HOW TO TACKLE

PERSONAL
INTERVIEWS

ACADEMIC PARTNER
 Personal Interviews Content

Sr. Topic Page No.

1 Message to User 1

2 Introduction to MBA Interviews 2-5

3 Interview Strategy & Tips 6-10

4 MBA Interview: Do’s and Don’ts 10-14

5. Interview FAQs 14-44

1. Message to User

Welcome to this e-book on Personal Interviews.

Personal Interviews are the final step of MBA admissions

and on most occasions, the keydeterminer in the final
admission process. Considering the significance of
Interviews, it makes a lot of sense to absorb as much
information as you can about interviews.
Remember, handling interviews is an art in itself and you
need to delve into the intricacies of this art to master it.
The first step is self-discovery and introspection; once
you are clear with your goals and objectives, it gets much
easier to handle interviews.
The purpose of this e-book is to provide you a holistic
coverage of concepts for Personal Interviews.
This e-book will help you refine your answers for your
Interviews and make sure you provide the requisite
answers in Personal Interviews. This is the ultimate
guide for Personal Interviews and you should use every
piece of advice in this guide to make sure you craft the
best possible answers.
Happy Learning 
Team HitBullsEye
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2. Introduction to MBA Interviews

What is a "Business School Interview"? Why at all

Interview is conducted?

Scoring well in the entrance test is only winning half the

battle and you now need to shift your attention to the
face-to-face interactions with the selection panels. The
next step is the MBA personal interview which is
conducted with the objective of assessing the
interviewee's suitability for admissions.

A personal interview is the B-school’s attempt at knowing

the candidate as a person and assessing the various
traits of his personality. Most of the management
institutes conduct an interview prior to accepting a
candidate into the program.

Candidates are tested on parameters like initiative, team

skills, task orientation, willingness to learn, leadership
capabilities, goal clarity and stress management. An
interview, though nerve wracking for many candidates, is
also an opportunity for the candidate to express himself
and prove that he is worthy of admission into the

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program. It is essentially conducted to determine
whether the candidate is the right fit for the program.

What are the evaluators looking for in an MBA Interview?

 Attitude, Approach, Attention, Application of Theory

to Practice
 Body language, Behaviour
 Confidence, Clarity of thoughts, Career plan,
Curiosity, Consistency
 Determination, Discipline and Dedication.
 Enthusiasm, Eagerness, Energy, Ethics.
 Focus, Family background.
 Goal orientation, General awareness.
 Humor, Humility, Hard work.
 Interaction, Initiative.
 Judging skills.
 Knowledge, Killer instincts.
 Listening skills.
 Motivation.
 Neatness, News
 Openness to ideas, Opinions, Optimism.
 Presence of mind, People skills, Planning and
Preparation, Personality.
 Quantitative skills.

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  Reasoning Ability.
 Seriousness, Skills -communication, listening,
team, quantitative, people.
 Team skills, Time management.
 Uniqueness.
 Versatility, Value for values.
 Weaknesses
 Xcellence
 Yearn for achievement(s).
 Zest for excellence.
 .........Believe in yourself!

MBA interviews include questions regarding the

candidate's most recent academic profile, his work
experience, general awareness, his career, extracurricular
activities and achievements. They may also include
questions related to the candidate's reason for doing
MBA, about his dream MBA institute, his long term career
goals etc. The panel does not expect you to know
everything you are asked in an interview, so be honest.
Treat the interview as a conversation rather than making
it a question-answer affair. The interview is about how
the candidate communicates and responds to pressure
situations, so it is important to stay calm and composed.

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As an interview is an opportunity to highlight yourself, so
make sure you know your unique value proposition and
are able to talk about it in the interview. Your
performance in the interview determines your chances of
selection to a large extent. So spend a lot of time and
effort on your MBA interview preparation and do not
make the mistake of considering it a formality in the
selection process.

