商学院为什么爱面试?什么样的面试答案能让你一次面试就拿到顶尖商学院offer?-新东方前途出国

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    商学院为什么爱面试?什么样的面试答案能让你一次面试就拿到顶尖商学院offer?

    2017-12-09

    一个神奇的发现:只要出国读研,但逢商学院,必有面试。 

    为什么商学院那么喜欢面试候选人呢?面试中他们想获得怎样的信息?如何准备这些面试才能脱颖而出将offer稳收囊中?
     

    This lecture will cover real interviews only (no video essays). Thisis just an overview - the why, what, and how of interviews. We will briefly cover WHY business schools interview candidates, WHAT they ask during interviews, and HOW to answer the different types of interview questions. Most importantly, there is no substitute for sufficient practice. Take videos of yourself answering questions. Practice with friends, or other applicants. Interviewsare not easy. Some of you may have never done an interview in English before.So practice in great amounts! 

    1
    KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

    你的听众是谁? 

    Who will be interviewing you? How will they interview you? How long will your interview be? 

    谁将面试你?他们会怎么面试?面试有多久? 

    Some interviews are over Skype, while others are in-person. FromJimmy’s experience, interview length can vary from 15 minutes over Skype to 2hours in person. Clearly, you need to adjust your preparation to account forthese factors. But the most important factor to adjust for is the TYPE ofinterviewer you’ll meet. Will you be interviewing with an admissions officer,or an alumni? They are very different. 

    DIFFERENTTYPES OF INTERVIEWERS 

    不同种类的面试官 

    Admission Officers 

    招生官 

  • Interview many candidates 

  • Nearly always structured, with many predetermined questions 

  • May not have relevant experience in industry/major 

  • High EQ, usually friendly 

  • Main concern: “Canthis candidate get a good job after graduation?” 

  • Alumni 

    校友 

  • Interview few candidates 

  • Might be more freedom, with a higher chance of “weird” questions 

  • Nearly always has relevant experience in industry/major 

  • Might be more “aggressive” 

  • Main concern: “DoI want this candidate in my alumni network?” 

  • Admissions officers often do not have an MBA, or a degree in financeor accounting. Often, they come from liberal arts backgrounds, from majors suchas Anthropology, Communications, or Education. They interview many people eachyear, because it’s their job. Due to these factors, the interviews tend to bestructured, with standardized questions. They will also focus more on yourcommunication skills and on how likely you’ll be a successful candidate in theprogram.  

    This is her education background. Notice she has a BA in History.She's a rare type though, she apparently also has an MBA. 

    If you do a search on LinkedIn, you'll find that most AOs have suchliberal arts backgrounds. Alumni (and to some extent, current students) aredifferent. They nearly always have a background similar to yours. Due to this,they may ask detailed questions about your internships, and after listening toyour answers, know exactly the quality of your internship experience. They’realso not “experienced” interviewers; they may only interview 2-3 people peryear. For them, they’re mainly considering whether they like you, and could seeyou being a valuable and likable classmate in the program. 

    As you may note, AO and alumni are very different. For AO, focus oneasy to understand stories and on increasing your credibility. With alumni, youcan give more technical explanations of the coursework and internships that youdid, and you should also prepare for more “random” questions about yourinterests and experiences. 

    2
     WHY THEY INTERVIEW

    为什么要有面试? 

    Most non-business programs do not require an interview; why do nearly all business schools require one? What are they really looking for? 

    大多数非商科类专业并没有面试要求,为什么几乎所有的商科院校都有面试环节?他们到底想看到什么? 

    Knowing why business schools interview is important, because itallows you to understand what qualities business schools are looking for, andthus what qualities you should show during the interview. 

    This is a scatterplot of internal XDF data for students we helped toapply to two (very similar) business programs – the Brandeis Master of Financeand MA in International Economics and Finance. The x-axis is GPA, and y-axis isGMAT. Each dot represents an applicant, with a red dot representing a rejectedapplicant, a yellow dot representing a waitlisted applicant, and a green dotrepresenting an admitted applicant. 

