MBA Placement Preparation: Course, Tips, Interview Tips

MBA Job Interview Tips

Apart from an excellent profile and grades, one needs to take care of some basic interview etiquette for successful job placement. 

Given below are some Job interview tips to nail the B-School interview and emerge successful to begin an MBA Career.

• Research about the Company well: When you select a company to appear for their interview, make sure that you are aware of the job role being offered to you. You should be well informed about the background of the company and its history, newly launched products or services, their target group and aspects. You should be well versed in the facts related to the organization as the interviewer might also question you about the reason behind joining the company and your awareness level towards the prospective job opportunity.
• Find out about the Salary Structure: You must research thoroughly the placement packages which are offered to the post-graduate fresher (s). This would give you an idea about the salary trends in various industries. The recruiters usually declare the expected band of salary that you will be entitled to receive during the campus interview. But in case the recruiters do not mention the salary band in advance then do work on researching the trends of salary in the current industry for the respective profile you are opting for.
• Organize your Resume: Your resume exhibits the first impression of your personality on the recruiter. Your resume should reflect the pool of talent and strengths which can help you work for the growth of the organization. The resume should highlight your experience (if any), strengths, undertaken projects or internships, and personal details. The structure of the resume should be well organized and appealing to the recruiter. 
• Punctuality counts: The first impression is likely to be positive if you reach the venue on time or at least 10-15 minutes prior to the allotted time. Reaching late for the interview shows that you are not attentive to the minor details mentioned regarding the interview which will have a negative impact on the interviewers.
• Brush up your Basics: Recruiters often schedule an aptitude test round to select a pool of prospective applicants before conducting the personal interview round. This round determines whether you will qualify for the final interview. Hence it is important to excel in this round. You should research the common questions usually asked in the aptitude test. The exam topics usually include quant, logical reasoning, and data interpretation, and so on.
• Prepare Basic FAQs: There is a common set of questions that is asked in every interview apart from the technical questions. You can also list down such interview questions and prepare them accordingly.

The interviewer might end up asking about your weaknesses after reviewing your CV. You must be well versed and prepared to answer such questions and explain why you want to take up the job role.

See Also:

Non Technical Questions in MBA Interview

Some of the non-technical questions are:

1. Introduce yourself
2. Describe yourself using three words.
3. Tell me about a time you failed.
4. What motivates you?
5. What are your Strengths/ Weaknesses?
6. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
7. Do you have any questions for me?
8. Are you a team player?
9. Why should we hire you?
10. What do you know about our company?
11. Give us an example of a time you took a leadership role.
12. Walk me through your résumé.

Group Discussion Tips before MBA Job Interview

Group discussions can also be a part of a few campus placement procedures. Through this round, the employers usually want to assess how well you communicate, listen, convey your thoughts, and find out if you are well-versed in the topic

While you are part of a group discussion, focus on:

• Being a good listener: Being a good listener will help understand how to put forward what you think. The most important part is to show that you have the ability to speak in front of a group and for that, you must know when to exactly start. Listening will provide you the perfect opportunity for you to start saying what you think. 
• Speaking clearly and to the point: This will only be possible if you have rehearsed what you will say. You must have the proper knowledge and no go ahead in the discussion without thinking much. 
• No Blabbering: Blabbering can be avoided by well thought out sentences. Short sentences also help to put forward your viewpoint effectively. 
• Work on your Soft Skills: Since your fellow applicants are all MBA graduates, the resume will be similar and would contain similar degrees and qualifications. Hence it is very important for you to work on your interpersonal skills. Working on your soft skills can help you stand out among the rest of the candidates. These traits will determine how well you work within a team, your communication, stress management, time management, and others. 
•  Dress for the job you want: You should look presentable, dress formally and be confident while going for an interview. Proper dressing reflects your interest in joining the company.

See Also:

Tips for MBA Students During the Interview

Discussed below are a few tips that you must keep in check once you are at the venue of the interview and are ready to be interviewed by the panel of recruiters.

• Grace the Panel: You should always greet the interviewing panel before starting the interview. You can make a firm handshake with a genuine smile and maintain eye contact with the recruiter.
• Maintain the Body Posture: Body posture is observed by the recruiters while you sit for the interview. You should not slouch on the chair when you sit as it indicates your low self-confidence. Keep your head upright and stay calm and relaxed while conversing as it reflects your confidence.
• Be Polite yet Assertive: You should be polite while answering the interviewers and do not go overboard while expressing your views on a topic that interests you. Do not shout if your views are not in concurrence with your interviewer as they are there to explore the nuances of your personality. Use words of courtesy such as ‘Please’, ‘Thank You’ etc. in your talk whenever required.
• Be honest about your work: You should be honest about your achievements and work and not lie to the interviewer about the work that is not being done by you. If you were involved in team work for a project then talk only about the part you were associated with, this will lay emphasis on your teamwork skill. 
• Ask questions to the interviewer if required: Many recruiters give the candidate an opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification. You can ask about your roles, responsibilities and growth prospects of the job profile you are applying for. 
• Ace the Personal Interview: This is the make it or break it point of your interview. Your well-designed resume, common questions you prepared for, domain knowledge, and interpersonal skills will now be put under strict scrutiny.

What to do after completing the Interview 

• Do a follow-up with the HR Personnel: A follow-up call to someone in the human resource department exhibits your continued interest in a job opportunity. A survey study of Accountemps shows that HR Managers like to be contacted in the following manner:
  • Email - 87%
  • Phone Call - 81%
  • Handwritten Note - 38%
  • Social media - 27%
  • Text message - 10%

Hence, it is recommended that you choose either an email, phone call to contact the HR Personnel.

• Prepare for follow-up Interview: The follow-up interview is an indication of the good impression that you left in the initial meeting. The follow-up interview focuses more on getting to know you on both a personal and professional level.this is primarily conducted to affirm the employer’s decision of hiring you on-board.

These were a few tips that you will be requiring to ace your MBA placement interview. Try to keep a checklist of all the tips to nail the Job Interview and grab the right opportunity for building a successful managerial career.

How to prepare for MBA Summer Placements?

Some of the things that students must do in order to crack MBA Summer Placements are:

• Know about the company
• Have prove hardskills
• Analyse case studies
• Go for Practise Interviews