Web Resources:

A brief overview of an MBA Interview

(https://youtu.be/ItPH73bIOU0)

MBA Interviews: The Right Strategy and Approach

(https://gdpi.hitbullseye.com/MBA/MBA-Interview-
Preparation.php)

The Final Interview with the Obamas

(https://youtu.be/iH1ZJVqJO3Y)

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3. Interview Strategy & Tips

What is a winning strategy to market yourself in a

Personal Interview?

To form a winning strategy for interviews, you need to

understand what the interviewer is looking for.
The best way to prepare for an interview is to understand
the mindset of the interviewer and once you have done
this, you can turn your weaknesses into strengths.

What are the evaluation parameters in a Personal

Interview?

Following is a list of parameters upon which you would

be evaluated in a Personal Interview (these parameters
are accompanied with a list of things you need to keep in
mind for scoring well in these areas):

 Introduction:

This is that part of the interview where you set yourself

up. This is where the panel gets a first look and evaluates
your personality. The question type in itself is a vast one
and you can cover a host of information in this area. You
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should make sure you mention your positive traits in this
section and drop the right hints for the panel to connect
with you later in the interview.

Web Resource:

How to Introduce Yourself in a Personal Interview

(https://youtu.be/t8tkcx6POww)

 Education:

This is the place where you portray your overall learning

skills, and demonstrate that you have a well-rounded
personality. Academic skills (exhibited by your
performance) coupled with extra-curricular and academic
activities provide the panel a fair idea about your skills.
Academic learning is checked with the help of your
subject knowledge, and panels frequently pose questions
from your favorite subjects to check your sincerity.
Technical training and projects also become a probable
source for questions.

Your knowledge is co-related with your performance, and

this gives the panel a fair idea about your learning levels.

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Extra-curricular activities are evaluated on the basis of
their nature, relevance and level of achievement.
Performance in competitions is a further proof of your
passion.

Web Resource:

Tackling questions on academic performance in

interviews

https://youtu.be/sE1C_6bBV70

 Current Affairs:

Questions on current affairs can become an Achilles heel

for many students. These questions act as check of your
knowledge, awareness and ability to process current
information and environments. To successfully operate
in any condition, you need to have knowhow of the
changing business and political scenarios, and
knowledge in areas such as political, economic, business
and socio-cultural is required.

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  Career Planning:

What the panel is evaluating here is your “time bound

plan” and it is extremely vital that you provide a clear and
logical guide for your future plans. The important
consideration here is that you should not appear to be
too over-ambitious in your plans and you should strike a
balance between being practical and ambitious. You can
always state that you wish to start a business but if you
have no inkling of what you are going to do or you do not
have any basic plan to back up your claims, this kind of a
statement can be hard to justify in an interview. You can
always say that you wish to be the CEO of a company but
then you need to have a defined career path to justify the
same.

Making tall claims requires a lot of backing and you

would do well to keep a humble profile that can be
justified easily. The focus, while discussing your long
term plans, should always be on the skills you wish to
learn rather than the posts and positions that you want
to occupy.

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  Personality Assessment Questions:

Interviews often feature questions on areas such as

strengths, weaknesses, role-models, etc. These self-
assessment questions are based on your “self-
awareness levels” and the degree to which you know
your own self. If you know yourself well enough and have
enough time figuring out the intricacies of your
personality, you would have no difficulty in providing
examples for your strengths and detailing your
weaknesses and how you could overcome them. Each of
these questions requires self-evaluation, and you should
make sure you undertake this at the right moment so
that you can prepare adequately.

Web Resources:

Winning tips/strategy in MBA interviews

(https://youtu.be/aCfj06OJ9aE)

MBA Interview Questions - Career and Hobbies

https://gdpi.hitbullseye.com/Career-Hobbies-Interview-
Questions.php

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Interview: Evaluation Parameters

(https://gdpi.hitbullseye.com/MBA/Interview-
Evaluation.php)

4. MBA Interview: Do’s and Don’ts

Interviews require you to take care of a few

considerations: there are some things you need to
exhibit in an interview and then, there are others that you
should most definitely not do in an interview. Let’s go
through this list of do’s and don’ts in an interview. These
short and pithy statements are directives that you should
follow with complete diligence and sincerity in the
interview.

