bseb wrote:
Thanks a lot for your insight Redneck2011. I received an interview invite and the LBS interview definitely makes me nervous. The fact that the interviewer has access to the entire application kind of scares me. I will only have 4 years of work experience by September. So I'm definitely expecting a few questions about that. Do you have any advice?
Thanks all! Glad to help anyway I can. Do keep in mind that there's a good chance you won't get someone who drills you on your weaknesses. I wouldn’t want everybody to think that LBS comes down hard on every interviewee. There seems to be high variability in how the interviews can go. Again, it depends on your interviewer’s personality/preference.
My thoughts on the best ways to prepare are as follows. First, read through your application several times so you know every detail. You’ll want to remain consistent in your answers, and your interviewer may choose to ask some pointed questions.
Second, have a good handle on the more traditional MBA questions, as you’re very likely (my experience excepted) to encounter some of them. Clear Admit's LBS Interview guide is a good reference. The more insightful stories you have from work to address these questions, the better.
Finally, take some time to anticipate potential weaknesses in your application, and then think about how you would address them. But always keep in mind that weaknesses are okay. If they were seriously problems, LBS wouldn’t be interviewing you in the first place. If your interviewer chooses to go into your weaknesses, the best way to overcome them is to either sell yourself in spite of them or demonstrate how you can overcome them. Zidoas & bseb, in the case of your shorter careers, for example, your interviewer could hypothetically try to test the value of your work experience by asking extensively about how you plan to draw from it to contribute in class. Having solid ideas for club contribution and how your career experience will be valuable in class could overcome this. Obviously, I can’t think of every example you might encounter, but hopefully you get the idea.
Happy to talk with anybody further on chat or over PM.
Cheers!