After months of preparation for CAT, MAT, JMET, SNAP and for other written examination its time of the year when you are gearing yourself for group discussions & interviews. To guide you throughout the process we at studentstips.com will shed light on important topics like
Tips for facing Personal Interview Round during the Admissions in CAT and other Reputed B-schools:
Basic Questions on your Resume/application:
Application/Resume:
The first thing the interviewer sees is the application of you so review your application and be ready for the questions asked by the interviewer related to your application.
Ready to explain your interests:
Be ready to provide examples and be clear , open and honest.
Be ready to ask question to the interviewer:
You must also be ready to ask questions to the interviewer if it is needed so be prepared.
Maintain your body language:
Watch your non verbal clues, such as eye contact, posture, and fidgeting and be polite .
Fifteen tips to face the personal interview in CAT Exams and other B-school Admissions:
Even after months of preparation, some candidates do not perform well inside the interview room. The trick is to follow a few commandments mentioned below & practice them during mock interview sessions diligently. You are sure to crack the personal interview.
Listen and speak:
Listen carefully. Wait a second or two before you answer. And don’t dive into the answer!
Be clear:
Speak clearly what you mean to answer. Don’t be in a hurry to answer , just take a second club your answer and reply. no problem.
Speak on the point and don’t drag on to other issue: Speak on the point. Don’t drag into other issue , it may result in negative impact on the interviewer towards you when you are over talkative. Take care
Say No, if you don’t know :
If you don’t know an answer, say no and don’t be tensed and also don’t answer wrongly.
Never boast about your achievements : Don’t be so excited to explain your achievements and you need to answer in the way that you will achieve more in the future by studying in there prospective College.
Don’t Argue with the interviewer: Don’t get into unnecessary argument with the interviewer and please make a control on your emotions while speaking in the interview or Group discussion.If you are not intended to agree with the point of interviewer say politely that you don’t agree with him for so and so reason that’s all.
Be polite :
Always be polite and Please don’t try to pretend too much , just be normal and follow general etiquette
Project enthusiasm :
Be ready to show your interest to join in there esteemed college and this shows your interest towards there college.
Always smile: Even though you couldn’t answer properly don’t bring tension on your face and just always add a smile on your face through out the interview and this can be a plus point for you.
Maintain perfect eye contact with all panel members : Don’t be afraid of the Interview. Just make an eye contact with all the panel members and make yourself free thinking that you are talking to your elders and answering all the questions.
Avoid using slang :
Many of the students are habituated to slangs. Please don’t do that in interview. You can avoid it by mock interviews conducted between your friends.
Avoid frequent use of words and phrases: Please don’t over use words and phrases like, ‘I mean’; ‘You know’; ‘I know’; ‘Well’; ‘As such’; ‘Fine’; ‘Basically’, etc. This can cause negative impact on you.
Speak in the language that you are asked for :
When questions are asked in English, reply in English only. Do not use Hindi or any other languages. Avoid using Hindi words like matlab, ki, maine, etc.
If you want to ask question ask freely:
Feel free to ask questions if necessary and you need to ask only important questions and not unnecessary questions.
Don’t pretend:
Please don’t pretend and be natural what you are and be successful in your interview.
Common things to be done before facing the interview Round during the CAT Admission and other B- Schools Admissions:
Do your homework
Prepare your answers well and if possible get it reviewed by an experienced person from the same field.
Don’t Waste Time
Don’t waste time discussing things that are already indicated on your application. You can elaborate if the topic illustrates something about your character and preparedness for the b-school experience, but do not be redundant.
Most common questions and tips to answer during the interview Round for CAT admission and other B-schools admission:
Q. Tell me some thing about yourself.
This is how most interviews begin and this is one question you cannot afford to be unprepared for. This is the question that is asked to make you comfortable for the environment. Remember that the first impression you create is very important. When asked to say “something about yourself”, most candidates just blurt out their schooling, college, marks and qualifications.All this is already there in the application. Why tell the interviewer something he/she already knows. Ideally, you would want to use this opportunity to show how you are different from the thousands of other applicants, not to blend in to the crowd.To frame a good answer it is always helpful to know what is it that the interviewer wants to know about you.