What are the popular “Do’s” in a Personal Interview?

 Use a strong voice, clear diction and correct
grammar.
 Make sure your personal appearance is prim and
proper, and you dress appropriately.
 In case of a handshake with the panelists, make
sure it is a firm one.

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 Establish eye contact with the interviewer but do
not state at him.
 Do equip yourself with sufficient knowledge about
the B-school you are seeking admission to.
 Do take criticism gracefully.
 Do equip yourself with a strong knowledge of the
company (in case of prior work experience).
 Do display a sense of wit as and when possible.
 Do exhibit a mixture of self-confidence, grace and
poise.
 Do take sufficient time to think before answering
tricky questions and do not be rushed into your
answers.
 Do make concrete goals in planning for your
career.
 Do demonstrate sufficient grasp of the key
graduation concepts.
 Do have sufficient knowledge of your key projects
& papers.
 Do support your answers with examples, wherever
possible.
 Do present yourself as a multi rounded personality
with ability to learn from both academic and
extracurricular activities.

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What are the popular “Don’ts” in a personal interview?

 Don't be arrogant, overaggressive, or vain.

 Don't show a lack of attention or energy.
 Don't make excuses for adverse conditions in your
record, such as below average marks.
 Don't condemn past institutions of education; keep
comments positive.
 Don't display a noticeable aversion for schoolwork.
 Don't be uncertain and indecisive in your thoughts.
 Don't display prejudice or bias.
 Don't be late and make sure you are on time for the
interview.
 Don't contradict your own answers.
 Don't glorify experiences dating back to formative
years of schooling.
 Don't forget: You are the one who provides content
to the interview, and you have control over what
you are sharing with the interviewer

Web Resources:

DOs in an interview - The Right things to say and do

(https://youtu.be/PfN-Ej8_bIM)

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DON'Ts in an Interview- The Wrong things to avoid

(https://youtu.be/6xiGdso_bFI)

MBA Interview: Do’s and Don’ts

https://gdpi.hitbullseye.com/MBA/mba-interview-dos-
donts.php

5. Interview FAQs

1. How do I greet the Interviewer?

It is vital to get your greeting right; after all, this is your

first chance to impress your interviewers and showcase
your strong and confident personality. Let’s breakdown
this process and identify what you need to do at each
step of the way:

 Entering the room: If you are asked to come into

the interview room a few minutes after the
previous candidate, always knock on the door
before entering. Also, remember to close the door
behind you. Always ask (in an audible voice) for
permission to enter the room. 'May I come in, Sir?'

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 Thank the interviewers after they give the
permission.

 Sitting Down: It is better to keep standing till you

are asked to take a seat. When the interviewers
asks you to sit down, say "Thank you, Sir/Madam"
before sitting down. If not asked, seek permission.

 Inside the room: Stand with an erect and good

posture. You should greet the interviewers by
saying "Good Morning" (Or an appropriate greeting
to suit the time of the day). Avoid greeting all of
them in a sequence; instead look at all the
interviewers in the eye and nod to all of them at the
same time while wishing them. A smile in the face
really helps. Remember first impressions last
forever. Exude confidence (loud voice, firm
handshake) and show respect and humility at all
times.

 What do I say when leaving the interview room?

When the interview ends, you should smile and
look at all the interviewers in the eye, say "Thank
you" - and through nods and gestures, try to tell the
interviewers that you liked the experience. When

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 you walk out of the room, make sure to take your
certificates with you and also close the door
behind you when you go out.

