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By design, INSEAD\u2019s alumni-led format fosters a conversational experience.<\/strong> Unlike an interview with a member of admissions, it is an invaluable opportunity to gauge the school\u2019s fit for you from someone who has been in your shoes. In \u00a0a typical year, you can expect to be matched up with two interviewers in your current city of residence (interviews are not held on campus). This year, however, many interviews will be virtual; depending on your location, you may be invited to interview in person or online.<\/p>\n Given that INSEAD draws upon a pool of thousands of alumni interviewers, there\u2019s a lot of variability in terms of format. And this is where it gets dynamic, because INSEAD gives its interviewers some latitude. The tone, style, context, and even length will often depend on your interviewer\u2019s personality and profession. Average length, for example, is about an hour. But some interviews can be as short as 30 minutes, while others range up to two hours long. One of my Fortuna Admissions<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0clients had an interview that topped four hours (that was pre-pandemic and in person, which can lend itself to longer chat time). This is unlikely \u2013 especially if your interview is conducted virtually \u2013 but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.<\/p>\n Given the high degree of variability, what can you expect and how should you prepare for the INSEAD MBA interview?<\/strong> Below are my top tips for preparing for a successful INSEAD interview, informed by my experience as a Fortuna expert coach and former assistant director of the INSEAD MBA program.<\/p>\n In addition to the top tips below, you can view my short video strategy session with Fortuna co-founder and former head of INSEAD Admissions, Caroline Diarte Edwards:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s common for alumni interviewers to open with, \u201cWalk me through your resume,\u201d or \u201cTell me about yourself.\u201d Your approximately one-minute\u00a0MBA elevator pitch<\/a>\u00a0should be a compelling and concise conversation opener<\/strong> that speaks to who you are, what you\u2019re passionate about, and what\u2019s driving you to pursue your business school degree. Your goal is to both create a positive first impression and open the door to further conversation by generating interest.<\/p>\n Given this format\u2019s variability, learn about your interviewers prior to the interview<\/strong> and hedge your bets with due diligence. At the minimum, do a Google search and check out their profile on LinkedIn. Taking the time to sleuth out what you might have in common can make for a useful ice-breaker.<\/p>\n Be prepared to answer 1) Why an MBA? and 2) Why INSEAD?<\/strong> These two questions are always asked. Alumni are the school\u2019s messengers and champions; you\u2019ll want to show the love by conveying a thoughtful and sincere understanding of its unique culture and values. Among other qualities, your interviewer is looking for your leadership potential, fit with the school and ability to connect the dots within your professional experience to why the INSEAD MBA is the ideal next step in advancing your highest aspirations.<\/p>\n International experience isn’t only an advantage, but a distinct criterion your interviewers will be assessing. You\u2019ll need to do more than enumerate your trips or adventures abroad. INSEAD wants evidence you\u2019ve learned from these experiences, that you\u2019ve gained interesting insights, cultural sensitivity, and curiosity for cultures beyond your own.<\/strong> Know that many short trips abroad count for less than extended stays, such as working or studying in another country, when you would\u2019ve had to adapt to different environments. If you haven\u2019t had the opportunity yet to work or study abroad for an extended period, you could also discuss the experiences you have had working with international teams, and most importantly, what insights you have gained about cross-cultural collaboration.<\/p>\n As Fortuna’s Cassandra Pittman underscores in her related article, How to Get Into INSEAD<\/a>, “Not everyone at INSEAD has a lot of international experience. But you must be able to demonstrate your ability to fit in well in an incredibly diverse environment, with qualities such as openness, flexibility, curiosity about other cultures, interpersonal skills, maturity \u2013 all these elements help.”<\/p>\n Your interviewer may or may not be taking notes, so practice your key selling points to ensure that what you convey is memorable and compelling (i.e. easy for them to remember when they\u2019re writing their report to the admissions team).<\/p>\n If there are any red flags in your profile, prepare to respond \u2014 such as a low GMAT score or gap in your job history<\/a>. Remember that you\u2019re here because the school sees something in you, but there might be one issue that they want to clarify. Meet any confrontation with confidence and poise<\/strong> (it\u2019s okay to take a breath and collect your thoughts). Some interviewers want to see if you can think on your feet or how you react when you\u2019re directly challenged.<\/p>\n This is your valuable opportunity to ask those nitty-gritty questions best fielded by someone who has gone through the program.<\/strong> When it\u2019s your turn to ask questions, use the opportunity wisely; don\u2019t make the mistake of asking questions about info easily found online. Remember that most people like to talk about themselves, so asking your interviewer about their own INSEAD experience is always a good topic for discussion.<\/p>\n While most of us have become seasoned at conducting Zoom calls, you want to ensure the best possible conditions if your INSEAD interview is taking place virtually. It should go without saying that your Internet connection should be flawless. Other technical considerations include excellent audio, lighting, and attention to your environment. As my Fortuna colleague Judith Silverman Hodara wrote in her recent post on Virtual MBA Interview Tips<\/a>:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cVideo is just as much about what you see as about what you hear. Make sure the space behind your camera is clear and uncluttered. Film yourself against a plain wall if possible, to keep the focus where it should be \u2013 on you. Any larger shot of your room in the background should be clean and organized.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n A big benefit of interviewing from home is that you can create the conditions to feel more relaxed <\/strong>\u2013 no one will know that you\u2019re wearing pajama bottoms below your suit jacket, for example, of if that you\u2019ve doused the room in calming essential oils.\u00a0That said, pay attention to your posture and other non-verbal cues<\/strong>, such as maintaining eye contact, hand gestures and energy. As Judith cautions, avoid watching the thumbnail of yourself onscreen (you can turn it off) and keep your eyes on your interviewer.<\/p>\n Being informed and prepared is the best way to feel confident and get the most from your interview. When the moment arrives, remember to smile and try to enjoy yourself. What you stand to gain from the experience \u2014 and the potential relationship \u2014 may extend far beyond your admission to the incoming class.<\/p>\n Melissa Jones<\/a><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0is an expert coach at MBA admissions coaching firm\u00a0<\/em>Fortuna Admissions<\/a><\/em><\/strong>\u00a0and former assistant director of the INSEAD MBA program.\u00a0For a candid assessment of your chances of admission\u00a0success at a top MBA program, sign up for\u00a0a free consultation<\/a>. If you already know what you want, you can sign up directly for MBA interview prep<\/a> with a Fortuna expert coach or explore all services<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The post Insider Tips for The INSEAD Interview<\/a> first appeared on Fortuna<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" INSEAD is among the top schools that enlist alumni to conduct MBA admissions interviews. In doing so, the Fontainebleau, France-based program strives to pair you with one alumnus of a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":160,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"1","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,1831,775,243],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-fortuna-admissions","category-admission-consultants","category-blog","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/160"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53737"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53737\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}8 Tips for a Successful MBA Interview with INSEAD<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Have your MBA elevator pitch at the ready.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Research your interviewers.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Connect the dots for them.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. Showcase your international experience.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. Make your points focused and persuasive.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6. Prepare to address any concerns.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
7.\u00a0<\/strong>Ask great questions.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
8. Adapt to the video medium.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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