{"id":4444,"date":"2010-09-20T00:47:52","date_gmt":"2010-09-20T08:47:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=4444"},"modified":"2010-09-21T00:50:57","modified_gmt":"2010-09-21T08:50:57","slug":"interview-with-zoominterviews","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/interview-with-zoominterviews\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with ZoomInterviews"},"content":{"rendered":"

Accepted.com interviewed ZoomInterviews<\/a>\u2019 founders Alon Karmiel and Misha Medvedev. ZoomInterviews provides interview preparation videos to help you prepare for your MBA interview. <\/em><\/p>\n

Accepted.com:<\/strong> How did you come to start ZoomInterviews?<\/p>\n

Alon:<\/strong> The inspiration for ZoomInterviews.com came primarily from my personal experience during the admissions process. While other parts of the application were quite clear, what to expect in the admissions interview remained a mystery.\u00a0 My first interview with Wharton wasn't very successful. So following this experience and knowing what to then expect during the interview, I invested\u00a0 a significant amount of time preparing for my new upcoming interviews. All of the remaining interviews went very well and I was accepted to a number of top business schools including Chicago Booth, from which I graduated. It was during the preparation process when I realized how crucial it was for applicants to know what to expect and how to perform well during their admissions interview.<\/p>\n

Accepted.com:<\/strong> What do you see as the primary benefit of watching the ZoomInterviews videos?<\/p>\n

Alon:<\/strong> Delivery means a lot in the admissions process and in the\u00a0business world in general. Through the interview business schools will\u00a0derive conclusions about an applicant's ability to manage business\u00a0related conversations and present him\/herself in a positive,\u00a0structured and succinct way. It is also very important to establish a\u00a0good fit with the school. ZoomInterviews provides applicants with an\u00a0insider's view to the interview room. Through watching our videos\u00a0applicants will be able to see how admissions interviews are conducted\u00a0and how establishing a fit with an institution is important\u00a0 for\u00a0making a strong positive impression. Our\u00a0 mock interviews are\u00a0researched in-depth and simulate what could happen in the real\u00a0interview. This translates into an opportunity for applicants to learn\u00a0from top MBA students and alumni with significant interviewing\u00a0experience.<\/p>\n

Misha:<\/strong> There are hundreds of various online resources and tools\u00a0dedicated to MBA admissions interviews and interview preparation in\u00a0general. After doing some research and browsing through dozens of\u00a0those websites, MBA applicants might get a pretty good idea of what\u00a0they have to say. But it's only through watching other successful MBA\u00a0students and alumni that applicants can actually see how they should craft their message in the most effective way. Watching videos\u00a0provides applicants with an exceptional opportunity to compare\u00a0different behavioral models, analyze the performance of different\u00a0candidates and develop their own strategy, one that reflects their\u00a0unique personality. Looking through a continuous stream of our\u00a0clients' feedback, we also realized that what applicants value the\u00a0most is the ability to compare their personal interviewing skills with\u00a0others. This either gives them extra confidence about their readiness\u00a0for interview day or serves as a signal to polish certain areas that\u00a0need to be improved. So it's a win-win situation really and many\u00a0applicants realize that.<\/p>\n

Accepted.com: <\/strong>How do you recommend that applicants prepare for their MBA interviews\u00a0\u2013 in addition to watching ZoomInterviews?<\/p>\n

Alon:<\/strong> It is very important to be prepared for the interview and there\u00a0are several key elements in the preparation process:<\/p>\n

- Research what the most frequently asked interview questions are for\u00a0a given school. Almost all schools will ask you to talk about your\u00a0background, why an MBA, why in this specific school and why now. They\u00a0also will ask you to talk about your leadership and team work\u00a0experience to be sure that you have leadership potential and can be a\u00a0good team member during your MBA program and beyond. You must be\u00a0prepared to answer these core questions. You can find a complete suite\u00a0of admissions FAQs on our website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

- Learn what the interviewing format of each school is and who your\u00a0interviewer will be (student, admissions officer or alum). The style\u00a0of the interview will vary depending on the type of interviewer you\u00a0get. For instance, interviews with alumni usually will be longer and\u00a0less formal. You will need to adjust to these differences in the\u00a0interviewing style.<\/p>\n

- Prepare in advance 5-7 stories which exemplify your achievements,\u00a0leadership and teamwork experiences and can be used for answering a\u00a0variety of behavioral questions.\u00a0 These usually start out as \"Can you\u00a0tell me about a time when...\" or \"Tell me about a time when you\u00a0demonstrated...\" Make sure to structure your answers to emphasize your\u00a0actions and the results of those actions.\u00a0 We recommend using the SOAR\u00a0framework (Situation, Obstacle\/Opportunity, Action and Result).<\/p>\n

- Research your target schools<\/a>, their teaching methods, culture,\u00a0values and what they are looking for in the applicants.\u00a0 Become\u00a0familiar with the characteristics schools universally look for in all\u00a0candidates (e.g. high GMAT scores, solid work experience) and\u00a0characteristics that are unique strengths to you. You should tailor\u00a0your answers to demonstrate fit with your target schools.<\/p>\n

- Prepare 2-3 intelligent questions to be asked at the end in of the\u00a0interview. Your questions should not be obvious, but at the same time\u00a0not too complicated, so that even the interviewer will not know the\u00a0answers. Your questions should show that you did your homework about\u00a0the school and are genuinely interested in the program.\u00a0 This is a\u00a0subtle way to impress your interviewer without trying to coming across\u00a0as trying too hard.<\/p>\n

Misha:<\/strong> So you've done your research, you crafted your story, you've\u00a0watched the interviews videos, you learned about\u00a0 your schools...\u00a0now, what's next? Practice, practice, and more practice. That's\u00a0exactly what will bring you to the next level and will make you stand\u00a0out during your admissions interviews. Many applicants find it useful\u00a0to arrange mock practice interviews with their friends or with\u00a0experienced MBA admissions consultants. It's important not to misjudge\u00a0your own performance, so anything from practicing in front of a mirror\u00a0to Skype-ing with a friend or, even better, doing a mock interview<\/a> with a professional admissions consultant, will benefit a lot here.<\/p>\n

Accepted.com: <\/strong>What do you think is the overarching purpose of an admissions interview?<\/p>\n

Alon:<\/strong> We believe that in the interviewing process business schools\u00a0want to see that applicants\u2019 paper applications are aligned with\u00a0reality and that the applicant is a good fit with the school. Business\u00a0schools want to be sure that they accept mature and socially adaptable\u00a0individuals whose communication style and past behaviors will allow\u00a0them to be successful in their studies and in the recruiting process.\u00a0Interviewers also want to market their schools and have a chance to\u00a0answer any questions which applicants may have.<\/p>\n

Misha:<\/strong> Applicants can convey their candidacy through different aspects\u00a0of their application, such as test scores, essays and their carefully\u00a0chosen letters of recommendation, but it's really in the admissions\u00a0interview where schools have an opportunity to see how your\u00a0personality shines through and if you will be a good fit for the\u00a0school. It's also your opportunity to show them why you're a great fit\u00a0for their program.<\/p>\n

Accepted's Interview Resources:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n