The Personal Interview appears to be a daunting task to many aspirants who reach this stage. Inspite of clearing the MBA entrance exam and subsequent rounds such as Group Discussion or Written Ability Test, some aspirants feel anxious and nervous about this round. Despite PI being the only chance candidates get to meet and influence the panellists who will decide whether they make it to the institute or not, the fear of what to expect, lack of confidence and the pressure of expectations make PI an intimidating task.
Objective of PI
Personal Interview is invariably the last hurdle that aspirants face in the admission process. By this stage, the aspirants have already cracked the entrance exam, appeared in Group Discussion or Written Ability Test, and fancy their chances of making it to the institute. But, PI can easily derail their dream, if they drop their guard. The aspirants should know that PI is conducted to know details about the aspirant which other rounds do not bring forth, details such as personality traits, confidence level, fluency in language, strengths and weaknesses and so on. The candidate must play his/ her role in fulfilling this objective and participate in the conversation.
Don’t Stress
Candidates often experience a lot of stress in the interview round. They hype it to an extent that it becomes one of those tasks that puts a lot of pressure on them. Instead of going with the flow and making the most of this opportunity, they allow themselves to be intimidated and falter.
PI- a two way process
PI ideally, is a two-way process. Even as the aspirants get interviewed and judged by the panel, they too have a chance to highlight their strengths and steer the conversation in the direction they want. The panellists want to know more about the aspirants and the questions they ask are leading questions that give aspirants a chance to express themselves and show who they really are. The aspirants should not let go of this final opportunity they will get to impress the panellists and secure their seat in their preferred course.
PI is formal communication
Though PI is a simple dialogue, it still is a formal platform of communication. The aspirants should adhere to the specified code of conduct and behave professionally at all times during the interview. They don’t want to become too frank with the panellists and talk casually with them.
Soft Skills
PI is also a platform where a candidate’s soft skills come to the fore. Body language, gestures, verbal skills all play a crucial role in making an impression in the interview. The people on the interview panel are experienced enough to study and interpret gestures and body movements. For instance, a candidate might be pretending to be confident but his body language might be betraying a sense of nervousness and anxiety. The fiddling of fingers, sweating, repeating empty phrases such as ‘you know’ and so on are signs that tell the panellists that the candidate is not confident or in control.
Be Positive
A dialogue works well if the candidate is positive and exudes warmth. Just as in a ormal conversation, people who are positive, warm and inviting are pleasant to talk to and make an impression, in the interview, too, candidates who are emanate positive vibe will naturally leave a lasting impression on the minds of the panellists.
The Personal Interview round should be treated like a dialogue, simple yet important. A candidate must be at his best for this round without taking pressure at all. The idea is to impress the panellists by being yourself and highlighting your strengths.
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