    As you might realize, after a certain point (GPA 3.4 GMAT 680),there is actually little correlation between acceptance rate and your GPA/GMAT.Other factors, such as application essays, your internship experiences, andyour interview become the key determinants of whether you are admitted. This is quite different from most graduate programs (law, medicine, etc.)  

    where admissions might not care much about anything beyond your grades and examscores. If you score 180 on the LSAT and have a 3.8 GPA from a reasonable American university, we could say with reasonable certainty that you’ll getinto Harvard Law or Yale Law. And while this is an extreme case, the same cannot be said of programs at top business schools. 

    What’s the main function of a business school? Recall the mandatoryessay for most schools. Something like: “What are your career goals, and howwill our program help you to achieve them?” A graduate business degree existsto help you get a job. And what is one hurdle that every job hunter mustovercome before he or she can secure a job? (An interview.) 

    THE IDEAL CANDIDATE (someone who is not only great academically, but also great socially) 

    合适的候选人(不仅学术优秀,社交也拔群) 

  • Attractive; dresses professionally 

  • Smiles often 

  • Excellent English verbal communicator with many interesting stories 

  • Shows genuine interest in the program 

  • Knows exactly what his/her career plans are, and how this graduateprogram will support those plans 

  • Answers questions logically and concisely 

  • Focuses on the positive 

  • Makes the interview a conversation 

  • Makes the interview think: “This candidate is likable and could easily secure a job.” 

  • Organizations require an interview before you join them because theywant to know that you'll be effective. The above contains a list of qualitiesthat an ideal interview candidate might have. Now for some of you, maybe yourinterview is quite soon, so you don't have a lot of time to prepare. What aresome things that you could do right away that doesn’t require practicing dozensof potential interview questions? 

    IMPORTANT RULES (you should do before every interview) 

    重要的准则(面试必备) 

  • Familiarize yourselfwith the interview environment. If it’s via Skype, testthe program and your internet connection with a friend. If it’s in person,visit the interview location beforehand. 

  • Be early. At least half an hour early. 

  • Have on hand extracopies of every document. Your ID, resume, personalstatements, transcripts. 

  • Be conservatively well-dressed. Business formal will never hurt you. Don’t wear black. Light makeup,no heels above 2 inches. No ostentatious jewelry or crazy colors for yourlipstick or nails. Hide your tattoos. 

  • Practice good bodylanguage. Firm handshake, eye contact, hand gestureswhile you speak, open posture (don’t cross your arms). 

  • 3
    TYPES OF QUESTIONS

    面试问题 

    Prepare content, not exact responses. Practice answering with structures, not exact responses. 

    准备面试内容,并不是背答案,练习答案的结构和思路,不要背答案。 

    One common complaint that many admissions officers have aboutChinese candidates is: their interviews are too “rehearsed.” You may thinkyou’ve memorized responses for every possible question, but what happens if theinterviewer asks a follow-up question? What if they ask you a random questionthat’s not part of the script? Of course, they will assess you based on whatyou prepared, but they will also assess you on your spontaneous statements. It doesn'tmatter whether they're AO or alumni, they can tell the difference. So Jimmy’ sadvice is – focus on practicing the STRUCTURE of a standard response for each question type. 

    TELL US ABOUT YOU (KEEP IT SHORT) 

    说说你自己(尽量简短) 

  • Introduce yourself briefly 

  • Walk me through your resume 

  • Tell me something about yourself that’s not on your resume 

  • What’s studying in [University Name] like? 

  • What are your interests and hobbies? 

  • If money were not an issue, what would you do with your time? 

  • Describe your perfect day 

  • What are some things that are really important to you? 

  • Speaking of structure, there is no standard structure for answering the first question type. They're mostly simple "about you" questions. You don’t need to state two reasons why your favorite color is blue, or explain in detail why you like a certain sport or hobby. Sometimes, a story is appropriate. Sometimes, dividing your response into 2-3 parts is appropriate. The main advice is, keep it short. What you say may be interesting to you, but it might not be interesting to your interviewer. If they’re really interested, they’ll ask follow up questions! 

    EXAMPLE: SELF-INTRODUCTION 

    Academic 

    University and major. 

    I’m currently an undergraduate student at   the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, studying finance. 

    Professional 

    Most important internship(s). 

    To explore my career interests, I took   two internships in the Big Four-one in KPMG auditing, and one in Deloitte   consulting. I think I like consulting more. 

    Other 

    Hobbies, passions, skills. 