Include your strengths and achievements, hobbies. This will help you to divert the attention of the panel towards your interests.
Q. Why do you want to join this institute?
This is one question you should answer honestly and pragmatically. Ideally you should choose an institute based on certain criteria. Such as Ranking/ placements, Courses offered, Fee, Location
Do some reasearch, ask from your seniors. An informed analysis of the institute can convince the interviewer that you are sincerely interested.
Q. Which other institutes have you applied to?
This is a question that is very much linked to the previous question. For example, if you say that you had chosen IRMA because you have a flair for Rural Marketing and while answering this question you don’t mention the name of other institutes known to offer quality course in Rural Marketing you are in trouble. So these two questions are to be prepared simultaneously avoiding conflicts in answers.
Q. How will you add value to this institute if you make it through?
This is an opportunity to showcase your strengths but remember it is essential that your strengths should be supported by related achievements.Give a real life example to convince the panel.
Your background and circumstances can also be your strengths and can be used as equally important points in supporting your answer.
Remember, an achievement doesn’t necessarily mean a prize. It can also be your successfully coming out of a crisis situation or you managing to run a small project with your friends.
Q. What do you consider your greatest weakness?
Be careful: Don’t reveal your weakness that show impact on your career and answer logically. For example, if you are overweight, you may mention – “I have been trying to shed weight for the last few years but couldn’t do it still and working hard to lose weight.” The answer should be framed so that it does not reflect badly on your career thus far, or your future career.
Talk about a true weakness and show what you are doing to overcome it. For example: If you don’t have a habit of planning your things then you say it and say that now you are using a pocket diary to make a list of things that to be done on that day.
Q. Why have you chosen this career?
This is an area where a mature and realistic answer is expected. People choose their career based on several reasons, such as:
What is your aptitude?
What kind of a social, professional and personal environment do you desire?
What is your background and achievements?
What motivates you?
What activities do you enjoy?
Q. What is the last book you read?
Many experts would tell you that you should know the ins and out of the books and everything about the author and his writing style. If you know these facts, it can’t hurt, but if you are not the kind of a person who would research the background and other facts about books, but read for fun, it is okay to mention it. The only thing is that your answer should be natural, convincing and rational.
For example, if the interviewer asks you for more detail about the author you may just reply.
“I’m sorry but I haven’t read much about the author. But I liked this book because…”
Q. How will your contribute to this campus if we select you?
This is a question that directly relates to your strengths and aspiration. Take this as an opportunity to showcase the various qualities that you possess which may benefit the college, academically, culturally or in any other way.
Q. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
This is not when you start throwing in fancy designations. Instead, concentrate on the kind of roles people in those designations are expected to play. If the question specifically asks for your professional goals then stick to it, otherwise it is a good idea to balance it with your personal goals.
Q. Who is your role model?
Your role model can be anyone a public figure or even someone from your family. It is a good idea to know a lot about the person you would make your role model. It is important to focus on the qualities that inspire you and how you try to inculcate those qualities in yourself. It is always important to tell why s/he is different from her/his peers.
Q.If you had to live your life over again, what one thing would you change?
Focus on a key turning point in your life or missed opportunity. Yet also tie it forward to what you are doing to still seek to make that change.
For example: “Although I’m overall very happy with where I’m at in my life, the one aspect I likely would have changed would be focusing earlier on my chosen career. I had a great internship this past year and look forward to more experience in the field. I simply wish I would have focused here earlier.
For example, I learned on my recent internship…” …then provide examples.
Stay focused on positive direction in your life and back it up with examples.
Q. Do your have any questions for me?
“No” would be a bad answer. It is good to have a few questions that relate to the academic and cultural environment of the institution. This will show your enthusiasm.