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05 Mar 2010, 22:28
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at the risk of being redundant, here's my own interview experience, which may help other people...
had it just yesterday, which is relatively late in the process, because 1. the admits committee took awhile to contact me, and 2. when they finally did, they gave me an interviewer I knew personally (classmate from school a few years back). I had to tell admits committee, and they said they'd look for another alum.
the interview was very relaxed indeed, much like most others' experience here. the usual gamut of questions were there: why LBS, why now, etc. what other schools did you apply to?
here's where i think i differed slightly. in between those "standard" questions, he'd ask random questions about the country's economy, my country's current presidential election period, environmental issues, george bush's stand on iraq and afghanistan, MBA grads' roles in precipitating the crisis, etc.
it's a good thing i actually read a lot, and i was able to answer those questions fairly well, with a good deal of cogent analysis. can't imagine what would have happened otherwise... but those kinds of questions don't seem to be standard for other interviewers. anyway, heads up - it could happen, so best brush up on current events, if you aren't abreast of issues.
i felt like i did rather well throughout the interview: it felt like a conversation - though admittedly one sided - than an interview. then again, we will never know until the 25th, i guess. good luck to all of us. nothing to do now but wait until the 25th.
poch
had it just yesterday, which is relatively late in the process, because 1. the admits committee took awhile to contact me, and 2. when they finally did, they gave me an interviewer I knew personally (classmate from school a few years back). I had to tell admits committee, and they said they'd look for another alum.
the interview was very relaxed indeed, much like most others' experience here. the usual gamut of questions were there: why LBS, why now, etc. what other schools did you apply to?
here's where i think i differed slightly. in between those "standard" questions, he'd ask random questions about the country's economy, my country's current presidential election period, environmental issues, george bush's stand on iraq and afghanistan, MBA grads' roles in precipitating the crisis, etc.
it's a good thing i actually read a lot, and i was able to answer those questions fairly well, with a good deal of cogent analysis. can't imagine what would have happened otherwise... but those kinds of questions don't seem to be standard for other interviewers. anyway, heads up - it could happen, so best brush up on current events, if you aren't abreast of issues.
i felt like i did rather well throughout the interview: it felt like a conversation - though admittedly one sided - than an interview. then again, we will never know until the 25th, i guess. good luck to all of us. nothing to do now but wait until the 25th.
poch
06 Mar 2010, 03:24
Kudos
Bookmarks
I second that; unless your interviewer specifically instructs you otherwise, business formal is your safest -and expected- approach.
snowinTX
)
06 Mar 2010, 04:44
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This is a little late but here's mine
Met my interviewer - British citizen now living in Asia - at his office for around 75 mins. He heads a non-traditional niche consulting firm - relating to both my immediate and long-term goals. So the bulk of the interview was a conversation around that. He was very down-to-earth and friendly and did not really stick to any of the standard questions. The interview weaved in and out of topics - in hindsight I should've actively controlled it better and injected more stories and anecdotes to boost particular points. Much more of a converation than a formal interview. I explicitly asked him about the dress code in my email - "business attire" was the code and I went in a suit minus the tie. He was dressed in casual business attire.
Most of the conversation as I said hinged on his sector and we discussed how it differed globally. Rather than talk about the finer points which won't really be relevant to others, I thought I'd point out key points you can look out /prepare for that I realised I could've done better:
1. Control the conversation - make sure you have points/areas/anecdotes/examples you want to highlight and weave them in even if you are digressing here and there. It will help throughout.
2. The presentation - Mine required me to place myself in the position of a CEO. Be ready for a scenario where you'll have to respond as a very senior official - corporate or government (I remember seeing "Sarkozy" in the text of a question) This was something I wasn't really prepared for. The other thing is that I spoke and gave my opinion and then asked for feedback to open it up. He merely smiled and said this was just a one-sided presentation and not really for debate. In hindsight, I should've gone into more detail. My advice is to go into as much detail as you can - think out aloud for every step.
3. Team leadership experience and extracurricular - Had one question on each and sufficed to talk about my resume experience.
Overall I think it really helps to go in the frame of mind of the experience being a conversation than an interview, even if it turns out to be very structured.
I'm sure you guys will do really well. All the best and let's all meet up in LBS!
Met my interviewer - British citizen now living in Asia - at his office for around 75 mins. He heads a non-traditional niche consulting firm - relating to both my immediate and long-term goals. So the bulk of the interview was a conversation around that. He was very down-to-earth and friendly and did not really stick to any of the standard questions. The interview weaved in and out of topics - in hindsight I should've actively controlled it better and injected more stories and anecdotes to boost particular points. Much more of a converation than a formal interview. I explicitly asked him about the dress code in my email - "business attire" was the code and I went in a suit minus the tie. He was dressed in casual business attire.
Most of the conversation as I said hinged on his sector and we discussed how it differed globally. Rather than talk about the finer points which won't really be relevant to others, I thought I'd point out key points you can look out /prepare for that I realised I could've done better:
1. Control the conversation - make sure you have points/areas/anecdotes/examples you want to highlight and weave them in even if you are digressing here and there. It will help throughout.
2. The presentation - Mine required me to place myself in the position of a CEO. Be ready for a scenario where you'll have to respond as a very senior official - corporate or government (I remember seeing "Sarkozy" in the text of a question) This was something I wasn't really prepared for. The other thing is that I spoke and gave my opinion and then asked for feedback to open it up. He merely smiled and said this was just a one-sided presentation and not really for debate. In hindsight, I should've gone into more detail. My advice is to go into as much detail as you can - think out aloud for every step.
3. Team leadership experience and extracurricular - Had one question on each and sufficed to talk about my resume experience.
Overall I think it really helps to go in the frame of mind of the experience being a conversation than an interview, even if it turns out to be very structured.
I'm sure you guys will do really well. All the best and let's all meet up in LBS!
