Academics:
Some of us do not know what we are studying even when we are studying it. If you have been working for less than two years then you are still supposed to remember some aspects of your education. Do not worry you do not need to study everything, ensure that you know the basics of all the subjects that you have studied. A good barometer would be curriculum till higher secondary. You should also have one or two favorite subjects (If you do not have one, pick one.); for these subjects you should know your curriculum and maybe more in-depth.
Personal:
This is the most important part of your interview. It is acceptable; if an aspirant does not remember a part of his curriculum or the number of members in the Lok Sabha. But if he/she cannot answer questions based on his/her personality then it gives an impression of an immature or “self – unaware” person. A candidate hence needs to do a lot of soul searching on questions like: “Why MBA?” Strengths and Weaknesses, Examples of Leadership abilities, long term/ short term goals.
Ensure that the personality that you are projecting is consistent. The best way to manage this is to be honest with yourself. One of the best ways to know about yourself is to ask for feedback from friends and colleagues. Try to supplement your answers with at least two relevant examples while preparing; so that during an interview you are not unnerved if the interviewer asks you for another example. Quite a few interviews start with “Tell us something about yourself.” Refrain from giving a summary of what is already written in your form/ resume. Try to use this question to lead the interview into your comfort zones. For example, if you are an avid reader then you could speak about the influence of your favorite books on your character.
Work Experience:
If you have been working for more than six months then questions on your work experience will definitely play a role during your interview. The obvious areas of questioning are work profile, your projects, organization chart of your company and where you fit in. You should be able to give some examples of team work and leadership from your employment. You should also focus on the macro picture of your experience in the corporate life. What has it taught you? What kind of mistakes have you made? How has it influenced to make choices in specialization for your MBA? How have you influenced the goals of your department/company? Along with this, you should also do some home work on the industry in which your company operates, the history of your company, the culture of your company/ industry, etc.
Hobbies:
Presence of strong hobbies in a resume indicates a passion for life. Most IIM graduates possess influential hobbies like reading, playing some sports, dramatics, etc. If you do not have a hobby, it is advisable to mention that you do not have one and try to shift the focus to your extra – curricular activities. Watching movies and listening to music do not count as hobbies unless you can discourse on topics like directorial styles or history of various genres of music.
General Knowledge/ Current Affairs:
Read and familiarize yourself with current topics. Do not focus on facts only, try and form some opinions with justification. This can be facilitated by reading editorials. General knowledge can be a very vast topic, but common knowledge like capital of some countries should be known. Prepare for GK only if you have time and have finished preparing for all the other areas. Be systematic regarding your preparation, make a check list of what you do not know and work with it. If you are organized, you will definitely do well in your interview. Best of Luck!
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