It’s always been hard for aspiring candidates to make their way to their dream MBA School. There is lot to take on and even more to nail out that always seems to be a cumbersome task. Public fear is a human nature and when you are surrounded with some genius people, you always get fret about your appearance, body language, communication skills and everything that keeps you forward.
However, there are certain preparation methods which one can follow to stand out in an MBA group interview or of a top business school like ISB interview. Group interviews by and large are designed to test a candidate in a social situation whilst under pressure. It’s more about highlighting your leadership qualities and analyzing your decision making skills to rapport with the strangers, and testing your team work as well as interpersonal skills.
Appearance matters a lot
‘First impression is the last impression’ so before you step out into the interview hall, the very first thing which interviewers will notice is your appearance. So make sure that you are wearing decent clothes, have a good haircut and present yourself professionally where women can go for an executive looks wearing Skirt or pants, blazer or over white blouse.
Be on time/punctuality
If there is anything common that takes you towards your goal i.e. discipline where punctuality remains supreme. It doesn’t mean you should reach the venue spot 2-3 early but yeah, you must be on time. Don’t keep the schedule too hectic, get some spared time to work on yourself, like appearance or interview preparation.
Keep patience
You must hold this throughout the entire session right from the start of interview to end of the session. While the interviewer is busy in checking your schedule for the interaction, you should peacefully wait till your name is announced. Even if any candidate is not in the list, the interviewer will soon realize it so you should not be panic in that case. Also, wait for the interviewer to indicate you where you should be asked for the group discussion (GD).
Relax! Take a chill pill
Leading business schools such as ISB generally seek for the candidates who are self-confident and nervousness is its opposite. So don’t let others see your conscious part. Don’t wait for the time for the formal introductions to get to know others during interview. They want to see whether you can be comfortable in a group of strangers or not.
Show some good manners
As soon as the group discussion starts, it’s perpetually a race to check out who speak first. Generally, most of the candidates have a belief that they are illustrating their leadership qualities by talking first, loudest and fastest. But it’s not like that. It may seem like taking initiative but mostly, it seems like bullying, disregard or arrogance for courtesy and good manners.
Demonstrate that leader inside you
To make your way to any leading business schools, leadership traits are always important that interviewers generally realize during a group discussion. It’s always very hard to demonstrate, that you literally hold those traits. Also, don’t forget that leadership doesn’t mean dominance. It’s really not about hogging the limelight. Leadership is more about involving the other members of the discussions. Leaders are also team players and always good listeners.
Don’t behave like a recorder
Everything you speak should look natural, like you know it, you live it. Don’t let interviews notice that you are a reading machine. Be confident and answer anything like you already know it with full confidence.
Best of Luck!