These are some of the simple things that you need

to keep in mind while you greet your interviewer. By
simple taking care of these steps, you make sure
you follow the interview etiquette expected of you
and you leave your interviewers with the desired
impression.

Web Resource:

Interview FAQ- How do I greet the Interviewer?

(https://gdpi.hitbullseye.com/MBA/Interview-
Etiquette.php)

2. Interview FAQ: What kind of Body Language should I

use?

 Why should I bother about Body Language? The

following are some of the reasons for you to be
serious about your body language:

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  Body language is very important in the interview -
more than "what you say", "how you say it"
determines the success or failure in the interview.
 Reinforces what you are saying.
 Distract the interviewer if not well controlled.
 Impressions regarding confidence and honesty can
be built observing body language.

Body language is composition of posture, gestures,

facial expressions, voice etc. You can control your
movements by following simple guidelines mentioned
below:

 Interviewers know that you may be nervous, but if

you are feeling really nervous, you could
concentrate on controlling your breathing. The way
in which you breathe affects the rhythm and pace
of your speech. If you take short, sharp breaths in
upper chest, you force yourself to breathe too often
to sustain your voice. Unnatural pauses and gasps
will punctuate your speech. You should pause at
natural breaks to take in your breath. Pausing in
these natural breaks provides a further benefit - it
gives you some time to think about what you want

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 to say and hence control the content of your
speech.
 If you do not know what to do with your hands,
clasp them or put them on your lap. Avoid small
repetitive movements: if you keep moving your
feet, smoothing your hair or nibbling your
fingernails, it will distract the interviewer and
indicate that you are nervous. Avoid any side to
side swaying movements.
 Make sure your body language is sufficiently
receptive. Don't turn away from the interviewer, or
wrap your arms around your chest in self-
protection. Don't gaze out of the window as that
gives the impression that you are not interested in
the interview process. Always try to look the
interviewer in the eye while answering questions.

Do's:

 Use hand gestures to stress certain points

 Show that you are listening
 Smile

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Don'ts:

 Point at some-one (rude)

 Shake your feet (nervousness)
 Move your hands vigorously
 Show your palm (aggressive)

The above form some of the key points that need to keep
in mind in order to showcase a positive body image in
the interview. Remember, your body language in the
interview can go a long way in developing a positive
rapport with the interviewer and by showcasing keep
interest and positivity, you provide the interviewer one
more reason to select you.

Web Resource:

Ted Talk- Your body language may shape who you are.

(https://youtu.be/Ks-_Mh1QhMc)

Body language in a personal Interview

(https://youtu.be/0UK8aloq2aM)

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3. Interview FAQ: What if I cannot answer the question
being asked to me?

One of the most frequent interview experiences consists

of candidates not being able to answer a question. Ask a
candidate who was unable to clear that important
interview and the usual reply is "Well,
I could not answer the initial questions asked, and
became very tense and nervous". Not being able to
answer the questions could affect your performance in
the whole interview.

Quoting Dale Carnegie, "Interviews are only 20% based on

facts, and 80% based on perception and communication
skills". You need to make sure you are prepared for such
scenario and you are able to deal with such a situation
with ease. Let’s look at some of the do’s and don’ts that
you can keep in mind to deal with such a situation.

Do's:

 Make sure you are sincere with your effort and the
same should reflect in your body language.
 Request the interviewer to rephrase the question in
case it is complex or break in parts in case it is

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 lengthy. This will give you additional time to rethink
the answer. Example: "Sir, can you rephrase the
question so that I can understand it completely
and accurately" or "I could not completely
understand the question".
 If you are sure that you cannot answer the
question, admit it humbly.
 Ask the interviewer if you can give it a try later

Don'ts:

 Try to fool the interviewer by giving vague answers.

This may increase your opportunity cost- you may
have answered certain other questions in this time.
 Try to confuse the interviewer.
 Ask the interviewer to repeat a question more than
once.
 Get nervous or agitated, in case of a difficult
question.

