LBS interview experience of an ol timer..

Disclaimer: My LBS interview happened three years back so though I dont think alot would have changed but nevertheless...

The first thing I remember about LBS interview was that it was looooonngggg, 3 hours! I remember, my ISB interview was the next day and when that got over in 15 mins I was like "Vov what happened?" I had assumed that all Bschool interviews are so loong! An alum had taken it in Blore (windsor manor). He was very warm, very sweet and made me feel absolutely comfortable. He had read my profile and application so well that as soon as I entered he wished me "Belated Happy Birthday" cause my birthday was the day before :)

Then started the grill....

Now, the LBS interview is very structured. They have well defined 'sections' they test you on like 'Leadership', 'Teamwork', 'Internationalism' etc and for each section they have specific questions they ask. The questions can be like "tell me an example when you had to resolve a conflict" ..and they go deep with it..not in a grilling fashion but more like a discussion. So alot of stress on 'real life' experiences

Alot of questions come straight out of essays. My interviewer had all my essays and i could see markings and comments made on the essays. So knowing what I had written in my essays and being able to talk about it confidently was an advantage. Alot of questions were also related to 'general and industry awareness' and of course there was the famous 'why MBA question' also
He also asked me and kind of grilled but in a very friendly way on how could I fit with the fairly experienced and matured family of LBS (I had just 3 years of exp then)

All in all - it is a very 'in depth' interview and it is not something that you can live through if you havent been true with your application and CV (so PLEASE dont lie).The interviewer was very warm and friendly. You start out nervous but you soon become comfortable because a) Its too long for you to continue being nervous:) b)The environment is so warm c) Its more of a discussion than just an interview - even the interviewer spoke about his plans when he took up LBS and what is he doing now blah blah..

I loved the experience of it and was happy but surprised when I got the admit cause frankly after 3 hours I was so dead that I was almost telling him "Let me go home..no more please"

BTW : I now know from some friends that the pattern is almost the same today in interviews as except that a new 'presentation' is added to the interview where you are given a topic (like a debate) and 5 mins to prepare and then you have to come up with a presentation presenting your case. Hmm..sounds interesting!!

… and you thought ISB interview is a cakewalk…

We have been talking and listening to the prospective students in various forums. Most believe that the interviews at ISB were a cakewalk. Does it mean you can afford to take it easy? We spoke to a few people to find out where the candidates were found wanting.

The interviews are resume and essay based. They look easy. However, there are some pitfalls that you must watch out for.

Q. Why ISB and what after ISB?

This would have come in some form or the other. Be it a 26 year old IIT-IT professional or a 36 year old from the Armed forces, everyone of us has a story. Get that story out explicitly. Connect various data points in your life into one easily understandable seamless story. If you are from IT and want to make a career shift into Finance, the reasons should be compelling. There has to be a detailed plan as to how you are going to do it using ISB. If you are from Media and want to stick with Media, this is as tough as the earlier one. You should mention a concrete reason as to what you did and what you want to do.

Suggestion: Use the framework ‘What have you done? What are you going to do? Where do you plan to go?’

Q. How did you feel meeting Mr. Sunil Mittal (or reading H2G2)?

There are some questions which seem like passing ones but they are the ones that can create impact. An average answer to the above question is: ‘I felt great’ (or ‘It was interesting’). One should go beyond it. The very fact that this question is taking up valuable time in the interview deserves an insightful answer. The answer could be how you felt about this great man (book) after you have seen (read) and the kind of thoughts that came to you.

Suggestion: Use the framework ‘Description & Learning’

Q. Why did you change your job from HDFC to ICICI?

You have made an important decision to move on. The bulging of the wallet may not be the only reason. Do not leave a chance of showcasing what a thoughtful person you are. Every one knows that ICICI is growing faster than HDFC. Do not leave it at that. Talk about how the place smells, people feel, system works. Talk about people, culture, work ethics etc. These are things others do not know. You have the privilege of knowing and talking about it.

Suggestion: Say something that is more than obvious

Q. Asking a technical question.

Do not be surprised if someone on the panel asks the difference between a comp & comp-3. This might be because you have mentioned that you have strong analysis and that you have worked on mainframe technologies. Another illustration can be the difference between wi-fi and wimax. If you are from telecom background, you are expected to answer this. The panel usually gives multiple chances to show the depth of knowledge you posses. Do not merely pass them, crack them!

Suggestion: Flaunt the depth of your knowledge!

Q. Expect the unexpected.

There will be an instance in your interview where you get a question as a googly. Do not get bowled. If the question was ‘What does your wife/girlfriend think of you?’. This is a different version of ‘What are your strengths and weaknesses in personal setting?’. In such situations, it is good to have a pause, map the question to your pre-interview preparation, scope the answer and articulate it. Do not answer with out thinking. Understand the underlying theme of the question.

Suggestion: Take a pause before answering

Q. Wear a smile and wave your hands.

Use all the soft skills that you learnt in your academic and corporate life. Show the energy, wear the smile, maintain eye contact and wave your hands.

Suggestion: Show the positive energy

Though doing well may not get you an entry into the gate but doing badly will definitely get you rejected. Having said this, doing very well will improve your chances due to interview’s weightage in the overall selection process. This is the chance to make the adcom upgrade your application from mediocre to premium. If you want the admit hard enough, start preparing for the interviews very hard. Who said the ISB interview is a cakewalk?

IT background and gearing for an ISB interview?

Watch out...

We just wanted to raise this for all you IT folks going for an interview with ISB..some things that you should definitely watch out for...

