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MBA Interview Questions – How to prepare for an interview (Part II)

Praqtise — Sun, 02 Apr 2017 10:42:45 +0000

Are the MBA entrance exams not enough? Why oh why do we have interviews?!

Despite being a long journey in itself, an MBA entrance exam is just the beginning. They serve the purpose of filtering the total number of applicants to a manageable size. This smaller crowd is then put through more tests to see if they are indeed the real deal. An interview is generally the final step in this process. This usually small interaction reveals more to the selectors than any other part of the admission process. The prospect of facing MBA interview questions however, does seem scary to many.

The following conversation between two fellow candidates portrays some of those fears, and a possible approach for resolving them:

Milind: I keep wondering all the time, what is it that the interviewers will ask me? There are just so many things in my CV. I don’t know what to do.

Mahesh: Well, being so negative will certainly not help… you need to apply yourself more objectively…

Milind: Well, it’s easy to just say that! We all know how weird and outlandish the MBA interview questions can be.

Mahesh: You are obsessing about the trick questions too much. Should you not first try and tell your story to the interviewers?

Milind: What do you mean?

Mahesh: That’s what they are looking for! Why you chose that particular stream for undergrad? What do you think about your job? What things are you passionate about? Are you simply following the herd or are you pursuing MBA with a purpose?

Milind: Wow! I never thought of it that way. Guess I should work on my story first!

MBA Interview Questions- Are you conditioned or are you thinking?

Put yourself in the shoes of a selector. As an interview candidate, you are one among hundreds of potentially good ones. That is why you made it so far. However, now they have to choose between comparable and more or less deserving candidates. They are looking for something beyond the facts and figures.

A candidate who is simply going through the motions will not convince the selectors. An interviewee needs to convince the selectors that

His/her choice for pursuing MBA is not an accident or involuntary, but a conscious one
He/she sees MBA as a part of bigger journey, which started in college and will continue into their professional life
He/she means what they say about themselves, through their profile/CV

As an aspirant, you must be wondering how to make this happen. The tips for interview given below will help you organise your preparation.

Let’s talk about academics!

The interviewers will mostly focus more on recent academics. The MBA interview questions will probe your choice of graduation (or post-graduation), professional certifications etc. The idea here is simple- cover all your basics. The interviewers are trying to assess how much have you actually learnt.

The answer to ‘Why this stream of studies?’ need not be grand and beautiful. Interviewers realise that students do not have adequate foresight after completing 12^th They are bound to be influenced by parents, peers or their own ease with different subjects during school/junior college. Give an honest answer.
Cover the basics of all subjects. In simple words, you should have a concise and convincing reply for ‘What was your key learning in XYZ subject?’
Do not ignore the not-so-likeable subjects, especially the boring ones

Fresh graduates should take this aspect very seriously. Their academic record is the one substantial professional aspect that interviewers can examine.

How to portray your professional life?

Two words matter here- the bigger picture. Let’s see what that means:

This is a no-brainer, but explain the significance of your role within the organisations. How did your projects/initiatives impact the organisation? What was the significance of your achievements/awards? When talking about awards/achievements, you have the chance to direct the interview to the ‘how’ aspect. This can put in a position of advantage.
Develop an understanding about your company and the industry it is in. Do not focus only on the specifics of your job role. Try and understand the role you play in the larger scheme of things.
You may have picked a particular job only for the salary. There is nothing wrong or unjustifiable about it. State the facts objectively. You can say that you wanted to make the most of the earning opportunity. Explain how this choice has improved the quality of your life.
For many of us, our current jobs are simply those that were the ‘best option available’ at the time of seeking. There is no need to be nervous about this. Do not focus on the lack of options, focus on your learning.

Even if you are not happy with your current job, do not stress on the negatives. MBA is your gateway to better opportunities. The interviewers realise this. They would prefer a person who made the most of circumstances over someone who wants to keep blaming them.

What about hobbies/interests?

The most important thing is to be genuine. Hobbies and interests can help a candidate truly standout. MBA interview questions pertaining to them do not require extensive preparation. Speaking about something you are passionate about should come very naturally.