Recommended routes:

At all times, do not lose your clam and be nervous. This

may block your thought process even further. A question

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or two answered wrongly does not spoil your chances.
You can take the following routes:

 Tell "I don't know sir": Never be afraid to admit the

fact that you do not know. You are not expected to
have knowledge of everything. Very often, in stress
interviews, the interviewer will give you a series of
questions he is confident you would not know the
answers of. In this case, think about it, take your
time and frankly state that you are not aware of the
topic/answer. Be prepared for the easy question he
throws at you at the end. He is testing your
confidence and your ability to maintain a cool head
in face of a lot of difficult questions. However,
admitting ignorance to every other question sends
a wrong message. This may be even worse if the
question tests you on the core/basic concepts of
your specialization.

 Tell "I am not sure, but I would like to take a logical

guess": Stating it clearly in the beginning will lower
the expectations the interviewer has from your
answer. In this case, even getting close to the
answer can be looked upon positively. Your ability
to arrive at the answer logically shows that you can

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 think on your feet. However, preceding every
question with the tagline "I am not sure", is not
recommended as it discounts your self-esteem
every now and then.

 This completes this essential interview tip and you

need to make sure you keep the above in mind
when it comes to your interview preparation.
Remember, the above approach is the honest and
direct one you can adopt in this case.

Web Resource:

What if I don't know the answer to a question in an

Interview?

(https://youtu.be/PiDKbKtK04M)

4. Interview FAQ: How should I handle myself in a "stress

interview" situation?

Before learning how to tackle stress interviews, let’s try

to understand the psychology that operates behind these
interviews.

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Why do the evaluators conduct a stress interview?

This type of interview puts you into difficulties.

Remember this is a part of the selection process. The
interviewer is judging you on tact, cool temper, courage,
self-command or control. More importantly such
interviews reveal whether you can take logical decisions
under demanding circumstances. All these aspects
combine to form important reasons why should be
placed under stress in interviews.

How do interviewers generate stress in the interview?

 Stress situations may occur when the interviewer:

 Bombards you with a spree of rapid questions
 Cuts your answers repeatedly
 Expresses doubts on your caliber and integrity
 Accuses you of bluffing
 Laughs or mocks at you
 Looks disinterested (yawning, looking to the
ceiling, talking to the co-interviewers while you are
answering a question)
 Two or three interviewers ask questions at the
same time

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Now that we have understood the basic dynamics of
stress interviews, let’s us explore some common do’s
and don’ts that you need to keep in mind in order to
handle these interviews successfully.

Do's:

 Maintain your poise and composure.

 Establish and maintain eye contact.
 Showcase your confidence via body gestures and
also through your arguments.
 In case interviewer is asking several questions at a
fast pace, you should try to answer one question at
a time.
 If interviewers do not show any emotion, do not be
hassled by that - just concentrate on the content of
your answers.
 The interviewers may oppose a stand taken by you,
you should be able to appreciate their point of view
also i.e. you should be able to appreciate the pros
and cons of any issue. You should be ready to take
a stand and hold onto it, and you should be
convinced about it. You could always say that
"sorry, we have a difference of opinion but I firmly
believe in what I have said."

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  Maintain a smile on your face - a little bit of wit
helps.

Don'ts:

 Show your anger or get agitated under any

circumstances.
 Show signs of nervousness like no eye contact,
mumbling, clasping hands, etc.
 Try to create unnecessary humor.

With the help of the above, you can successfully navigate

through stress interviews. In fact, with the right mindset,
you can use them to your advantage.

Web Resource:

Ted Talk- How to stay calm when you know you'll be

stressed

(https://youtu.be/8jPQjjsBbIc)

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5. How to introduce yourself in the interview?

The most common way to begin an interview revolves

around one simple question: Tell us something about
yourself. This question, though seemingly simple, is the
one that sets-up the whole interview. An imprecise
response here can do irreversible damage, as this is the
question is the window through which you let in the
panelist into your life and thought processes.