1. MOST IMPORTANT - Remember since you belong to the most common pool in India, many of the ISB alums and current students also belong to that pool. So when you say that you 'lead a module with 5 developers' or 'you were onsite gathering requirements' - no matter how glam you may want it to sound ..they know EXACTLY what it means. So be honest ! Be very honest about what you did and what you do..

2. Know the facts well - Again chances are that the person you are talking to across the table in the interview is from the same organisation or worked for the same organisation at some point of time. I remember in one of the interviews I took, the guy had worked for my organisation as a vendor and kept talking about processes in my organisation and obviously he didnt quite do it very well ...

3. Alot is happening in the IT world today - and everybody knows it. It is so so so easy to interview an IT guy cause so much happens in that world..aquisitions, talent management, products Vs services, outsourcing, offshoring...nobody misses these things ..so its very easy for the interviewers to grill you as compared to grilling someone from say a coal mine background ---get what I mean? So be aware.. be well read..and know your industry very very well. Be tuned ..

4. You would need to differentiate yourself - YES ! But because you are from the IT background - dont go so desperate to differentiate yourself that you end up confusing yourself on what your goal is post MBA ..on what you have been doing..on what you are. Remember you'd rather come out as someone with a structured thought and clarity even if you are from IT than someone who wants to portray has having done a zillion things but confused and unstructured or worse still someone who is desperately trying to prove that he is different. I think the best way to tackle this is - PRACTISE PRACTISE PRACTISE! Prepare very well for that interview..

5. Know a little about the roles that the industry (IT ) offers post MBA - helps you think more about "Why MBA ..what after" type of questions. We will soon be posting on this topic very soon..

Remember all that you have worked for till now has come down to just those 20 mins - the make or break 20 mins .....so go crack it!

The interview season is here - GAME ON!!

Got your interview dates already? Here is a quick checklist to go through before you go for the kill...

1. Read your essays and know them well - all the whys, whats, whens for the ideas expressed in them

2. Know thyself - Everything that is mentioned in your CV and your application and is reflected through your essays. The choices that you made that make you what you are.

3. Never underestimate the interviewers - Dont ever think that 'how would they know about my work, industry, project, city etc etc'....you never know! Be safe than sorry.

4. 'general awareness' of stuff happening in the world helps

5. Know about your industry well. Dont be caught unawares on things you should know.

6. Be clear in your thoughts - preparation helps. If you need time during the interview to structure - ask for a minute - doesnt hurt.

7. Being assertive is one thing but dont be defensive. Be calmed and composed - remember there is something called a "stress" interview at times.

8. Be pleasant, enthusiatic and energetic. Remember for you its just 20 mins - for the interviewers its a whole day of interviews - help them have a pleasant time with you. Nothing works better than a warm nice feeling that you leave behind when you walk out

9. Be honest, genuine and YOURSELF. 'chip on the shoulder' attitude is a bummer...being or acting oversmart is a no no..and dishonesty is a complete disaster..you never get a second chance with that one. so be GENUINE please!!

10. Show your enthusiasm for the school - know why you want to join it. Go through the website carefully and ask questions - but dont make up questions for the heck of it and dont ask stuff which you can easily pull out from the website..

11. Listen to the question carefully and clarify if in doubt - dont give an answer which was not asked for. You have very little time - so dont waste it.

12. Sometimes its the thought process that is important and not the final answer ..so it helps if you think aloud while working on a problem ..even if you are not sure of the answer you are getting at.

13. Be confident..and LOOK confident. Remember as much as you want the school..the school also wants good smart people. ..and confidence comes with honesty ..

Some Faq's

• Who typically would be your interviewers - one or two from the admissions committee, one or two alums from the city and sometimes a current student (if in Hyd).
• It would typically last for around - 20-25 mins
• Yes your dress code should be business like ..

So go people...like the xBOX ers..would call it...its GAME ON!!

ISB Telephonic Interviews - Tips..

Its the interview season for ISB and for all you people currently in the "phoren" land having telephonic interviews..

some things to remember..

1. They cannot see you - so what you say needs to compensate for your body language
2. Its very easy for the interviewers to lose interest in you - many a times interviewers start chatting with the mute button on..or start reading the profiles of the next candidate.
3. Its boring for the interviewers to interview a 'voice'..

...so here are some tips for you ...

1. Your introduction is the killer..catch their attention there itself..and sustain that

2. Be high on energy ...they are already bored..the onus lies with you to bring energy back in the interview ..remember a bright smile wont work here ..needs to be communicated over the wire!
So dont forget the greeting and 'how have u been doing' ..'have a good daty' etc..

3. BE CRISP...cant emphasize on this enough..general ramblings JUST wont work...u are sure to be put on mute. This in turn means..practise..practise..practise..be sure of some standard questions like "Why MBA".."your background" etc..but hey ..dont practise so much that you look rehearsed.

4. If you need to think about an answer ..be straightforward and ask the interviewers for a minute to think about it..collect your thoughts and then come back. Dont go off air in silence without any notice..

5. Background voices or sounds ..like other people talking or you typing are a STRICT NO NO ..choose a silent place while taking the call.

6. Almost always they have a 20 mins slot in mind for telephonic interviews unlike face to face ones (which might end up being longer). So jot down the points you want to talk about and try and put it through intelligently...again DONT be pushy.

7. And if you cant hear them..dont hesitate to ask them and call back ..again and again if required. But dont risk not hearing them properly and screwing up the interview...

Go on..have fun..