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What to Do the Day before the GD/PI – Grooming Tips and Other Points

Praqtise — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 07:25:54 +0000

If you are applying for an MBA, you must consider substance as well as style. How you present yourself in the GD/PR influences the outcome significantly. One tends to ignore grooming tips till the last minute. In order to make sure that you do well in these situations, we bring you a few tips and ideas to keep in mind while you prepare.

What to Do the Day Before

Revise the plan!

First of all, you need to make certain that all the preparation you have carried out in terms of studies and reading, among others, is well-retained in your mind. This tip is as vital as any of the grooming tips we have outlined below. It is thus important for you to revise the most basic and certain detail-oriented aspects of your previous studies in order to be able to answer any possible question asked. While a theoretical question may not necessarily come up during the GD, the interviewers may ask one to you during your PI. Hence, it is very important that you keep all this information at the forefront of your knowledge base.

Secondly, it would be excellent if you can keep an eye out for last minute news and developments. The interviewers would not expect great details, rather a basic level of awareness. This would also prevent you from being stumped if such a topic is put for discussion or raised during the interview.

Third, try practising your speech and voice modulation for your GD and interview preparations; since these are usually carried out in English, you need to make sure that you respond only in English, without switching to a vernacular language in between, as we are prone to do. This is one of the most important interview tips you can consider. Usually, practising in front of a mirror tends to help, and during this time you can also keep an eye on your expressions, gestures and posture – all of which are extremely important when it comes to personal evaluation of individuals during such assessments.

Get your gadgets!

Grooming tips are not only about how to dress. It is also extremely vital that you do a final check of the things you need to carry with you as part of your GD and interview preparations. In the former, you would do well to carry your documents along with a notepad and pen, while in case of the latter, make sure all your documents are available in one easily accessible place. It is best to carry a good quality folder in these cases, as your documents would be heavy and would certainly require a proper package of sorts in which to carry them and present them when necessary.

With regards to your documents, you need to have a two-pronged approach. The first step is to arrange them in right order. Your CV should be the first thing they find, followed by the statement of purpose (SOP). Then come the education-based documents, which should start with the most recent one and end with the least recent. Similarly, any work experience related documents should be arranged in the “most-to-least” order in terms of recentness. Secondly, you must also ensure that you carry at least 2 photocopies of your most essential documents. We would, in fact, go as far as to say that your CV and SOP should have at least 5 copies at any point of time.

Your statement of purpose is one of the most essential documents you can carry. Apart from your performance in the GD and your interview skills and background, your SOP shall reflect not only how well-suited to the task you are, but also how much you really want to be able to pursue the course with that specific college.

The kind of folder you might want to consider for your documents

Dress to kill – timeless grooming tips!

Eventually, you must consider how you plan to dress for the assessment. These buy viagra from canada grooming tips might help you through the situation. As it is an MBA GD/PI situation, you can simply stick to a basic formal dress code. This does not necessarily mean a suit, although that might not go far amiss. Men can normally settle for a crisply ironed shirt and tie with well-fitted trousers. Women, on the other hand, seem to have more options. You can wear formal-looking Indian clothes such as a salwaar-kameez or saari, but you could also look highly professional in a pantsuit or shirt with a pair of trousers or a skirt. The colour combination should comprise mainly pastel and subtle shades.

Keep hair away from the face, whatever your gender. Your face needs to be visible at all times and from all angles to the panellists. Pick the right type of shoes. Subtle, formal-looking shoes always work. Accessories, such as jewellery for women and bags for both genders, must be formal-looking and easily accessible.

The colours which are acceptable in these situations. Women can follow the same or similar colour palette.

A Praqtical Look

To conclude, it is important to note that all these grooming tips, interview tips and interview preparation ideas are meant to help enhance your interview skills, as well as your proficiency with the group discussion. If you ignore these aspects, you will feel out of place on the day of the GD/PI. You may end up worrying about your appearance more than the actual GF/PI. It is easy to lose focus on what is important in such situations.

However, there are some unconventional tips we would like to give you. Listen to whatever kind of music that calms your nerves the night before, and set your alarm according to the timings given. You should be well in time for the assessment, and must allow for delay of any kind. Make sure you get enough to eat before leaving, and remember to carry a plain and unobtrusive water bottle. All right, we do not want to sound like a mother hen! But these are the little things that make a big difference.

Well, that’s pretty much it from our side! Do share with us some more ideas of how to spend the day leading to the GD/PI in the comments.

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How to prepare for an interview for MBA admission- Part I

Praqtise — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 13:51:03 +0000

“Appearance matters a lot more than you realise!”