Common mistakes made while answering this question

type:

 Majority students are not sure about this question

and can never really nail down the details that they
would like to share here.
 Majority of the students suffer from the common
problem of being too wordy with this answer.
 Students either provide irrelevant details or they
provide opinions that are not justified.

How to approach this question type?

In this question, you should ideally form a roadmap with

your background information acting as a guide.

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Make sure the answer is clear, crisp and concise. In this
question, you provide a brief introduction about yourself
and your achievements, and should not list every
certificate you have won, every competition you have
taken part in, your detailed academic performance and
so on. All you need to provide succinct information about
your background, academic performances, and strengths
and any important activity that you might be doing at the
time. You can also provide a passing reference to your
hobbies and activities.

The candidates must answer such a question in a way

that it brands them and drops innocuous teasers for the
panel to ask subsequent questions. This is the
opportunity to lead the interviewer into yourcomfort
zone.

Web Resource:

How to introduce yourself in an interview?

(https://gdpi.hitbullseye.com/MBA/Tell-me-About-
Yourself.php)

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6. How to deal with questions based on strengths and
weaknesses?

Strengths and weakness based questions an extremely

common part of interviews. Why does the evaluator ask
you this question?

 To find how well you understand yourself.

 To find how your strengths are related to your past
experiences and to future expectations
 Every person has some weak points. The
evaluators would like to know whether you
understand what your weaknesses are and how
you plan to remove these weaknesses.

Now that we have covered why is this question type

asked, let’s explore the most stated strengths and
weaknesses.

"Most stated" Strengths:

 Attribute Operational Definition

 Hard work
 Long hours, emotional attachment, physical
energy, self discipline

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 Analytical Strength
 Clarity of thought, ability to see relationships
among diverse concepts.
 Initiative Ability to be a 'self starter'
 Attention to Detail Thoroughness, orderliness, self-
starter
 Leadership
 Vision, communication by example, consistency
between action, thoughts and deeds.
 Persuasiveness
 Logical, oral and written communication skills,
negotiation skills
 Entrepreneurship
 Ability to seek opportunities and enlist support of
low-cost resources, creativity and business
acumen
 Value for 'Values'
 Desire for qualitative upgradations, missionary zeal
 Influencing without Positional Power Political
acumen, social sensitivity
 Perseverance
 Self-confidence (not dogmatism), managing
disappointments, innovation
 Team skills

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  Ability to manage and work in group/ with
individuals from diverse backgrounds.
 Sensitivity to the needs of group members.
 Good Communication Skills
 Ability to put points across in a manner that others
understand, fluency is important
 From the table above, you can use the operational
definitions for your mentioned strengths.

"Most stated" Weaknesses:

 The weaknesses that you state should have a

positive connotation and a remedial plan.
 Attribute Negative Connotation Positive
Connotation
 Over-Confident
 Do not understand limits of my capability Believe in
what I do
 Set Very High goals
 Do not understand limits of my capability
Ambitious
 Stubborn in implementation of rules, regulation,
values etc
 Do not consider ground realities, difficulty in
dealing with bureaucracy and real life problems

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  Have good value system
 Procrastination - put off things to a later period
 Fall behind time schedules etc.
 Take time to analyze problems, consult with others
before taking decisions
 Slow Starter
 Take too much time to decide on ideas and plans
 Take time to analyze problems, consult with others
before taking decisions - so that in the long run
better implementation

Weaknesses (additional points):

 State those weaknesses that do not really effect

your capability as a manager. 'Bad handwriting' is
something you can consciously work on, but it is
not a fatal error if you fail to correct it. On the
contrary, you do not want to state 'poor memory' or
'no awareness of computers' as weaknesses in an
interview session.
 Simply stating those weaknesses that are
necessarily strengths can be a problem at times.
The interview may turn around and say 'I asked you
for your weakness, and you are telling me about
your strengths'. In this case, it is critical to have

32
 examples or instances where your weakness has
let you down, or held you back in some way.

