Get prepared for your InterviewsPart one

1.

Etiquette and the Interview Process

Your performance in this area affects not only you, but also the reputation of XIMB, its students, and its alumni. Please keep in mind the following

Your professionalism says a lot about you and XIMB. Any lack of professionalism will have a greater and a more lasting effect! Here are the rules of interviewing: Dont break the rules! Follow through on your commitments. Dont leave corporate presentations early! If you must, then sit by the door and be discrete. If you sign up for an interview or a company dinner go. If you must cancel, do so well in advance so that someone else can have your spot. Be early. A 9:00 a.m. interview means you should be in with your interviewer at 9:00, not taking off your coat and signing in. If they are running late and this impacts your schedule, be gracious and work with the coordinator to remedy the situation. Getting agitated wont help. Be prepared. Employers are very sensitive to people who come in and try to wing it. This reflects poorly on both you and XIMB. So if you arent genuinely interested, dont take the spot from someone who might really want it. Celebrate discretely. Once you get a job offer, you will have the urge to go singing through the streets. Just remember, many of your friends are still looking and for them the disappointment is mounting. Collaborate rather than compete. By helping one another out, we will all be prepared to do our best. This will encourage more companies to recruit at XIMB and for those already here, to hire greater numbers of students.

1.

The Personal Interview

You may be tempted to just practice case interview questions and wing it through the personal portions. Dont make this mistake! Your interviewer is just as interested in how you fit the firm as how fast you can chug through that industry analysis case. So here are some pointers gleaned from various interviewing books and XIMBians experiences. Disclaimer: Some of this may be common sense, but a little reminder never hurts!

Format
The typical consulting interview for a summer internship consists of two rounds. The first round is a screening round. You will normally have interview with two consultants from the firm, one consultant for each interview. If you do well, you will be invited back, often the next day, for a second round of interviews. In the second round, you may have two or three interviews with different consultants. These consultants will usually be from your desired office or specialty. The process is a little different for permanent positions. You will usually have three rounds rather than two. The third round will probably be at your desired office. Each interview lasts from a half hour to 45 minutes. The first half of your screening round interviews will usually be the personal interview portion. You will usually receive a case question after 15 minutes of personal questions. Prior to any case question, expect five minutes of chitchat. Yes, this is part of the personal interview! What is the purpose of the personal interview questions? Well, the firm wants to know why you want to be a consultant and why you want to join their firm. They are also trying to assess your fit with the firm and test whether you have researched on their firm appropriately to make an informed decision if they make you an offer. The bottom line: If you dont impress your interviewer in the personal portion, your performance on the case questions will not matter!

Preparation:
There are three key points to remember for a successful personal interview. Know Yourself Know the Firm Listen Well As you go through the interview process, you will receive tough questions that probe not only your intentions and intellect, but also your psyche and personality. Your delivery is as important as what you say. The only way to show poise and grace while answering the tough questions is practice over an extended period of time!

Know Yourself
You need to create a story line for yourself. Describe how your life has developed such that a job with firm X is the next logical step in reaching your goals. Be able to walk through the details of your resume and fill in the details. For instance, why did you make the moves you have? What have been the most significant decisions you have made? Where were the challenges and where were the triumphs? This is also your chance to set yourself apart. Give the interviewer something to remember you by tell an interesting story, talk about a unique skill or talent, etc. One way to do this is to incorporate words that will provoke curiosity into your resume. Also, be aware of the recruiters perceptions that they have even before meeting you for the interview. Try to break the negative reputation and re-enforce the positive. First, the positive recruiter perception of XIMB XIMBians are super smart academically and quantitatively excellent XIMBians are approachable and helpful

Good, just do not let them think that you cannot aggressively go after a job or develop new business. Also, show them creative thinking not only number crunching ability. Now the negative impressions: XIMBians have less business savvy than others (Especially IIMs graduates). XIMBians are not the best in interpersonal and communication skills XIMBians solve too many problems on paper XIMBians often demonstrate depth vs. breadth in interviews XIMBians are not strong in selling themselves in interviews Finally, some recruiters believe that XIMBians are under-prepared for their interviews