    Outside of school and work, my favorite   hobby is baking. I can bake cupcakes, cookies, and more than 10 different   types of cake. 

    Jimmy focused on an example of a self-introduction because nearly all candidates say too much. Try to keep it as short as possible. 

    “My name is [Chinese Name], you could call me [English Name]. I’m currently an undergrad majoring in finance at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. I’ve done two internships in the Big Four, one in auditing and one in consulting. Outside of school and work, my main hobby is baking. Something I love to do is to bake special cakes for my friends’ birthdays.” 

    Notice how this response is not exactly the same as the example. That's perfectly fine. Remember, the structure is what's important. Name. SHUFE Finance. Big Four internships. Baking. As long as you remember the keywords, and your English isn't terrible, you should be able to piece together a coherent response. 

    GIVE US YOUR OPINION 

    谈谈你的观点 

  • Why finance/marketing/business analytics/management/accounting? 

  • Why graduate studies? 

  • Why this program? Why not MBA? 

  • Why you? (How will you contribute to the program?) 

  • What do you think is the most important quality of a good leader? 

  • If you could choose to have dinner with any three people, whom would you choose? 

  • Kids under 10 years of age should not be given mobile phones. Agree or disagree? 

  • What do you think are the key trends in [industry] over the next 10 years? 

  • “Why” questions are very common in interviews, so you should absolutely prepare for every conceivable question of this type. Why did you choose your undergrad major? Why did you choose to go on exchange at X University? Why did you transfer? Why did you choose to intern there? Why graduate school? Why our school? Why you? Why not graduate school in China? Why not work for a few years first and then pursue an MBA instead? These are often asked. 

    Other questions of this type tend to be on "random" topics. They could literally ask your opinion about anything, from increasing taxes on alcohol to the future of AI and robotics. Just remember, state your opinion, and then always have at least two reasons to support your answer. Use transition words to connect your points. 

    EXAMPLE: WHY GRADUATE STUDIES? 

    Point 1 

    Nearly all my full-time coworkers during  my internships have master's degrees. 

    Point 2 

    I want to go overseas to gain a more  global perspective and experience a different learning environment. The   earlier I go, the lower my opportunity cost. 

    This is probably the simplest example that everyone should prepare for. 

    "To be honest, this reminds me of a story. When I was doing my internship at [Company], I had lunch with many coworkers during my first week... and I soon found that nearly every full time coworker had a master's degree. This was when I decided I should seriously consider graduate school. Also, I have always wanted to go overseas to experience a different culture and learning environment. And I think now is better than later, because I haven't started working yet, and the opportunity cost now is lowest." 

    This is somewhat different from the two simple points listed. Modify your own response according to your own circumstances and motivations. 

    TELL US A STORY 

    讲一个故事 

  • Tell me about a time when you assumed a leadership role. 

  • Tell me about a recent challenge you overcame. 

  • Tell me about a time when you failed. What did you learn from the experience? 

  • Tell me about a conflict that happened in a team you were part of. What did you do to help resolve the issue? 

  • Tell me about a time when you needed to convince someone else of your views. How did you accomplish it? 

  • Tell me about a morally gray situation you faced. What did you do? 

  • Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a superior. What did you do? 

  • The questions above are all "behavioral questions." This type of question is used not only in school interviews, but also in nearly every job interview. The idea is that "past experiences are the best predictors of future success." By asking you to tell a story, they can reasonably ensure that what you say is true (especially if they ask follow up questions to confirm certain details). Many people might think that this type of question is the most difficult at first, but in fact it's not. Mainly because the number of different stories they can ask you for is actually quite limited. By far the most common are about leadership, teamwork, and challenge. Some might ask you about conflict in a team, failure, ethical dilemma, or negotiation example. Anything beyond these topics would be very rare. Furthermore, you may find that some of your stories could address more than one of these topics. 

    EXAMPLE: TEAM CONFLICT 

    B/C 

    Background/Challenge 

    Background: [Course] project, 4-member group, 2-week timeline. 

    Challenge: 2 members do not want to participate; one is sick, and one is   back in his hometown due to family issues. Last teammate is unhappy with the   situation that requires him to take on more work. 