How do you decide on your strengths and weaknesses?

Consider the following points when you decide on what

strengths and weaknesses you have:

 Past Experience: You should be able to justify your

strengths and weaknesses by stating past
experiences usually ask you instance and
examples. Examiners usually ask you instance
where you demonstrated a particular strength or
where a weakness landed you in problem.

 Future Expectation: You should be able to justify

how your strengths and weaknesses are going to
help in achieving your future expectations. For
example, if you are opting for a role in finance,
good analytical skills would be an advantage. If
you are opting for a career in HR, team skills and
values become important. For a person interested
in marketing, 'getting along well with people',
'persuasive skills' etc. becomes important.

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  Interviewers would ask you questions on how your
strengths and weaknesses can help in achieving
your future expectations.

How convincing you are in what you say:

 You may be asked questions on your areas of

strengths - for example, if you say that good
analytical skills are your strength, expect some
puzzles to be asked. In case you say that 'good
communication skills' is your strength, then you
should demonstrate it through the way in which
you speak.

What other questions could be asked related to your

Strengths and Weaknesses?

 How will your strengths and weaknesses help you

in your course/job?
 Could you tell us some instances to demonstrate
your strengths and weaknesses?
 What have you planned to overcome your
weaknesses?

34
Some questions where you could state your strengths
and weaknesses:

 Tell us about yourself.

 What are your ambitions in life?
 Why do you want to join our company?
 What are your hobbies? How have your hobbies
helped you?

Web Resource:

Interview Question - What are your strengths

/weaknesses?

(https://youtu.be/fcWoS_Iq3lA)

Interview Tips- How to handle questions on Weaknesses

(https://youtu.be/TkGeGxaE1oI)

7. How to tackle questions related to your hobbies?

The first thing you need to be acquainted with is the

definition of the word ‘hobby’. A hobby is a leisure time

35
activity that you are passionate about. It reflects your
ability to learn from areas other than academics.

It is an opportunity to show a well-rounded personality

and highlight personality traits like leadership, team
building, etc. One of the key challenges is to figure out
how to answer this question and on quite a few
occasions, you might just not feel confident to showcase
the activities that are your actual hobbies.

Keep in mind the following while quoting a hobby:

 Activities preferably after school years- the more

recent the better.
 Common place activities like reading, watching
movies, etc. which do not require working in groups
or any physical activity will require rigorous
validation through deep and varied knowledge
about the field.
 How it has added value and shaped your
personality is to be highlighted.
 Depth of interest to show a strong passion for the
field and not just a passing interest.

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  Achievements in hobby need to be demonstrated
(any awards won, participation at renowned
competitions etc).

On quite a few occasions, we under-estimate ourselves

and do not feel confident about our hobbies.
Remember, your objective is not to showcase your
professional skills with the answer to this question.
What you need showcase is that you are a multi-
dimensional personality with varied interests. Even the
simplest of hobbies, like watching movies, can be
justified by showcasing your passion for the activity.
Remember, hobbies are there for providing your joy and
mental relaxation. You should not be embarrassed or feel
shy to share your true passions; the only thing you need
to keep in mind is that you need to showcase your
conviction for the same and exhibit that you are a
passionate individual.

Web Resource:

Interview FAQ: Tackle questions related to your hobbies

(https://gdpi.hitbullseye.com/MBA/What-Are-Your-
Hobbies.php)

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Ted Talk- The skill of self confidence

(https://youtu.be/w-HYZv6HzAs)

8. What are your career objectives?

One frequent question in interviews is: What are your

career objectives?

Asking you this question is to assess your clarity about

the career you are going to take up. In other words, your
suitability (your understanding about what you are
heading for, attitude, aptitude and goal etc.) vis-à-vis the
institute / course is being ascertained by the interview
panel.

