The interview generally commences with you being asked to introduce yourself. The manner in which you do this is quite crucial-it is the first window that the Interview panel has into you. Some studies have shown that many panels form an opinion of the candidate in just a few minutes (or even seconds), so first impressions are vital.
How can you do a good job in introducing yourself? Keep in mind the following:
I suggest that you write down the major points of what you propose to state in your Introduction. Try and make it of interest to the panel.
Candidates should revise their Academics. The fundamentals/ basics of the subjects you have studied during your graduation and their applications could be asked.
With the benefit of experience, I have seen that often candidates are asked to specify their favourite subjects and are asked questions on these. So think about which subjects you are ready to answer questions on!
Think about the practical applications of all that you have learnt. This is particularly important for students from an Economics/ Commerce background, who could be asked about latest developments from the world of business and how these relate to the subjects that they have studied.
Besides just asking about your role in the company where you work, the panel could probe candidates on the following aspects:
In addition, I suggest that you remain aware of some basic facts and figures about your company and the industry in which it operates.
It is strongly suggested to read a newspaper every day. It may not be enough to pick up the newspaper only on weekends or only twice or thrice a week/ or merely glance through the headlines-you will struggle to grasp what you read.
For example, if you were reading about the Satyam fraud, which was covered in every newspaper almost every day for 2-3 weeks, it may be difficult to pick up what exactly is happening without knowing the genesis of the issue, when the story first broke.
Besides a newspaper, a good ‘general news’ magazine with a sufficient level of detail (such as ‘Frontline’) may be useful.
I suggest that you think about these-don’t just mug up and repeat some answer that appears good.
For answering this, I suggest you read a little about the MBA course. Why are you interested in pursuing these subjects? In your answer, you could talk about the subjects that you are interested in or the methodology-the use of Case Studies, ‘live projects’ with companies, the summer placement experience, interactions with people working in the corporate sector through guest lectures etc.
Be genuine: do not invent hobbies! I also suggest that you read a little about your hobby or interest area.
Next, keep track of the latest important developments in your area of interest. It could be a change of rules in a sport, for example. Or some Indian doing well at the world stage etc.
Once again, be genuine about these. Be ready to be asked to substantiate what you say with examples: when did you demonstrate this strength? For weaknesses, you could also speak about how you are trying to address this.
Candidates need to be careful here about mentioned a weakness that could prove to be a serious impediment to their selection.
The author, an MBA from IIM Calcutta, has been involved in MBA coaching for over five years. He is an English and GD-PI expert at MBAGuru, India’s fastest growing CAT coaching institute. He has also written the best-selling ‘An Introduction to CAT-Tips from an IIM Alumnus’ published by Pearson Education. He can be contacted at bsiddharth_2001@yahoo.co.in
Link to his book: http://www.pearsoned.co.in/web/books/9788131729694-Introduction-to-CAT-Tips-from-an-IIM-Alumnus.aspx
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