    A 

    Actions 

    1. Communicate with professor about the situation. 

    2. Volunteer to lead, set up online meetings. 

    3. Motivate team: “To each according to his ability.” 

    4. Align on project timeline and interim deadlines. 

    R 

    Result 

    Achieved "A" grade and   professor’s compliments for effective leadership. 

    In terms of structure, keep it to three parts. Every story has a dramatic structure – a beginning, middle, and end. For our purposes, we should always explain the background first, to give the listener a context. Where, when, and why. Who was involved. What the specific challenge was. Then, detail the specific actions you took to resolve the challenge. Finally, note the specific and quantifiable results of your actions. You must be specific with your stories! 

    "There was this final project for Financial Accounting. I was in a team of 4, and we had two weeks to complete the assignment. The main problem, one girl was quite sick at the time, and another guy was back in his hometown because of some family issues. The remaining teammate was really unhappy about the situation we were in." 

    "I knew I had to step up and volunteer to lead the project. I did several things. First, I talked to my professor to explain our situation. Then I set up online meetings so that all teammates could participate. Third, I tried my best to motivate the team. I reminded them of the philosophy: "To each according to his ability." And finally, we all agreed on a timeline for the project, and specific deadlines for each task. Eventually, we finished the project on time. My professor was very impressed and gave us an A for our great work.” 

    The above 2 paragraphs are slightly different from the example. But the structure remains the same. This story could be used to respond to a question about not only team conflict, but also: teamwork, leadership, challenge... 

    QUESTIONS FOR YOUR INTERVIEWER 

    你可以向你的面试官提以下问题: 

  • [AO or Alumni] How is student diversity in the program? Will we have opportunities to work in cross-cultural teams? 

  • [AO or Alumni] What resources are there to help international students secure employment in the US? 

  • [AO] Are updates to my application welcome? What sort of updates would improve my candidacy for the program? 

  • [AO] Are there any courses or technical skills that you recommend I learn before the program begins? 

  • [Alumni] My career plan is [career plan]. Do you have any advice for what I can do to prepare before I begin my graduate studies? 

  • [Alumni] From your memory, what companies from [industry] hired on campus? 

  • Finally, nearly every interview will conclude with the interviewer asking: "Do you have any questions for me?" Here, the differences between an admissions officer and alumni are critical. Don't ask the same questions, because they may not be able to answer. AOs tend to know more about the school and the program, while alumni are able to give more advice on your career and the employment prospects of a graduate from the program. 

    4
    Q&A

    Q: How do we know who is going to interview us? Will we know their name the moment we are noticed to do an interview? What if we failed to search their name on LinkedIn? 

    我们如何知道面试官的身份呢?当我们被邀请去参加一个面试的时候会知道他们的名字吗?如果我们在Linkin上找不到他们的信息怎么办? 

    A: Usually, the school will email you with the name of your interviewer. Nearly all schools do this. And nearly all interviewers are searchable on LinkedIn, as long as you use it frequently and have a reasonably sized network. Often, schools actually request that you coordinate the date and time of the interview with your interviewer. 

    Q: Is asking question a part of interview? Do they judge us by questions we ask? 

    提问也是面试的一个环节吗?我们提问的内容会影响面试的结果吗? 

    A: Yes, asking questions is an important part of the interview process. You will be assessed on it. 

    Q: Whether should we tell them our real mind? For example, if I am going to apply for a finance program which is stem, but we all know that master degree students are not very welcome in investment bank, should I tell them I have not made up my mind yet or just say something that I might not going to choose in the future ? 

    我们是否应该告诉他们真心话?比如说,我想申请属于STEM类的经济硕士,但是硕士毕业生在投行并不受欢迎,我是否要告诉他们我还没有决定还是应该说一些违心的假计划? 

    A: Of course, any questions you ask that are reasonable and show curiosity about the program and school will be looked on favorably. Even if your questions hint at your concern about, say, the location of the school or the weather, or the potential difficulties in securing a job in the US after graduation. On the contrary, they may be annoyed by simple questions, whose answers you could easily find on their website. 

    The question about career positioning is a tough one. Generally, you should say what makes sense, because what makes sense is usually the appropriate path anyway. For example, staying in the US with a non-STEM degree is monumentally challenging. Therefore, most candidates should prefer to return to China upon graduation from such programs. 

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