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Most employers in recent times face quite an onus in the recruitment process. In the cut-throat competitive world of today, the stakes to crack an interview soar high in the sky. Even though you’ve appeared on more interviews than you can count on your fingers, every interview is a new learning experience.

It never seems to get any easier, does it?

With each job interview, you meet new people, you brand yourself and sell yourself. To survive through the process, you need to display your skills and stay upbeat and enthusiastic through it all, no matter how long it takes! This can be a challenge, especially when you’re interviewing for a job you would love to get hired for.

Getting into a reputed institution in the country and obtaining a valuable MBA degree is a challenging business. However, the challenge gets even tougher when you need to step out into the real world and land a well-paying MBA job. The first step towards that goal – the much-dreaded MBA job interview. The MBA placement interview is one of the most pivotal moments in life and hence, one needs to be fully prepared to face the music. 

An interview is a process of analysing the skills of an individual through verbal communication. It is different from a normal conversation between two or more people in terms that the former involves communication in modes of question and answer while the latter refers more to any normal genuine communication between two or more people that each one of us is a part of in everyday life. The term interview is mainly associated with employment, hiring and professional fields. This process of interview existed long before when the scope of employment began. Gradually with developing times, the importance of interviews also increased. Industries are growing along with a steep rise in the global population. 

In an HR Interview during MBA placement, two kinds of students sit for interviews: Freshers and working professionals. Top MBA Colleges in India prepare their students for the real corporate world. Some of these institutes are IIMs, IITs, IMT Ghaziabad, NMIMS School of Business Management, Faculty Management Studies and XIMB among many others.

The Executive PGDM through Virtual Interactive Learning Program of XIMB, Bhubaneswar inspires future generations to work for the greater good. This institution instills knowledge, confidence and helps in building a long-term vision in every student. The students are guided by the core values of integrity, honesty, transparency, and accountability. In a highly accelerated and change driven business environment, we have some of the most competent, adaptable and committed professionals. They lead the path with values and ethics and follow the vision of enabling people to live extraordinary lives. We nurture the deep-seated rationale of every student in this institute to bring out the best in them.

To get through the interview successfully, there are a few key things that need to be considered:

1. Research about the employer

While having an impressive resume and experience are helpful, a decent understanding of the employer also makes you stand out at the interview. Research is a key factor in cracking an interview successfully. Knowing the company and whether you could be the right fit for it or not, makes the candidate more relevant for the company. On the other hand, not knowing about the company can make the interviewer frustrated. Moreover, it shows a lack of initiative on your part. Having some knowledge about the company is so essential that many interviewers even ask their candidates what they know about the company.

Those who have negligible say about the company are immediately eliminated from the next round considering unprepared/ disinterested. Thus, in the present scenario, performing basic research can give you an edge over the other applicants

2. Show your interest in the company

There are many ways to showcase that a candidate is interested in working with the company. One effective way is to ask relevant questions about the company’s work culture at the end of the interview. It helps in gaining more insights about the company and how it feels to be working with them. Begin by going through its website, where you can find the maximum relevant information about the organization.

Once you know the information that has been mentioned publicly, start making a list of questions that you would want to ask the interviewer. Be specific about each question and try including the things that can bring more clarification to you.

For instance, if you saw that the company invests heavily in the learning and development of its people, you can ask more about the programs that they offer.

3. Set your first impression

Whether you’re having a face-to-face or a virtual interview, a first impression is always useful in making the mark. It begins the moment you enter the room or turn on the video for an online interview.

For virtual interviews, make sure that you sit in a noise-free area, away from the household and other distractions. Additionally, having a clean and clutter-free background also holds prime importance in showing the level of professionalism of the candidate.

Also, be sure to look directly into the camera and keep yourself focused. While appearing for a face-to-face interview, make sure you put on the right attire and dress-up well. Apart from a decent formal attire, wear confidence in your body language, and go for it. In the admission process of XIMB’s EPGDM- VIL, candidates have to go through Virtual Collaboration Challenge (VCC) and Virtual Interview (VI). So the institute prepares you for interviews from Day 1. (or let’s say even before day 1)

4. Share more about your experience

One of the most common questions that interviewers ask these days is “tell me something that’s not there on your resume”.This helps in determining whether the candidate is a good fit as per the company’s work culture or not. Apart from making the interviewer know about competence, do not forget to tell them that you’ll be the right fit for the team.

As a candidate, consider this question as an opportunity to share about your attributes, strengths, and qualities. When the interviewer knows about your intangible strengths, it becomes easy to succeed in the interview.

One of the biggest reasons for avoiding yes or no is that it doesn’t tell the employer much about your experience. Consider the interview round as an opportunity to sell your skills in an elaborate manner. For instance, if an interviewer asks you about a specific professional course that you have taken up and mentioned in the resume, try to explain how you used it and its relevance in your current role. XIMB’s EPGDM-VIL gives many academic experiences to the students such as

  • Byte-sized learning (200+ Tutorial videos can be accessed through XIMB Learning Management System)
  • Live virtual classes with 8 to 10 hours of commitment per week
  • Easier work-study balance for participants
  • Dynamically designed and tailor-made education to suit the requirement of participants.

5. Be confident in your body language

Win them over with your authenticity and positivity. A confident candidate is always preferred even if the other candidate had a better looking resume. Respond truthfully to all the questions asked. And do not be ashamed if you do not know an answer. Tell them you will surely look into it, learn more, and have a good conversation on that topic over coffee at your desk. Sometimes, even going a little extra may help. You never know. The EPGDM-VIL of XIMB instills confidence within every student.  Through 250+ Live Virtual Classes during Weekends and Live projects amongst several other things, the institution teaches confidence, team building and leadership among the students.

The trick to nailing an interview is to keep a calm face and body posture all through the interview. Prepare well, stay alert, and stay updated about the industry. Take time to frame your answers. Most importantly, be confident, and you’re good to go!

Stay informed, Stay ahead and stay inspired with MBA Rendezvous