The MBA interview is your one and only chance to make a good impression.
Up until now, you have only presented yourself on paper to your target MBA programs, but now they are calling you in. Whether for invitation-only interviews or scheduled interviews, it is unlikely you will find your way into a program without at least some kind of in-person consultation with the admissions crew. You must be sure to make the best impression possible if you want to advance towards a decision in your favor.
Showing up on campus means beginning with the basics: be on time, dress appropriately and be prepared.
I am always shocked to hear about people showing up late to an MBA interview. This is inexcusable and will definitely make a poor impression. Being on time in business school is akin to being on time in business. It’s expected. If you’re not early, you’re late, so do whatever it takes to ensure you arrive on time. If it means going a day early and doing a dry run, then so be it. College campuses are notoriously difficult to navigate. Buildings are not labeled well and parking is a nightmare by definition. These are things even the average person knows, and being a candidate for their business school means you are above average. Translation: you won’t make the kind of rookie mistake of being late. Period.
Vestis Virum Facit--Clothes make the man (or the woman).
What to wear is always up for debate, but the easy answer is, the school will tell you what to wear. Always take schools at face value. It’s not a trick to see if you will wear a suit if they say business casual. If they don’t tell you, wear a suit. If they say business casual, don’t wear a tie. Looks like you’re trying too hard. But dressing well is always important, whether it be formal, casual or something in-between. Make sure your clothes are pressed and clean of course, and try to wear something current, but not too fashionable. You want to look nice without standing out, so don’t be garish our outlandish. No cufflinks or tab collars. Ladies should not wear fur or excessive jewelry. Go easy on cologne or perfume.
Like the Boy Scouts, Be Prepared.
Preparing for the interview takes the most time---or at least it should. Go over your application in detail to make sure you remember which version of your story you sent to the interviewing school. Research the most common interview questions (we will be posting some of these to make it easy). Don’t memorize answers, but have anecdotes and stories to illustrate key attributes (such as leadership, teamwork and when you’ve failed at something). For some reason, business schools all want to hear you talk about failures. Maybe it’s because failing is a sign of maturity and experience, both of which are valuable attributes for business school. And make sure you come with a list of really good questions to ask them too. Saying you “guess you’ve covered everything” when asked for questions will not make you look very thoughtful. In the end, you will hopefully have presented yourself in person as well as you clearly must have on paper. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be seeing you at all.
For information on how we can guide your business school application process, email us at mba@amerasiaconsulting.com or go to http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com/contact