Many students err here as well, as they are not able to

relate their career goals adequately enough to their
answers. Students generally ramble in their answers and
are not able to accurately pin-point their career objective.
On occasions, this confusion is borne out of an inherent
lack of clarity about one’s goals in life. Because of this
reason, it is extremely important that you think deeply
about this question and nail down the correct response
for the interview panel. Remember, not being clear about

38
one’s goals and objectives reflects very poorly on you
and in a way, showcases that you are ready for taking up
the given course.

How should you answer this question?

Answer the question in a manner that encompasses your

academic background, and your interests, linking it to
your career goals.

Remember, your career goals:

a. Should have a co-relation with your academic profile.

In case your academic profile does not match career
goals, then you need to showcase you have done
sufficient work in the field that you wish to work. This
might be through internships, online courses, trainings,
or projects.
b. Should showcase that you have rationally thought out
your future and goals.

You need to form an answer keeping the above points in

mind. Once you do that, you are ready to tackle this
question head-on in the interview.

39
Web Resource:

Interview FAQ: How to construct the perfect answer on

'Career Objective'?

(https://gdpi.hitbullseye.com/MBA/Career-Objective-for-
MBA.php)

9. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

One of the trickiest questions in the interview is to ‘where

do you want see yourself 10 years from now’?
Though the panel is aware of the fact that answering
such a question is difficult, it is to your credit if you can
answer with some clarity.

The challenge here is to show a progression in career

and the way the organization will help in achieving the
same. Focus should be on different phrases of career
advancement-learning, contributing, leading and
strategic planning. For this, it is recommended that you
be clear about the key responsibility areas of the role
which you are applying for and how this role graduates
into roles of higher responsibilities.

40
Success in answering this question depends on your
career goals and how the organization nurtures them
professionally to offer you opportunities to learn,
contribute and grow. Remember, this question actually
depends upon on the clarity you have for your career
goals.

Once you have clarity with your career objective and

which direction you want to invest your energy in, then
you can set-up the various landmarks for your
development and identify your progression over a 10-
year period.

Two important things to keep in mind for this question

type:

a. Remember, you need to talk in terms of skills and

learning. You should now talk in terms of positions that
you wish to achieve over a 10-year period. If you quote
you want to be the CEO of a company, then you should
be ready for some heavy grilling.
b. The interviewer knows that this is a tough question to
answer; it is not possible to predict the future.

41
Keeping this at the back of your mind, if you can
showcase clarity in your approach and your career path,
that alone is sufficient for this question.

10. Why do you want to do management from this

institute?

Why do the evaluators ask you this question?

This question is in two parts. First, the evaluators would

like to know "Why you want to do Management".
Secondly, the evaluators would like to know how much
you know about the institute for which you are giving the
interview.
Do's

 Talk about your career objectives and strike

relevance between the MBA program and your
career objectives.
 Highlight the nature of the program and the value it
will create in terms of industry readiness.
 Mention the salient strengths of the Institute, its
pedagogy and how it fits into your career goals.

42
  Give examples of students who have passed out
from the Institute and the valuable knowledge and
opportunities they have gained.
 Give examples of people from the Institute you
have met. (This shows that you did your homework
well).

Don'ts

 Don’t tell the panel that an MBA is a gateway to

money, power and glamour.
 Don't compare with the other Institutes.
 Don't brag about facts that you are not sure of (I
believe that 50% of the class gets foreign
placement)
 Don't give blanket statements like "This is the best
Institute in the country" or "I will not get in
anywhere else".

Web Resource:

5 tips for answering - Why MBA?

(https://gdpi.hitbullseye.com/MBA/Why-MBA-Interview-
Questions.php)

43
Ted Talk- The surprising secret to speaking with
confidence

(https://youtu.be/a2MR5XbJtXU)

Ted Talk- How to Have a Good Conversation

(https://youtu.be/H6n3iNh4XLI)

44