Friday, May 13, 2005
Interviews (Cont'd)
My interviews with CEIBS and HKUST were both via phone while my RSM interview was with a local alumnus. For the most part, your location will determine whether it will be a phone or in person interview (unless you’re willing to fly out to the school). For a phone interview I think it’s a little harder to have a “great” interview since you’re not face-to-face and it’s harder to make a notable impression. However, the phone interview does pose some advantages:
- You can prepare in advance any questions you have when the interviewer inevitably asks, “Do you have any questions for us?” or have any materials in front of you that you may need like your resume, application essays, school brochure, etc.
- You can pace around like a madman and they are none the wiser. I did exactly this, gesturing wildly as I talked. Its probably better that I stop here with this one.
- If you’re super-ugly and smell, you’re probably better off over the phone.
- It’s harder for them to tell if you’re drunk.
Regardless of your interview method, just remember they want you to talk about yourself, which for most of us is pretty easy. Be honest without sabotaging yourself. Otherwise, the interviews were generally similar and I really got no curveballs, which I was expecting. I’ve heard of some bschool interviews involving a case study. At the end of my RSM interview, my alumni interviewer stated that he was sufficiently impressed that we would skip that part (which I had no idea was coming!). So this is an area I can’t really comment on. I imagine it involves the reading of a short case and a quick analysis of the issues and possible solutions. But that’s all I got. After I dodged that bullet, though, I was kind of curious what it would be like and was a little disappointed it didn’t turn up in any of my interviews.
Oh, CEIBS asked me to speak a little bit of Mandarin (I put on my application that I was trying to learn), which they didn’t understand. So, I’m 0 for 2 in that department (I tried to demonstrate my skills to a co-worker and was presented with a blank stare. Not good!).
Questions???