Be careful of the ‘I love reading’ trap. It is alright to not be a voracious reader. If you are not into reading avidly, it is unlikely that you would bring it up. If the question does surface, be genuine and only talk about books/content that you have truly read and value.
Do not compare interests or extra-curricular activities. For instance, one might feel that playing a musical instrument beats being a foodie. This is not the case. The interviewers would want to see the intensity of your passion for food. Show them how sincerely you pursue food; don’t worry about not being able to play a guitar.
Be specific- everyone loves ‘music’. Not everyone loves ‘classic rock’, or ‘jazz’, or ‘carnatic music’ or ‘Kishore Kumar’. This goes a long way in showing that your interests are genuine and not just namesake.

Interview preparation for current affairs/business/economy

As a candidate, preparation for this aspect must have begun much earlier (for general awareness section). For the interview, try and develop a perspective rather than just knowing facts. Selectors will want to know what your opinion is and why.

Try and understand current issues objectively. Read reports/write-ups from different sources. Look at both sides of an argument. This way you would have a fuller understanding of the issue, and be able to justify your stand better.
If the interviewers bring up an issue that you are unfamiliar with, do not panic. State calmly that you do not know about the topic. The interviewers might try to pressurise you, but you can turn the situation around. Tell the interviewers to share some basic information, so that you can provide an instinctive opinion about the topic. You can say that this will help in gauging what kind of general perception is likely to build up for the topic.
Do not prepare for general awareness without discussing with friends. It is very easy for you to skip or miss out on something important, despite keeping track of events daily. Regular, small discussions can help you cover more topics and more information in shorter span of time. However, be sure to verify the facts cited in such discussions, do not go by hearsay.

Why MBA and the bigger picture?

This is a very meaningful aspect of the interview. One can consider this to be among the make or break questions. However, answering this question is easier than it seems.

Most of us decide to pursue MBA with the aim of getting into a specific business domain (eg. HR, marketing, sales etc.). Develop some practical insights about the domain, preferably by talking to professionals from the field. Let the interviewers know that you have done the groundwork.
Being specific improves the quality of your answers, for ex, stating marketing versus saying branding strategy. Freshers may find it difficult to narrow down preferences greatly, but it is always better to not have vague perceptions. After all, doing appropriate research before beginning your course will ultimately benefit you.
Interviewers usually pose the ‘Where do you see yourself in X years?’ question as well. There is no need to come up with a fanciful or creative reply. Be confident, yet show sensibility. Structure your answer in terms of goals for short term, medium term and long term. A short term goal can be landing the right job; in the medium term you can talk about leading a division; and of course the long term aim can be senior leadership position or an entrepreneurial venture.

The above tips will help you structure your interview preparation better. Further, there are some essentials relating to grooming and body language that you must take care of.

What is your approach on tackling the MBA interview questions? Is there any aspect that we have missed? Please let us know in the comments.

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5 Success Stories of Students Against IIM Interview Questions

Praqtise — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 10:08:31 +0000

Suresh and Naresh are two friends that had always dreamt of joining an IIM. For Suresh this dream became a reality as se secured an admission into IIM Ahmedabad but Naresh was not as fortunate. But he was not disheartened and decided to take a second crack at it in a year. He never had much problem with CAT exam, but the IIM interview questions were the stuff his nightmares were made of.

Before the IIM interviews of the following year, Suresh decided to help out his friend by sharing not only his experience but experiences of some his classmates and friends as well. This was a huge help to Naresh because of which he was able to secure an IIM admission.

IIM Interview

To preface this, yes we do understand the obvious fact that not everyone has the same experiences and yes we also know that not everyone handles a situation in the same manner. But learning about how others were successful in a similar, if not exact, situation would be immensely helpful. Learning from other’s experiences with IIM interview question would help you in developing a baseline regarding the MBA interview questions & answers, so that you prepare accordingly.

Success Stories

We will tell you about the experiences of 5 people that achieved success with IIM interview questions. We would not be disclosing names and other confidential information (similar to witness protection). Only relevant information including some of the question and responses will be included. These experiences will definitely help you with your own IIM interview.