Now that you are aware of these stereotypes, you may work on them to improve your chances of getting the job. Make a strong effort to cite examples of teamwork. Be on time for your interview and properly dressed; remember that an interviewer is checking whether he/she can put you in front of a client. To demonstrate breadth of the case analysis, skim the surface of the most salient issues and then go into detail when prompted by the interviewer. To summarize, leverage these myths by showing that in addition to being a smart, helpful, numbers person, you are also a creative, thoughtful, well-mannered, personable, and savvy business student ready to sell ideas to clients that will positively impact their bottom line.

Know the Firm

What does the firm pride itself on? What makes them unique? If a firm prides itself on being a thought leader, show how you have been a thought leader or why being part of a firm that leads the industry is important to you. You must also know the basics about a company such as where they have offices and how they are structured. If you are unclear about any of these areas ask! You do, however, should show some initial understanding and then ask for clarification. For example, ask, "I understand that your firm is structured around 5 industry practice groups. Could you please elaborate on how this structure works in respect to a typical client engagement?" You can learn about the consulting firms by attending their recruiting and sponsored presentations. Use these opportunities to ask the consultants smart questions. Dont be shy about asking smart questions. Remember, most people are honoured when they are asked about their opinions and experiences! Keep in mind that the purpose of questions is two-fold. First and most importantly, the right questions will help you make the right decisions about where you want to work. Second, you want to articulate why you are interviewing with this firm and why you fit in with the company and their culture.

Listen Well
This is important. Insights and clues are all around you. Even before your interview begins, you should try to pick up any information you can. Many companies will have consultants in the waiting room to greet you. Ask them why they joined the company and what they like most about it. Go to the company presentations and take notes. What are the buzzwords they use to describe themselves and the people they hire? Remember a few highlights from the corporate presentation. You very likely may be asked what you thought about the presentation. In the interview, pay attention to your interviewer. What makes them look interested? What do they ask you to elaborate on? If you are weak in one response (Did you receive any academic awards in college? - Uh, no.), listen for a chance to show your skills in another way. Finally, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! Find a partner and interview one another.

The Physical Factors of Interviewing

What to take to the Interview
Some interviewers will have a pad of paper and a pen for you to take notes during the case portion of the interview. But dont bet your future on it! In the past, people have brought a leather folder with a pad of paper inside and, of course, a pen. Dont forget a few extra copies of your resume.

Answering the Question

Roger Cameron, a recruiter for companies that pursue MBA-level talent, suggests a four-step process to use when answering your interviewers questions:
1

1. Listen. Actively and eagerly listen to each word the interviewer says. Show signs of listening by nodding your head and moving your eyes. Make eye contact but dont make your interviewer uncomfortable by staring him or her down. Look away every 5 to 7 seconds. Dont try to butt in and answer the interviewers question before he or she is finished. 2. Reflect. Take a moment to think about the question and how you will answer. A few seconds of silent thought and a well-delivered answer are much better than a rambling, quick response. 3. Organize your answer in your mind. 4. Deliver your answer.

How do I show my High Energy Level?

As a consultant you will work long hours and be expected to show boundless energy around your coworkers, and especially your clients. If you cant show a high energy level in the interview, your interviewer may doubt your ability to keep up with the fast pace of the consulting life. Heres some ways to explicitly show that you are a high-energy person: 1. Your Walk. Show a sense of urgency when you are called into the interviewing room. In fact, always maintain a lively pace no matter where you are. You never know who is watching you. 2. Your Handshake. Look the person in the eye and smile. Your handshake should be firm and full into the hand. Step into the handshake as you offer your hand. Energy should flow from you to the person you are shaking hands. This goes for men and women. 3. Your Voice. Show enthusiasm as you speak. Modulate the tone, pitch, and speed of your voice. 4. Your Posture. Dont sit on the front edge of the chair or couch. Sit back in the chair so you can lean forward when you want to emphasize a point. Dont be stiff but dont slouch. Be sure to practice and evaluate yourself on these physical factors of interviewing when you practice with your Consulting club buddy and classmates!

