Personal Interview in MBA selection process is the stage which provides the last opportunity to you to convince the selection panel that you deserve admission to their institute and are the right candidate. To do this, it is imperative that you shed your inhibitions and 'talk' to the interviewers.
For the admission selection to MBA, Personal interview is being conducted so that the panellists take a good last look at you; get to know you a little more personally before taking a final call. And if you don't open up and display your strengths, you will only be left with regret as you have not given the panellists much to judge you on. Having said this, if you open up too much and take it too casually, you would leave a bad impression. Thus, interviews are tight ropes on which you have to tread cautiously.
Be Expressive
It is in your hands to make full use of this last chance. The panellists want to hear you, as it is only by hearing and observing you can they come to know about you and form impressions. Therefore, it is suggested that you express yourself clearly. However, your ability to think and speak clearly might get hampered during the interview, with nervousness and the pressure to perform well taking hold of you. With good preparation, self-confidence, you should be able to tide over these problems. Think of the interview as a brief performance where you have to win over the audience (interviewers) in the limited time at hand.
Be Yourself
To give yourself the best chance of getting selected, 'be yourself' in the interview. Any kind of pretensions or superficiality will be easily detected by the panel and create a bad impression. The key to cracking an interview is to be as spontaneous and as real as you can be. This will only happen if you can find a way of ignoring and not thinking about the external factors such as peer pressure, fear of failure and so on. Rather, try to be calm and make yourself at ease. If your mind is at peace and in harmony with your body, there is no reason why you will not sail through the interview.
Don't go overboard
Since the selection panel wishes candidates to be at ease, expects them to be open minded and come up with their best, there is a possibility that few candidates might go overboard and take too many liberties with the interviewers. For instance, they might become casual with them, try to get personal with them, use inappropriate gestures and behave unprofessionally. Don't fall into this trap. This will definitely go against you.
Confine yourself to what is necessary
On one hand, you are expected to be expressive and open, on the other hand, you are expected to behave professionally and remain within limits. Slipping on either side (being too expressive or reticent) might spoil your chances. Therefore, it is best to confine yourself to articulating, through speech and appropriate gestures, only that which is necessary.