Story #1

A current student at IIM Ahmedabad revealed that the interviewers ascertain whether the candidates can comprehend and adapt to a

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situation and their ability of thinking on their feet. She was asked on a variety of topics. A general theme, however, was asking questions on current affairs related to her field of interest.

Highlight of the interview: Since the applicant was from Delhi, the interviewers asked her whether Delhi should be given statehood or not. The reply of the candidate was that the presence of central government in Delhi would make it difficult but she did recommend transferring more authority to the Delhi government.

Story #2

A funny anecdotal story is relayed by a friend of the selected candidate. The interviewers gave the candidate a task, before asking any of the conventional IIM interview questions,

The candidate was asked during the interview by one of the interviewers to sell the interviewer’s laptop which had a market price of 70,000 Rs. at a very high price than the market price. The candidate was thrown off at first but then wrote his phone number and gave it to the panellist. After that he took the laptop and left the room. The interviewer worriedly called the candidate after a few hours. The candidate picked up the call and answered “Sir sorry for the inconvenience caused. But if you want your laptop back please pay Rs 1,00,000”. The candidate was selected.

Story #3

Rohan Jain, eventually an IIM A student, had also appeared for an interview for IIM Kozhikode. He was asked to explain the relation between his size of shoe and CAT scores. The student was stumped by the question (obviously) but then recovered enough to answer the IIM interview question by pointing out that coefficient can be used to prove no correlation between the two.

Highlight of the interview– the interviewers sometimes do not look for prepared answers instead pose random question to throw candidates off and ascertain who are best suited for IIM.

Story #4

This anecdote pertains to a student who cleared the IIM interview questions to get into IIM Calcutta. The student was clear about the areas he was comfortable with and areas that he needed to avoid. He found that even though one of the interviewer had a strict demeanour but still laughed at a faux pas that made everyone, including the student himself, in the room laugh. But the interviewer did come back to gauge his technical prowess.

Highlight of the interview: The applicant’s family owns a business in the tourism sector. This led the interviewers to have a debate with the applicant on the ethics of tourism. This particular strategy was to examine the experience of the student and gather their ability to adapt under pressure.

Story #5

The last success story we have is of a boy with excellent academic record. His experience with IIM questions was also pleasant. Looking at his grades one might think that the questions would revolve around academics. But it wasn’t the case as they did not dwell on it too much. The candidate was instead asked more about his hobbies and life experiences in general. We can say that as the academic prowess of the student was obvious, the panellists were keener on knowing about the other aspects of his personality.

Highlight of the Interview: The interview was routine and so were the questions but at the end of the interview the interviewers displayed their jovial side by asking the applicant to take a cashew despite his hand being full of toffee and cookie.

Analysis of IIM Interviews

One can expect the pattern of interview to keep changing with candidates. The interviewers get a lot of cues from the resume, profile and the candidate’s behaviour in person. They would usually try to learn more about the candidate by probing them in different ways.

Here are some of the areas which might be touched upon during IIM interview:

Forget VAT remember WAT (Writing Ability Test)

Your WAT should not only be up to the mark but you should also remember what you wrote. More often than not the IIM interview questions revolve around the topic. Hence, you must be able to justify your opinion.

Interests matter

Don’t mention interests just because it sounds impressive. Even if you have read up on it, it could backfire. The interviewers could ask questions that are not general but a corollary of a theme or a philosophical aspect. Be genuine and the process would be a lot easier for you.

We know that you can’t help feel overwhelmed but there is no need to be nervous. Stick to your opinion (not unfounded ones) and back it up with concrete facts and irrefutable logic.

What are your biggest concerns about facing the MBA admission interview? The experts at Praqtise would be glad to suggest solutions. Please let us know in the comments.

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HOW TO HANDLE STRESS INTERVIEW QUESTIONS LIKE A PRO

Praqtise — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 05:39:04 +0000

Under Pressure!

