.

Some typical MBA interview questions include:
* Tell us about yourself that is not there in the resume?
* What is your biggest achievement to date?
* What skills are you confident about?
* What’s your life’s aim?
* What responsibilities you are willing to take and in which job profile?
* Where do you stand after 5 years?
* Tell us something about the industry?
* Why do you want to pursue an MBA?

The gist is that you must be clear about why you require the MBA course before attending the interview. What are your long-term plans, vision, and objectives?

#Tip 4 – Do Not Turn An Blind Eye To The GD Round:

Before proceeding to the personal interview round, you must first clear the group discussion round. As a result, you must not take it lightly. Some things to remember while going through the GD are:

* You will be grouped with 7-12 candidates
* The discussion will be for 15-20 minutes
* You will get 5 minutes to prepare for the topic
* Each candidate get roughly 1-1:30 minutes to put forward their view

The following parameters will be used to evaluate you:
* Communication skill – the ability to convey your point in the given time
* How strong and logical your point is
* Whether your point is new or you are rephrasing an existing point
* Body language – hand gestures, confidence in your voice, maintaining eye contact.
* Clarity of thoughts and voice
* Impeccable language.

Keeping these points in mind before sitting for the group discussion will ensure that you breeze through it.

#Tip 5 – The Do’s and Dont’s:
Before appearing for the GD-PI rounds, you should be clear in your mind about what you need to do and what you don't.

Do’s in Personal Interview
* Keep calm
* Keep eye contact
* Answer confidently
* Answer one question at a time during crossfire questions
* Appreciate the expert’s viewpoint but also keep your point firmly.
* Give data to back your point.

Don’ts in Personal Interview
* Do not get hyper or agitated
* Don’t be nervous
* Don’t be too funny
* Do not be too rude or loud
* Don’t argue
* Do not speak for long without clearly putting your point
* Don’t get distracted from the point
* Do not interrupt in between.

Interviews can be the deciding point of your future and clearing the MBA interview can be really stressful. But it is nothing impossible that you cannot crack. Do not be scared of the GD-PI rounds. You just need to be professional and confident in your appearance and voice. Most importantly, demonstrate that you can be a leader and talk about all your certifications and achievements.