Knowledge is Power

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in preparing for an interview, getting all those notes into your head, and rehearsing what you are going to say, that it’s easy to forget about the interviewer as a person.

I have heard more than once from interviewers that they are looking for a conversation. They want to be engaged by you. If you just rattle off your accomplishments and desires, always thinking about what you are going to say and not thinking about the interviewer as a person, you will alienate them.

Make a conversation. And to do that, you must pay a bit of

attention to your interviewer.

It doesn’t matter how “right” your answers are if you don’t engage the interviewer and sell them on you as a person. Even if they seem like a robot, maybe especially if they seem like a robot, you have to use your people skills. The interviewer may be dead tired, or may have had a fight with their husband or wife. In that case, you are just another applicant- one in a blur of many. You have to snap these interviewers out of it. Ask them about themsleves after you finish answering a question. Tell a little joke (if you’re good at this). Heck, even slipping on a polished floor and landing flat on your butt is a good way to break the ice. (A great way, in fact.)

Most interviewers will really put a lot of thought into the interview process and try to determine, in spite of your answers, whether or not they think you’ll be a good fit for their program. Because of this, some admissions people will allow you in even if your answers weren’t the best, but because they saw something special in you.

Conversely, some will reject you because they felt you had no real conviction behind your answers. It is up to you to engage them in conversation and make them believers.

Some interviewers sound like lonely housewives when they complain about the lack of any conversation with an applicant. They don’t want answers that sound as though they have been memorized. They don’t want an endless recital of achievements. And they certainly don’t want silence.

They want conversation. They want to find out about you as a person. They want to get a real feeling about whether you belong in their MBA program or not.

So, no matter how impressive your recital is, it’s often worthless if you don’t engage the interviewer.

A few tips:

1- If you’re nervous, just say so. It always releases the tension.

2- Don’t forget to smile!

3- Ask a question or two about the interviewer. How long have they been at this school? How many students to they have to interview each day? Try to bring down the walls between you.

4- If you’re good at being humorous, give it a try. Just be careful of not causing offense.

5- Pause when you speak. Use some of your time to engage them in conversation, and they’ll remember you better for it.

None of these rules are very difficult, but you may forget the basic rules of socializing because you are nervous. Take the time to remember them. Breath deeply. And smile.

Be rock solid when you go to your MBA admission interview. Learn what hidden mistakes will kill your chances, and what you absolutely must say to win over the interviewer. Learn all this in your free report at: MBA Interview Questions

There is one, simple way to get to know the business school you are interviewing for. It’s both easy and highly effective.

Visit it.

You will gain more in a day of wandering around the campus and talking to people than you could in weeks of online research.

A lot of students skip this because they think it isn’t all that important. Who’s going to know they were even there? Well, this line of thought can cost you your ticket to the MBA program.

For starters, you’re going to get a lot more information about the school from visiting it personally than you’re ever going to get out of a brochure. You might actually find, once you’ve visited the campus, that this particular school isn’t as appealing as you thought, or conversely, much better then expected.

Nothing beats actually physically checking out the school. You can look at bulletin board notices and school fliers. you can steep yourself in the atmosphere. Eat lunch with the other students, and try to imagine yourself as a student there.

Another thing you can do when visiting a school is speak to the students who go there. How better to get an idea of how good the place is other than speaking to those who live and breathe it? Sure, you have to take everything you hear with a grain of salt. Those who like it will make it sound like heaven. Those who don’t like it will make it sound like hell on earth. The key is putting everything into perspective and weighing all the comments collectively. Read between the lines. If they don’t like it, ask why. If they like it, ask why. Also ask about what the school expects from them, what are the values that are particular to that school. You can even ask about their experience in the MBA interview themselves. Their advice might be invaluable.

Also, you’ll want to meet with some of the professors, especially the ones who are in the MBA program itself. This will do two things. First, it will give you a pretty good idea of what to expect from them. There is nothing worse than walking into a classroom cold. This way, you’ll start with a familiar face. Second, it will show these professors that you have a genuine interest. As I said, not every prospective student takes the time to visit schools. This one activity will set you apart from all the other applicants. You can make an impression, and there is no telling how that may play out behind the scenes for you. On top of that, you can be pretty sure that what the professor describes as being important at that school will be reflected in the interview. You will be a little less likely to be surprised by an unexpected interview question.

Finally, and this is probably the most important reason of all, when you write your essay for admission as to why you want to go there, you can actually speak about the school with some feeling. You’ve been there. You can actually talk about what you liked while visiting. Takes notes during your visit, and review them afterward. Imagine talking about them during the interview. You’ll be on your way.

Be rock solid when you go to your MBA admission interview. Learn what hidden mistakes will kill your chances, and what you absolutely must say to win over the interviewer. Pick up your free report at: MBA Interview Questions

Brad is a laid back guy, he likes to watch football and relax at home with a beer, a salami pizza and a smoke. He’s got his eyes set on this 6 foot tall fashion model (let’s call her Angelina) who is a vegan, active in politics, hates TV and male sports, and socializes at fashionable events every week. What do you think the chances are that he’s going to catch her eye? And if he does, how happy do you think the two of them will be in the long run, especially when she’s never home because she’s out running around all the time and he prefers to stay home?

Silly analogy, but you get the point. No matter how badly we might want something, sometimes what we want is just the wrong fit for us. That can be just as true about the MBA program we’re thinking of getting into.

Not all schools are the same. Each one has a different atmosphere. Sometimes they have dramatically different atmospheres. The curriculums might be similar, but the professors teaching those curriculums are going to make a huge difference in how well you do and how much you enjoy your classes. If you don’t fit into the culture of that business school, you are going to have a very tough go at it. And, you’ll probably be miserable.

I know one guy who always wanted to work a certain large law firm. He finally got an interview and landed the job. After 6 months, he quit. Why? He hated it there. In spite of the reputation of the firm, he found that the the atmosphere just didn’t sit well with him. He ended up taking a job with a smaller firm, and stayed there happily for years. He made slightly less money, but he would have certainly burned out at the other firm and either quit or gotten fired. Then, where would he have been?

When you meet with an admissions officer, they’re looking for somebody who is going to compliment the school. And believe me, they can usually tell when somebody isn’t going to be the right fit based on the questions they ask and the answers you give. This, in fact, is one of the key things they look for in an interview. If you know what the school values are, you might be able to fake it. But you would be doing yourself a big disservice. You just might end up getting your wish, being admitted…. and regretting it.

If you go to a school that really isn’t a fit for you, you’re not going to connect with the classes, professors or students, which is ultimately going to lead to an unhappy time, poor grades and possibly even to dropping out.

So, make sure the school you want to attend is the right fit for you. The best way to do this is to visit, and talk to students and professors. This will give you something you could never get by reading about the school. You’ll get a feeling for it, and instinctively know if it’s the right fit for you. If you decide you like it, you will be able to talk comfortably about why during your interview. In fact, that will be the easiest part of the interview, and your enthusiasm will naturally shine through.

Lastly, don’t worry about what anyone else says about which school is best. Only you can decide that. If you let others influence your decision, it may turn out to be a huge mistake.

Be rock solid when you go to your MBA admission interview. Learn what hidden mistakes will kill your chances, and what you absolutely must say to win over the interviewer. Learn this and more from your free report at: MBA Interview Questions