Ramesh and Kala are very good friends and are preparing to get into one of the business schools. Kala is an engineering graduate with no work experience while Ramesh is a Business Administration graduate with three years of work experience. As the MBA entrance exams draws close, Ramesh asks Kala if she has been preparing for MBA interviews. He comes to know that Kala is unaware of stress interview questions:

Ramesh: Kala, MBA entrance examinations are around the corner. Have you been preparing for the Personal Interviews that follow?

Kala: I haven’t really given much thought to that because I have been very busy preparing for the entrance examinations.

Ramesh: I thought so too, but you have no experience facing interviews. So, I think it’s about time that you start focusing on preparing for the interviews too.

Kala: But we had been practicing how to appear interviews when I graduated out of college. However, I don’t think that would suffice the purpose at hand, would it?

Ramesh: No, it would not. Mock interviews in colleges are not even remotely close to what you will face. I have heard that the top business schools subject the aspirants to very difficult interviews. I have even heard that some institutes even resort to stress interviews to decide on their choice of candidates.

Kala: What are stress interviews? This is the first time I’m hearing about them. How are they different from regular interviews? Are the stress interview questions very difficult?

Like Kala, there are many MBA aspirants who have no clue about the interviews. However, Personal Interviews are very important. Along with preparing for entrance examinations, it is also essential that the students prepare for important interview skills, especially for stress interviews.

What is a stress interview?

Most MBA aspirants do not know what to expect in personal interviews. However, the prospect of stress interviews can turn into a nightmare. The reason is that most of the students have no idea what a stress interview is. They say that to defeat an enemy in a battle, the most important part is to know your enemy well. Similar is the case with stress interviews – to successfully crack one, you must understand what a stress interview is. So, first, let us get a basic idea of what stress interviews actually are.

The primary aim of a stress interview is to test the ability to handle stress and often, bad and awkward behaviour of interviewers. The purpose of stress interview questions is to see how well the candidate can perform when they are subjected to stress or out-of-the-ordinary situations. Stress interviews helps the interviewers analyse whether the candidates can maintain their calm and composure when faced with awkward and often, difficult situations. In order to create an environment of stress and to intimidate the candidate, the interviewers often asks aggressive and intrusive questions, or behaves in the most unexpected ways. The interviewer may also resort to asking questions in the form of puzzles to test the presence of mind of the candidates. The candidate may also be asked the same questions repeatedly to make him feel that he has not answered the questions correctly.

What is the need for stress interviews

Most major business schools conduct stress interviews for executive MBA programs. This helps them to find out whether or not the candidate will be able to perform under stress. The students in top business schools often face multitudes of pressures and performance stress in academics. The primary aim of the interviewer in conducting a stress interview is to find out whether the candidate will be able to survive the pressure. Moreover, stress interview questions also help the interviewers evaluate if the candidates can maintain their composure when faced with awkward or difficult situations.

How to find out whether you are facing stress interview questions

Most candidates are caught off guard by the interviewers whenever they are facing questions in an interview, especially IIM interview questions. If the candidates are unaware about the concept of a stress interview, then they often end up making mistakes. This mistakes often lead to the dismissal of the candidates or often, the rejection of their candidature. However, there are many indicators from which you can infer that you are being subjected to stress interview questions. Here are some common indicators which can be of immense help to candidates:

The interviewer behaves in an aggressive or arrogant manner
They pretend that they are not interested in your answers
There is no direct eye contact and pretends to look elsewhere while you talk
Panel continues interrupting you while you are talking
Interviewer displays a hostile attitude
Panelists pretend that they failed to listen to you
The interviewer seems to take long, awkward pauses between questions
The interviewer keeps on taking notes during the interview while ignoring you
Selector asks intrusive questions
Interviewer keeps on repeating the same questions over and over
Interviewer disagrees with all your opinions
The interviewer passes snide comments about your responses

Tips to handle stress interview questions

There is not much you can do when you are faced with a stress interview. However, the key to cracking stress interviews is to maintain your calm and your composure throughout the interview. Do not lose your cool at any point during the interview. That is exactly what the interviewer needs you to do if he wants to reject your candidature. The moment you lose your cool, the moment you get angry, you will be disqualified. Remaining composed and maintaining your calm are the key weapons to cracking a stress interview.

