Tag: GDPI

5 Tips to ace your MBA Interview

Post author By admin
Post date January 17, 2022
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Have you received an interview invite from the management institute of your choice? Congratulations!

Many aspirants are confident about their interview skills, and hopefully so are you. Even if you are not, utilize this time to sharpen your skills. Given the intense competition in MBA admissions, the interview process is often fierce and definitely the most critical part of the selection. The overall weightage given to a personal interview is usually 10% or more, which provides you with a fighting chance to outsmart other applicants. Your interview is a small window of opportunity to impress.

Let’s focus on the essentials to put your best self forward within a short time. Here are five tips to help you through a personal interview –

Get acquainted with the mode of interview

The new normal is here to stay. Post the advent of COVID19 virtual interviews have become a norm. Install the platform on which the discussion will be held and familiarize yourself with the platform. Getting used to the forum will allow you to wade through the platform and know its do’s and don’ts.

On-campus interviews demand you to have geographic knowledge of the campus and the interview formats held on the campus. In addition, connecting with the alumni would give you an insider’s perspective on the interview techniques used on the campus.

Practise and preparation demand time

You would have to be proactive (rather than reactive). Practicing is the best way to acquire confidence and train yourself to respond in an informed, natural, and confident manner. Most probably you’ll have to describe why you’re getting an MBA, your career aspirations, and why you’re interested in this specific university. Make sure you have prepared the answers and present them to the panel with confidence and without any hesitation.

Next, prepare an explanation of how you will assist the community, including examples of your leadership and teamwork. This entails answering questions like “take me through your résumé” or “tell me about yourself” in under two minutes. Not only for the standard queries, but you’ll also want to remain calm and steady when faced with difficult or unexpected questions.

Write down some ideas, then practice with a video, answering one question at a time. Finally, find someone ready to grill you in a mock interview and give you honest feedback. Practicing aloud will help you remain on track and avoid rambling; you must always keep your response focused on the question being asked.

Know your USPs

Include at least five key selling points in the content you prepare for the interview. A handful of brief stories when included with each selling point enhances your idea. Your selling points and anecdotes should be based on your strengths, personality or soft skills, leadership potential, teamwork abilities, school contribution, and professional objectives. Keep in mind the MBA program’s key ideas, and look for stories that include behavioral examples to back up your points. And, while practicing is essential, you must be careful not to appear overly rehearsed or go over the line into pushing your agenda and attempting to take control of the interview.

What if you hit a wall?

Irrespective of the kind of preparation you will most probably be asked a question you haven’t prepared for. For example, you can be questioned about a flaw, a failure, or why you left a particular job or industry. The goal is to respond honestly and humbly. Focus on your progress, lessons learned, and your ability to reflect to present yourself positively. For example, a captivating story can be one that demonstrates how you pushed yourself out of your comfort zone.

What if you gave a poor response? Don’t lose faith in yourself. Instead, take a breath, keep on. You can ask for clarifications to the previous question and your answer at the end of the interview. Most interviewers will allow you to do this since it demonstrates self-awareness and confidence.

Keep it conversational

Approach the interview as a conversation. The interview panel wants to know what sets you apart and how befitting is the institution to support your career ambitions. Exhibit your personality and interest by narrating your story in a structured manner. Maintain a balanced composure and be sincere throughout. [ MBA interview or otherwise, make sure you convey that the institution they represent is your first choice. ]

Your interview is an opportunity for the panel to assess if you are an ideal fit for the program, and for you to know more and have an overview of the program and the institute. So go ahead and grab the panel’s interest.

Good luck!

Let’s Crack the GD

Let’s Crack the Group Discussion (GD) for MBA Admissions

Now that your CAT/MAT/XAT is done and dusted, the next step is to prepare for the Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interviews(PI), since you should receive your interview letters soon. A GD gives even good orators the jitters.

What is a GD?

A Group discussion as the name clearly states is a discussion on a given topic within a group. GDs are conversational in nature as opposed to a debate where you need to prove your point. In GDs responding with logical, relevant points that add to the discussion or counter the popular arguments is as important as listening to other participants. A good GD is one where all participants in the group get a chance to put forth their ideas.

The most confident of the lot is usually super conscious not to over speak in the GD, and students who find public speaking challenging fear this will pull their scores down.

We have compiled some best practices to enable you to perform to the best of your ability.

Gather your points

Starting a group conversation does give one a head start, but do that, only when you have assembled and organized your thoughts. Start by speaking clearly to the entire group. Usually, there’s some time given to prepare. Jot down all significant points that come to you. Also, keep in mind any outlier statements you would like to add. There’s a good chance that someone else will speak on the points you have jotted, so you can fall back on the unique points to add value to the discussion. Finally, remember that people will pay attention to you if your arguments are relevant, clear, and concise.

Stay Grounded

When expressing a point, it’s important to have a decent, polite, and respectful tone. For this, one should focus on vocal modulation that is the speed and pitch of one’s voice. Make sure you are not too loud, nor too faint. Do not be in a hurry to get your points over with, neither should you wait until the end of time for a chance to speak. It’s also essential to understand the difference between aggressive and assertive behavior. It is not advisable to engage in one-on-one verbal arguments. However, one can gently disagree with others.

