ISB has been rated as the finest b-school in India in 2024 by financial times and we completely second that!
ISB is an Indian b-school at par with most international schools with respect to faculty quality, research & academia, diversity, gender representation and of course the pool of experienced candidates. These factors make it quite understandable as to why the school receives thousands of potential applications every year.
Read on for some tips on how cracking this interview can be made simple this season:
Practice makes a man or a woman perfect!
Even basic questions like ‘ tell us something about yourself’ can be prepared for in advance and regular practice will help structure thoughts better and radiate confidence
Honest over pretentious
Most of the interviewers are alumni themselves and have been in your exact same shoes few years ago. Hence, it becomes easier to identify the genuine from the fake. No one expects you to be a great swimmer, a national level sports player, a social influencer, a team lead with crazy GMAT score and a philanthropist at heart! So trying to show that you have a little bit of everything, it would be great if you can genuinely showcase what all are your strengths and weaknesses honestly
Everyone loves crisp
Keeping your answers short does not mean you do not have enough to say! It only means that you can construct and articulate your thoughts clearly well and in short. Crisp answers in a way highlight that you respect the interviewers’ time
Open conversation is key
Stay calm and look at the interview as a conversation. If you need clarification or time to think, feel free to say so. Believing that this interview is the be-all & end-all of everything is going to put you under a lot of unnecessary pressure. So converse rather than just answer!
Interviews are a two-way process
Ask intelligent questions to the interviewers about your joining apprehensions, life at ISB, life after ISB, their experiences with ISB and the likes. An interview is a dialogue and not just a Q&A.
Good listening makes you a better speaker
Listen intently to their questions and make sure you avoid extra details or tangential answers. In case the questions are not clear, feel free to clarify
Expect the wrong turn!
An interview can never always go in the direction you expected it to go. So try and not get hassles by the unexpected turn of events. Anything that catches the interviewers’ attention about your story can lead them to probe further. But this is only to clarify things further and not necessarily to negate or discourage
Game of tones!
Some interviewers like to see how you are doing in a pressured situation and so might refute some of your claims but the mantra here is not lose your calm and maintain a steady welcoming tone. Do not get aggressive or pushy to drill down your points. Remember: sometimes just winning an argument is not winning at all!
Research is rewarded
Lastly knowing finer details of ISB like its clubs, scholarship programs, innovation labs, faculty and academic details etc would take you places. Digital research and some chats with ISB alumni from your network not only showcases how keen you are in the school but also highlights your ability to be well prepared
Finally, I would like to add that the very fact you have received an interview call means ISB considers you have potential. So go out there and prove them right. Good luck!
Guest Author:
Graduated from ISB Co’15. 6+ years of industry experience in sales & marketing. Has been recruiting from the top 6 b-schools of India for 3+ years. Apart from nuances of digital marketing and consumer psychology, she is keen on mentoring b-school aspirants.
ISB interview experiences
Here are some interview experiences which might be interesting to read and helpful to you –