Here are some more valuable pointers which can help you crack the stress interview questions successfully.

Maintain the structure of your thoughts

Always listen to the interviewer’s question, contemplate over it, put your thoughts in order, and then answer the question. Never rush into answering the question. A structured response is always better than a quick jumbled response.

Be assertive, not aggressive

Whenever you are confident about your answer, never shy away from conveying your opinions to the interviewer. But always remember, there is only a fine line between being confidently assertive and being aggressive. The key in stress interviews is to be assertive and confident and never be aggressive while answering the questions.

Always be open to accepting your mistakes

When you are faced with a stress interview, there are chances that you will make a mistake. In such a situation, the best course of action is to accept your mistakes graciously. Do not be defensive, rather accept your mistake and then ask permission to correct it.

Take a stand for what you believe

While faced with a stress interview, the interviewer will often try to deviate you from the answers. This is for testing your confidence. However, when you are confident about the answer, do not be shaken by the interviewer’s attempts. Rather, take a stand for what you believe, repeat the facts, and arrive at the answer that you have planned.

Be objective

In stress interviews, the interviewer may try to sway your confidence by asking your opinion of events. However, as long as you have your facts right, don’t be swayed by the interviewer’s interruptions. Even if you must state an opinion, be sure to back it up with credible facts and reasoning. One of the trickiest part in stress interviews is when you have to make assumptions. In case you must resort to making assumptions, always state to the interviewer clearly that you are making an assumption and explain it further as and when required.

Express gratitude at the end of the interview

At the end of the interview, be it any interview, especially a stress interview, always thank the interviewer. Thank the interviewer sincerely with a smiling face, and remember – always maintain eye-contact.

Always remember, PATIENCE IS THE KEY.

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3 tips to direct the flow of MBA Interview Questions

Praqtise — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 09:35:18 +0000

It’s all about the pressure!

Ram and Rima are two very good friends preparing to get into premier management institutes. They have always studied together whenever they are preparing for the exam. Ram is very confident that he will easily get into one of the top business schools, but Rima is not very confident. Rima always wonders what it is that makes Ram so confident about getting into one of the top schools. The following is a conversation between Ram and Rima about MBA interview questions:

Rima: Hey, Ram, would you mind if I asked you a question?

Ram: Of course, not.

Rima: How is it that even after studying together and preparing together, you are so confident that you will get into a premier management institute and I am not?

Ram: It’s simple, silly. Since you are appearing fresh out of college, you have never faced an interview. Whereas I have appeared for numerous interviews when I was looking for a job. Hence, I am very confident that I will be able to crack the personal interview.

Rima: I have heard that personal interviews are very difficult. That most students buckle under the pressure and say something stupid to ruin their interview.

Ram: You are right. I know how interviews work. The interviewer wants to know how well the student can perform under pressure.

Rima: So, is that why you are always calm and composed, even when under so much pressure of the entrance examinations?

Ram: Yes, Rima. I think even you should start MBA interview preparation. Because, I think that it is the key to get into the top management schools in India. Personal Interviews are the rounds where you can beat any candidate, however smart they may be.

The thing about MBA admission interviews

Most students who are preparing to get into an MBA college are always worried whether or not they will be able to crack the interview. They are so worried about the MBA interview questions, that they forget that it is not just about getting the answers right. Aspirants are clear about expected questions about current affairs or previous studies. It is the thought of abstract questions that troubles them more.

Here, the main aim of the interviewer is not to know whether or not you know the answers to his questions. Rather, the main aim of the interviewer is to gauge your skills in critical thinking, more than anything else. Your ability to communicate and relate is much more important than whether or not you know the answers. One of the most important factors in MBA personal interview is how well you can perform under pressure.

Here are three tips which can help you take charge of the flow of your MBA interview:

1. Find out about the process of the interview

Every business school has a unique approach when it comes to conducting personal interviews and asking MBA interview questions. Different business schools look for different qualities and depending on what quality they value more; they have a different perspective on the interview. Find out in-depth about the interview processes of the different business schools where you plan to apply. The following questions may prove helpful in analysing the interview pattern:

What information about you will the interviewer have access to?

