Interviewing techniques for
MBA-level roles
David Heard, Abintegro
www.abintegro.com
23rd October 2014
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
MBA World Career Development Centre
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
First-things-first
first impression
who are you
diligence
your question/insight
positive close
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Visualise the first 5 minutes
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Interview first impressions
The greatest way to make a positive first
impression is to demonstrate
immediately that the
other person,
not you,
is the centre of action and conversation
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Acceptable level of research
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Business description
Industry
Employee number
Offices
Ownership
Finances
Customers
Why they buy
Competitors
Recent press
Industry press
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Acceptable level of research
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Importance of business talk
Tell me something about my
business, maybe it’s my ego ...
far more impressive than any
generic interview speak
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Heading
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ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu
fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt
mollit anim id est laborum.
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
4 question types
From talking to employers, 4 types of question:
1) Standard (tell me about you, why should we hire you, you did this on
your cv – tell me about it)
2) Behavioural (describe a situation when you…., what was your best
decision)
3) Tough questions (what is your salary requirement, why did you leave
this job, what are your weaknesses)
4) Bizarre questions - be prepared for thought-provoking and even bizarre
questions sometimes arguably silly questions – how many golf balls would
fill a 747, how many petrol stations in London, explain your job to a 10
year old, explain corporate Britain
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Employer questionnaire – 3 most reliable questions
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Predictable questions – no excuses
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What are your strengths and weaknesses
What would your peers and colleagues say about you
Who is the best boss you've ever had?
What do you expect to achieve in the first 10. 30, 100 days
How well do you work under pressure
Tell me about a time when you've failed to deliver
What 3 words would your best friend use to describe you
Tell me about yourself
Why do you think you're suitable for this role?
How successful were you in your last or your current role
What interests you about our company
What questions do you have for me
Who are our customers
How ambitious are you
How did you add value in your last job
Why do you want to work for us vs our competitors
What would your boss say about you
Do you have any direct experience of this role
What are your thoughts about working in this organisation
What do you know about the job you've applied for
What do you want to achieve in the first 3, 6 or 12 months
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What motivates you?
What research have you done about the organisation?
What is your greatest achievement
How do you rate yourself on commercial, strategic and
sales skills
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
What is your approach to managing people?
What is your approach to negotiation?
How did you prepare for this interview
Do you need other people around to stimulate you or are
you self-motivated?
When was the last time you felt angry at work?
What do you like and dislike about the job we are
discussing?
What was your greatest success in your professional
career? How did you achieve it?
What has prompted your job search
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years
Case study - what would you do
Tell me why you want this job
What would your colleagues say about you?
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What do your peers/managers think of you?
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Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Questions in summary
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Openers
About you
Company specific
Role specific
Work history
Behavioural
Future goals and motivations
Closing questions
Your questions
Driving towards 5 factors:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Can you do the job?
Will you fit in the team?
What will you be like to manage?
Why do you want the job?
How hard do you work?
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Who are you?
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Interview take-aways
She was really energetic, very
competent project management
skills and worked for Towers
Watson
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Interview take-aways
CEO responsibilities
1: Customer service
2: Engaged employees
3: Invest in core products
Private sector buying criteria
Personality
Achievement
Competence
Attitude
Behaviours
Experience
Skills
2
1
3
Your verbal brand
Similar role
Industry
Problem-solver
Similar company
Team-player
Presenter
Skills
Experience
Networker
Listener
Decision-maker
Organised
Evidence
Hard worker
Integrity
Flexible
Passionate
Enthusiastic
Level-headed
Behaviour
Positive
Curious
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Case interviews
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Case interviews
You are given a question, situation, problem or challenge in a business context – the
interviewer may well have worked on in real-life
Don’t spend too much time on industry nuances and detail – instead tackle common
challenges faced by most businesses e.g. falling profits, increased competition, merger
integration…..think 80/20
Do not overuse frameworks or outside knowledge
Be comfortable with using assumptions to arrive at an answer
Practice bringing it all together
Make a clear recommendation
Ideas (write down) > clarifying questions > hypothesis > brainstorm options including
pros/cons > summarise > recommendation
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Case interviews - Bain
The biggest thing I look for is
people who are structured
thinkers…..laying out a tree at
the beginning is effective…..I
need to see the thought
process
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Heading
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et
dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex
ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu
fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt
mollit anim id est laborum.
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
Summary
first impression
latest job
diligence
your question/insight
positive close
Interviewing techniques for MBA-level roles
MBA World Career Development Centre
Thank you!
David Heard, Abintegro
www.abintegro.com