Samina and Roshni have known each other since kindergarten. Samina has always been careful about her appearance. She had the perfectly put together outfit no matter what the occasion. Roshni has always had a rather laid back attitude. “Comfort first” is the motto she lived by, which meant she was almost slouching and shuffling when she walked and dressed quite casually as well. Both of them were whip-smart and driven where academics were concerned. They didn’t lack ambition, and this showed in the high scores that they both achieved in their exams.

Both of them will be giving interviews soon for admissions into leading colleges for their Master’s degrees in Business Administration. Samina’s preparations are effortless because she has taken into consideration, not only what she will be wearing but her demeanour as well. She is well versed in conducting herself thanks to her attention to details. Roshni, on the other hand, is a nervous wreck because she has no idea how to prepare for an interview. All she has in her closet are ‘comfortable casuals’ with a nonchalant attitude to match. Neither goes well with ‘MBA admission interview’.

‘First impression is the last impression.’

The clothes you pick out to wear say a lot about the kind of person you are and they hint at the respect for the people in whose company you will be. The interview dress code is a representation of yourself to the panel of jurors who are about to question you. It tells them just how seriously you take your possible position. Especially if you are unsure, it is best to be slightly overdressed rather than to be under-dressed. Appropriate attire goes a long way if you want to project a particular image of yourself in the eyes of the panel of judges.

The importance of formal attire is apparent when it puts you a cut above the rest because it influences the manner in which prospective employers perceive you. Your clothes do not need to be expensive or products of big brand names. Clean, fitted and ironed; devoid of stains and creases, crucial when you think of how to prepare for an interview.

Ladies first!

A pantsuit or a skirt suit works well, especially if it fits well and is a bit on the conservative side. It should preferably cover your kneecaps when you sit. Wear a sensible pair of heels or flats. Keep the accessories to a minimum. Use minimal makeup with a straightforward and neat hairdo. Don’t go overboard on the perfume application.

As for the gents!

Here are some grooming tips for men. A clean, white, full-sleeved shirt has never failed a soul before. Put on a dark suit, preferably black in colour or navy blue in subtle patterns. Wear a simple tie with a belt to match. Shine your shoes, wear socks to match the suit. Comb your hair, lose the mohawk for this occasion and trim the facial hair as well. No caps or hats, no jewellery except a wristwatch and you are ready to go!

‘Communication is Key!’

In any relationship, you will hear, and then you will find out through your experience that communication is extremely essential. If you have landed an interview, your ability to communicate will be under scrutiny. This is only fair as you will be working and interacting with others. Your potential employers will want to hire a person who can effectively get the point across in any exchange without putting in too much effort. The interviews will definitely test this ability during the session.

You will be quizzed on your response to certain hypothetical situations, only to gauge your ability to communicate, whether verbal or non-verbal. It is essential that you are articulate. Stop for a beat and think your response through before saying the words out loud. The key to perfecting a good reply is careful listening. Pay attention to what is said, make a whole-hearted attempt to understand with an open mind, do not get defensive, think about what your response will be and then put it into words simply and clearly in a respectful tone.

It is best to practice in front of a mirror (if your sibling or friend is not around) a session of how to prepare for an interview with you. Excellent communication skills assure the jury members of your ability to work well and get along with your colleagues.

‘Good posture and confident body language is everything!’

All those times you rolled your eyes at your mother when she told you to sit up straight will come back to haunt you. Everyone needs to work on their body language for interviews.

A slouch in place of an erect back whether you are standing or sitting, suggests laziness and an uncaring attitude. That is not the idea you want the jurors to have about you. You do not want you’re body language to suggest that you are detached or arrogant. You should sit tall with your chin up.

Maintain eye contact with who is speaking to you at the moment. Shifty eyes tend to make people think you are not paying attention and it may seem as though you are unsure of what you are saying. You don’t want either reaction, but you must be conscious enough to break off the eye contact because you do not want to end up staring as it may seem a bit creepy.

Be wary of your hand movements. Keep the gestures gentle, avoid quick movements and try to keep your arms to the side suggesting you are open, rather than crossed which make it seem as though you are closed off. Smile a little from time to time and nod your head to show you are paying attention. Make sure your face isn’t deadpan where your facial responses are concerned but try and be careful to refrain from being too expressive at the same time.

Don’t be nervous!

Practice how to prepare for an interview ahead of time if you have a nervous tick, like restless leg syndrome; which is a real thing. Try calming your nerves, taking deep breaths, think of things that can calm you down in case you feel a bout of anxiety coming on.

Keep all these things in mind, and you will figure out how to ace an interview! We have also covered tips for answering MBA interview questions in another post. In case you have anything in particular that you’d like to ask or share, feel free to get in touch.

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