Some business schools provide the interviewer with the extensive details about the candidates. Others provide just a short bio of the candidates. You can benefit a great deal by knowing beforehand, how much the interviewer knows about you.

Who will conduct the interview? Will there be just one interviewer or a panel?

You must know beforehand who will be conducting the interview. There are subtle differences between answering to a single person, and answering to a panel. Usually, b-school admission interviews are conducted by a panel.

Where will the interview be held?

The venue and the time of the interview play an important part in planning for the interview. If the venue for the interview is in a different city, then you must plan the travel and accommodation accordingly. Give yourself a day to acclimatise with the new place before you appear for the interview. If you are well-rested and more comfortable in the new environment, you will be able to perform better.

2. Know and understand yourself and provide them with a view of the real you

Your answers to the MBA interview questions are your chance to reveal yourself to them. Speak about your past experiences, your current endeavours, and your future goals in a way that they can relate to.

Over and above the ability to be concise, it is also necessary for you to be able to relate your past with your present and with your future. Show them how your past experiences affected you and how they have shaped your present. Describe how your past experiences and your current knowledge will help you attain your future goals. If you have faced difficult situations in the past, describe how you dealt with them and emerged as a winner. Develop anecdotes which can relate to your past, present, and future, and use them to lighten the mood whenever necessary.

Don’t shy away when answering personal questions, especially about your past. Through an insight into your personal life, the interviewer can understand why you are, the way you are. Be prepared to narrate stories which can help the interviewer connect the dots between your past, present and future.

Precisely remember the details that you have mentioned in your resume. Even though the information is about you, there are chances that you might forget it when subjected to pressure. Have a specific goal in mind, do not leave your goals open for interpretation.

3. Prepare for MBA interview questions that may take you by a surprise

MBA Interview questions can sometime be the most curious and startling of the questions you might ever hear in an interview. These questions may relate to anything, current events, history, or even your own past. Expect such questions so that they don’t catch you off guard. The motive of the interviewer is not to startle you, but to find out how you can deal with situation that may catch you off guard. Maintain your composure and your presence of mind to be able to deal with such questions. This is one section of the interview which you can easily turn in your favour by simply displaying the right temperament.

You can also guide your answers to such MBA interview questions through your experiences of the past. Relate the question to similar situation which you might have faced in the past. Come up with analogies that can help you explain your answer in relation to the problems that you faced in the past. Moreover, you can conclude the answers by explaining how your experiences have made you more capable to attain your goals.

Pay heed to the basics: First impression is the last impression

This might sound very cliché, but it is one of the most important part of an interview. How you present yourself can say a lot about you well before you actually start speaking. The failure to adhere to the basics of presenting yourself can hurt your chances of cracking the interview more than you think it can. Here are some pointers which you can follow and the things that you should avoid when appearing for MBA personal interviews.

Things to follow:

Dress formally for the interviews. This shows that you are serious about the interview.
Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake and friendly expression.
Maintain eye-contact with the interviewer during the interview. Be confident.
Maintain a good body posture at all times.
Be comfortable with who you are.
A positive attitude during the interview can never hurt your chances.

Things to avoid:

Do not become defensive when challenged or questioned about any incident, idea, action or opinion.
Avoid speaking negatively about your past experiences.
Do not come across as desperate. No institution ever wants to admit a desperate student.
Do not address the interviewer incorrectly; ‘Sir’ and ‘Madam’ are the most convenient options.
Switch off your phone during the interview. Nothing can be as important as the interview.

Can you share with us an interview success story from your past? What single aspect/factor helped you crack the interview? Kindly share your experience in the comments.

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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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The post What to Do the Day before the GD/PI – Grooming Tips and Other Points appeared first on PRAQTISE - India's most fun, adaptive and personalized online preparation platform for MBA entrance tests like CAT, XAT, SNAP, NMAT, IIFT, etc..