MBA interviews are notoriously intense and challenging. Interviewees need to adjust their approach depending on whether the interviewer is an admissions officer, alumnus, or current student, and to match the school’s style and culture. Interviewers tend to ask an array of questions spanning career decisions, progress and milestones, career plans, MBA motivations, intended contributions, and personal habits and strengths. Business schools also put a premium on storytelling and visualizing applicants in certain situations by asking numerous behavioral questions.
Considering the broad range of possible topics, applicants tend to dedicate extensive time to formulating a myriad of responses. However, this post is about the importance of the very last question(s) in the interview, which is often an afterthought – the so-called Q&A section, when the interviewee is invited to ask questions.
At the end of the formal MBA interview, the interviewer almost always asks the interviewee, “Would you like to ask me any questions?” Unfortunately, many people treat this as throwaway time and put little thought into its importance. In fact, this is a critical juncture that can make or break the interview. Do not let your guard down – the interviewer is still carefully evaluating and forming opinions of your personality and character at the end of the interview, which can more easily be revealed when you feel at ease and are off-script. Consider these ideas on how to maximize this final, crucial stage of the interview.
Ask Productive Questions
As an ambassador of the school, the interviewer is serious about making a positive impression on the interviewee as well. They want to make sure that the interviewee has the information needed to enroll in the program (and not accept a competing offer from another school) if admitted. Since this MBA education involves a massive commitment of time and financial resources, ask questions that show you are carefully evaluating the program and the value it can offer to you. Scratch beneath the surface by raising questions that cannot be found by simply browsing the program website. This will signal to the interviewer that you are thinking critically about the program while at the same time demonstrating your prior research and knowledge of the school.
Make a Connection
We are naturally inclined to support people we like. Thus, one of our goals is to make the interviewer like us. To achieve this, we must break down the barrier that naturally exists when meeting someone new by finding a way to make a personal connection. Asking smart questions that encourage the interviewer to share personal stories or finding common ground on interests or hobbies are some ways one might make a connection. One way to gain an advantage in this respect is to review the interviewer’s LinkedIn profile (not applicable for blind interviews) and identify a couple items that you might inquire about. For instance, a recent MBA interviewee realized the interviewer was into endurance sports such as triathlons and seized the opportunity to mention their own experiences, ultimately using this common interest to forge a closer connection.
Reinforce Your Strategy
You may also consider how the Q&A section can reinforce your underlying strategy. For instance, if your strategy was to showcase your collaborative personality and teamwork skills during the interview, your questions might center around the experiential group projects offered by that program or the alumni interviewer’s personal experience in collaborative team projects during their MBA studies. Through this dialogue, you may find the opportunity to remind the interviewer, explicitly or implicitly, of your dedication to or aptitude for teamwork.
Final Thoughts
Interviews come in all forms, and the time and number of questions can vary greatly. Some interviewers have an open schedule and will happily sit and chat for a couple of hours, while others have a fixed time window with no flexibility. With this in mind, do not panic if the interviewer cuts the Q&A part short. It likely does not indicate their personal feelings toward you, but rather, it is a sign that they may have another appointment, or are themselves introverted, and never intended to turn the interview into a long, personal conversation.
If you are looking for support or practice opportunities as you hone your interview responses and form Q&A section strategies, Transcend Admissions offers mock interview practice sessions. Click here to understand the service better.