Observe, listen and speak

When the GD is already going on, pay attention to what others are saying and come up with new ideas on the spot to make your case. This will take a lot of work, but this can be mastered with a lot of reading and mock GDs with friends. If you do not get a chance to speak, ask the group for an opportunity to put forth your points. Also, invite others who haven’t had the chance to speak.

If you’re given an abstract topic, think outside the box and develop as many different interpretations as you can. Assessors enjoy hearing alternative points of view and new ways of thinking.

Do Not’s

Do not overstep your time

An average GD lasts about 15-20 minutes, thus speaking for 30-40 seconds 5-7 times should be ideal. Think about what you’re going to say before you say it. You’re being heard and assessed. Don’t make the same argument twice or be too long or irrelevant. Intervene respectfully if someone else is traveling down a path that isn’t relevant.

Avoid personal opinions

Personal viewpoints and personal experiences or your observations from them are usually not relevant in a GD. Stick to facts and remain objective throughout the discussion. Make it easier for others to contribute. Don’t just ramble on and on about your personal beliefs. Keep in mind that this is a group conversation. Allow other people to talk as well.

Group discussion is not just for cracking your entrance for MBA admission, but also for conquering your dream job. It helps you overcome your shyness and brings forth your point of view to the forefront. GD enables you to think in fresh and diverse ways. It is a great opportunity to assess and accept altering viewpoints. GD assists you in gaining a better grasp of your own strengths and weaknesses.

So go ahead and crack your GD.

Good luck!

5 Skills you need to clear any Group Discussion and Personal Interview

Post author By admin
Post date December 24, 2021
No Comments on 5 Skills you need to clear any Group Discussion and Personal Interview

The real purpose of holding group discussions (GD) and Personal Interviews (PI) in the MBA admissions round at leading MBA colleges is to test applicants’ “communication skills, knowledge of topics, thought process and leadership impact on the audience in order to complete their list of accomplishments and offer admission. Anyone who has good communication skills and knowledge of current events and believes that these skills are sufficient to pass a group discussion is wrong because there are a few other things that are needed to crack GD. Before dealing with the most important group discussions (GD) Tips and expert advice, it should be clear to you that if your communication skills are good and your behavior in the discussion is positive and consistent, then you are prepared to show your leadership skills to the group without being arrogant.

Group discussions test the knowledge, communication skills, and coherent flow of thought necessary for a candidate to lead on current issues. A healthy debate leads to the selection of one or more candidates from the group on a particular subject in a group discussions (GD) round. The discussion helps the group to make a specific decision or come to a conclusion.

Find below 5 Skills you need to clear any Group Discussion and Personal Interview

Lead the discussion

Your contribution to the discussion is the way you communicate with others, define your role in the group, and influence how others see you. By initiating a discussion, you can get the attention of the crowd without being judged. A discussion gives you the opportunity to hear the thoughts and ideas of other students.

Having a discussion is an essential skill for a well-rounded speaker. To this end, it is important to take into account the characteristics of effective discussion conditions that promote interaction and engagement in small groups.

Relevance is the key

Give structure to your ideas and listen, bring the group together when they stray, give a new dimension to the topic, build someone who takes a different point of view and give credit to other participants. Allow the participants to introduce themselves, whether you set up an icebreaker or have two students introduce you. Discussions are a powerful mechanism for active learning, and facilitating discussions allows participants to explore new ideas and recognize the value of others’ contributions.

5 Skills to crack Group Discussion and Personal Interview

Active Listening

A good listener has greater chances of winning over others. Just speaking throughout the discussion doesn’t make you better. Listening Skills are Essential for the group discussions (GD) round, so carefully listen to what others have to say. You should learn to give others a chance to speak. If the speaker is making an eye-contact with you remember to acknowledge him by nodding your head, so that the speaker is aware that his listeners are listening to him and paying full attention. This will also show that you are vigilant and are an active participant in the discussion. Unless you listen well, it will not be possible for you to add value to your content and communication.

Listening offers you the opportunity to summarize the Group Discussion on each and every aspect.

Good communication skills

It is a must. Improve your communication skills, the better you are in them the easier it will be to make yourself clear and to score well in this round.

Body gestures

Remember, it is not just the mouth, it is your body gestures which when in sync with speech, make others understand what you are trying to say. The panelists observe the way you sit and react in the course of the discussion. Body gestures are very important because your body language says a lot about you. In a GD, sit straight, avoid leaning back on the chair or knocking the table with a pen or your fingers.

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Have you received an interview invite from the management institute of your choice? Congratulations!

Get acquainted with the mode of interview

Practise and preparation demand time

Know your USPs

What if you hit a wall?

Keep it conversational

Trending Videos of Jaipuria Institute of Management

What is a GD?

Gather your points

Stay Grounded

Observe, listen and speak

Do Not’s

Do not overstep your time

Avoid personal opinions

Trending Videos of Jaipuria Institute of Management

Find below 5 Skills you need to clear any Group Discussion and Personal Interview

Lead the discussion

Relevance is the key

Active Listening

Good communication skills

Body gestures

Trending Videos of Jaipuria Institute of Management

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