We assume you may have already been invited to an interview for your desired MBA program. Congratulations! You have left a first positive impression. Up next is your opportunity to add color to your application’s black and white pages and convince the admissions committee in person that you are the right fit. When we say “opportunity”, we mean it. Far too often, candidates feel a sense of intimidation when preparing for the interview. Focusing on the potential of the interview, however, is far more helpful. With the right mindset, interview preparation may even be fun and lead to higher chances of success.
Know The Interview Process
We cannot emphasize it enough: it is vital that you look very closely at the requirements, structure and possible expectations for each interview. Many schools have very particular interview processes and with them come unique challenges for the applicant. For example, Harvard Business School and MIT are the only M7 schools in which your interviewer will typically have reviewed the intricacies of your application. At Stanford GBS on the other hand, your interview will be conducted by an alumnus who has only seen your résumé. Wharton Business School will ask you to participate in a team session aimed at solving a real-world business problem collaboratively. Yale and Kellogg have included a video essay element, asking you to spontaneously think on your feet and address questions. While an interview’s goal is always similar, the schools’ approaches vary significantly. We recommend that you analyze carefully which elements a school is likely to give most weight during the interview: motivation, skills, personality.
In this Part I, we will focus on the first of those three.
Link Your Experience With Your Goals
With a focus on motivation, the interview will require you to link your experience with the MBA program and goals beyond graduation. Sometimes, questions will draw a distinction between your short-term and long-term goals. In any case, however, it is crucial that you review your résumé carefully and recall the exact reasons for particular steps in your education and/or career. Once you reflect, ideally, you will begin to see a pattern that connects well with your motivation to apply for the MBA program.
In every MBA interview, you will then encounter, in one form or another: “What has motivated you to apply?” Our experience shows that most candidates have given their application some serious thought. Quite often, however, do candidates prepare lengthy answers that try to address every possible motivational aspect. While they may all be valid, we recommend that you structure your answer properly. Once again, reflect. Think carefully about each motivational aspect and try to find patterns. You may be passionate about the latest technology, improving customer service and helping to develop the “next big game changer” in your industry. While you could run your interviewer through all aspects, first consider a theme that ties them together and allows you to boil it down to one sentence: “I feel incredibly passionate about the future of X.” The statement is clear, bold, and true for each aspect introducing the interviewer to your answer. It is also memorable and sparks interest in what you are about to say. Then, you are free to explain in detail, what specifically makes you so passionate about the MBA program and how it can help your personal and professional development.
Some Incoherence Is Okay
If your résumé’s pattern is not completely coherent, do not worry. It is normal that certain aspects of your past stand out and do not align. In fact, they may just be what makes you an interesting candidate in the first place. Be prepared, however, to have the interviewer ask respective, sometimes critical questions: “What prompted you to take on such a broad range of jobs?” The question does require some preparation. You may have just taken on such broad range of jobs, because you simply did not know what exactly you wanted to do at the time. However, with such an answer, the interviewer may feel like the MBA program may just be yet another step without due consideration. The key here is to dig a bit deeper. Were you uncertain if you would like a particular industry? Did you feel a desire to move to different cities and explore within a short period of time? With honesty and a properly reasoned answer, you can turn this tricky question into a real “opportunity”. Consider: “In all honesty, both industries appeared unbelievably exciting to me at the time. After working at X for about a year, however, I realized that there was a mismatch between my skillset and professional goals, and the day-to-day requirements of the job. It was a difficult decision, but it helped me to truly understand what my passion is.” Here, you are opening up to the interviewer, come across as approachable and honest, and as a person that can turn difficult situations into positive outcomes. You allude to everyone’s potential to misjudge at times, making your answer relatable for the interviewer.
Conclusion
In sum, it is best to tackle critical questions about your motivation openly and add a positive tone to your answer. As your motivation may be manifold, urge yourself to develop a structured approach to spark the interviewer’s interest, show intellectual ability and make your overall argument stronger. In such a well-structured context, each aspect of your motivation will automatically seem more logical and make a more profound impact.
We hope you found our tips on the motivational questions of your MBA interview helpful. Stay tuned for our Part 2 in which we will focus on questions regarding your skills and achievements.
Reach out to us for a free consultation to learn how our services can support you in the application process.