Acing your Video Interview - Live Chat with ARINGO

Transcript from the live chat with Aringo on "Acing your Video interview"

Introduction of Aringo representatives.

• I’m Jen and I have worked in admissions for the past 8 years, ARINGO has been around for almost 20 years and we specialize it helping you leverage your experience in your application as well as your interview.
  
• I am Chaya - I’ve been with Aringo for 6 years, working in admissions for 8 as well.

How different are video assessments for scholarships"? What to expect generally?

Video assessments are looking to get to know the real you and how you fit scholarship criteria - pretty similar to interview assessments. You should be prepared with situations that highlight why you are a good fit for the scholarship.

Can you elaborate on what the adcoms look for in Video Interview? Especially in the timed video questions.

Adcoms are looking for comprehension and quick response, fit for the program, how you conduct yourself and also English proficiency

Is having 10 years of job experience a problem to have admission?

It really depends. If you’ve switched careers, this can make sense. In general though, people with 10+ years’ experience should either be applying to EMBAs or be very clearly transitioning to another industry or function.

How Adcom judges mispresentation or overpresentation of job experience during interview.

Ideally, you should not be in this situation, as there shouldn’t be a reason to over represent. It’s very important to stick to the truth and to trust that your accomplishments are worthwhile! If you worry that something in your resume might be misunderstood, or if you’ve gone too far with some of your claims, wait for them to ask, and correct with context.

In the present situation, how are the chances for an Indian in the R3 and R4 rounds of European schools?

There are still good chances and European schools for international candidates, they generally have better odds in later rounds than US programs. They will likely have deferrals from admitted students and be open to well qualified international candidates (in many cases they are offering conditional admit with GMAT scores pending).

How to approach the alumni video interview? (vs the previous face to face over a cafe)

Essentially, the biggest barrier to overcome in the digital setting is distance. You need to do a little more to engage the interviewer, as your non-verbal queues will be harder to pick up on via video. I suggest practicing with friends over skype or zoom. They can tell you how your "on-screen" presence is and whether you are managing to make it feel like a face-to-face interaction

For recording a video essay, what should I wear? Do I have to wear a suit?

Great question - for video essay schools are wanting to get to know the real you, so you are welcome to be more business casual, versus professional attire. For all other video interactions, I’d recommend professional attire - suit/blazer

For non-native English speakers what part do speaking confidence play during the interview.

Confidence is going to be key. You don’t have to be as focused on exact terms as you do being able to communicate your point - but do it in a concise manner when you are timed! - Jen

How "formal" has to be our conversation in a video interview? Can we lead or we have to let the adcom/alumni?

You should allow for the interviewer to lead the conversation. They are the ones with the rubric for the assessment, so they will guide the conversation to meet these objectives. If you feel that you didn’t get to say something, there usually is 5 mins at the end for questions or comments.

The professional attire definition of suit/blazer has a wide range sometimes (sorry I’m a consultant); would be limited to business formal suit with white/blue shirt? What about tie? Vest? Those details matter (or better not to overdress)?

Suit and tie (vest optional, not required), shirt color shouldn’t be too bright, but does not have to be simply white or blue - try to show your personality - your tie could have golfers or ships on it. For women, blouse or dress with blazer.

When I first introduce myself to the interviewer - should I stick to the professional aspects?

Great question. When you speak about the professional, you should really also be speaking about the personal, in terms of your values and your reflections on your experience. Be sure to have "why" statements attached to everything, even your introduction.

I wanted to know if you think it makes sense to mention coronavirus during the interview. Do you think the interviewer will expect me to say how I would manage a business in such a scenario?

We’ve been hearing from our round 3 candidates the interviewers are asking about corona and other emergency situations! They are also asking other questions around this topic, on sustainability, crisis management, and ethics. Definitely prepare for this! - Chaya

How bad does it look if I couldn’t complete my answer in time?

Adcoms are looking for you to be able to communicate in a concise manner. That is why it is good to have a few situations outlined in your mind to quickly draw from. Try to use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) technique to keep you on track. To get good at this, we recommend mock interviews with constructive feedback. I’ll add that if this does happen, don’t let it throw you off your game! Recover! This is also something the Adcom will look for. If you make a mistake, (which we all do) how do you handle it?

Do you recommend to have handy a written structure or other prepared materials for the interview?

You can have it there, but its best to practice. We have sample questions on our site that will help you practice (https://www.aringo.com/interview-common-questions/ ) We also offer interview prep with school-specific intelligence - you can email me JeniferT@ARINGO.com to discuss more

What kinds of questions should I ask at the end of the interview?

You should prepare 2-3 questions to ask the interviewer and they will change a little based on who your interviewer is. Ask about student life - specific club you are interested in, life in the college town, and anything you actually want to know. If you will be attending and a significant other is going with you, ask about how they are integrated into the cohort. If it an alumni, ask them the favorite part of the program was or how they have leveraged the network since graduation.

What part did the country of origin of interviewee play in minds of interviewers?

Really interesting question. I think the interview is a perfect setting to share little-known facts and reflections about your country of origin. That being said, the interviewer is likely to be rather worldly - they may have a surprising amount of information about your country and want to ask you about your experience. Either way, you shouldn’t try to divorce your place of origin from your identity - even if it’s to say that you don’t agree with the way things are where you grew up. Place should be included as part of who you are and you should strive to be clear about how it’s influenced you

Country of origin shouldn’t play as big of a role in your interview - you got the interview and the school thinks there is potential. You should try to focus on what makes you or your experience unique. EX: If you’ve been working in oil fields in remote locations, you need strong communication skills, be able to work under time constraints, and work with diverse teams from across the globe.

What should be the nature of an applicant’s tone while answering the interviewer’s questions?

I wouldn’t try to "strike a tone." Focus on telling stories and being yourself. When you try too hard to come across as one quality in particular, it actually ends up being inauthentic. If you are asked about a failure, your tone should be humble. When asked about what you are curious about, you would naturally be excited. Be yourself, tell your truth.

If you cannot afford MBA without a scholarship should you share the same to adcoms?

Programs understand that financing is a big hurdle for candidates. In the application they typically ask for your current salary. This will likely suffice as to if you would qualify for "need-based" scholarship. You do not need to express this. Spend your time focusing on what you can add to the program from your professional and personal perspective and how that school is the best fit for your goals. Many schools have scholarship applications available post admit.

Thanks and regards