Any questions for me?

As time runs out your interviewer will likely ask if you have any questions. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and curiosity about the firm. Always have three or four relevant questions prepared before you go into any interview!

Closing the Interview

As the interview winds down you need to close the interview. Be personal, sincere and upbeat. Express what about the firm impresses you and state that you look forward to a follow-on interview or to receiving an offer from the firm. Ask for the job! Ask when you can expect a phone call with the results of the interview so you can be home to receive it. This way, you will be able to ask for feedback about your performance in the interview process. Keep in mind that the greeting and recruiting staff outside your interview room may provide this information to you after your interview. Never ask, So how did I do? during the interview or the walk back to the hotel lobby!

Rescuing a Poor Interview

What if you feel your interview didnt go well and you didnt get out information about yourself that is crucial to your getting the job? If youre getting positive feedback that you will be invited back for a second round or an offer, dont do anything! Ask your smart questions and close the interview. However, if youre getting a negative reaction from your interviewer and if strong positive factors in your background were not brought out by the interviewers questions, you might want to say something like, I do have some questions for you. However, before I ask them, I think there are some things I need to tell you about myself that I have not yet shared with you today. Be positive and do not remind your interviewer of a negative issue that came up in the interview. This is a last ditch technique to rescue a poor interview, so be smart and very selective in using it!

After the Interview

Thank-You notes Send thank-you notes to all your interviewers the same day as your interview! Your
interviewers spend a lot of their precious time and effort to travel to visit you and you should express your sincere appreciation. The sooner your thank-you note arrives, the more likely your interviewer will remember you. You may even want to consider faxing thank-you letters in addition to mailing them. Dont thank your interviewer for the time they spent interviewing you. Instead, focus on how much you enjoyed the time spent with them learning about the firm and mention a specific topic from your conversation. Dont ask questions in your letter that require a response from your interviewer. You want to motivate him or her to send you to the next round or give you an offer. You can hand write your notes if your handwriting is neat. If not, use a computer. You can differentiate yourself by using coloured notepaper and envelopes. Be unique and professional.

Getting Feedback
Whether you get the job or not, you want to get feedback about your performance throughout the interview process. This includes asking what specific factors or issues differentiated those who made it to the next round from those who did not. When possible, be home when the interviewer calls with the results and ask for specific feedback that will help you in future interviews. If you cannot be home for the phone call, call the interviewer or recruiting manager and ask for a phone appointment to discuss your performance. Most interviewers and firms are happy to help you and give you feedback, even if you didnt get the job!

3. Typical Personal Interview Questions

Heres a list of common questions youll receive in the interview, and some advice on how to frame your answers!
The following questions are typical of the personal or resume interview. They allow the interviewer not only to ask questions about your resume, but also to evaluate your ability to speak concisely and clearly. When you practice these questions with your friends, remember to structure each answer and limit the length. The longest personal interview you will have will be 30 minutes or less, so taking all of that time to talk about your favorite class at XIMB is probably not a good idea. Get feedback from your practice partners and ask them what they think your strengths and weaknesses are. The interviewer will be speaking to many people in a matter of hours, so try to think of three distinguishing aspects of yourself that you want the interviewer to remember.

Be prepared for these!

Be prepared to answer all of the following questions. These are some sample questions: Tell me about yourself. Why do you think you would make a good consultant? How would you describe yourself? How would your close friends describe you? What does leadership mean to you? What have you done that demonstrates your ability to lead? What have you done outside of XIMB that demonstrates you work well in a team environment? Why did you choose XIMB? Why business school? What have you learned? What has been your best experience at XIMB? Your most frustrating? What has been your favourite class? Your least favourite? Why? Have you been satisfied with your grades? What accomplishment(s) makes you the most proud? Why? What book(s) have you read recently? Tell me about it (them). What magazines do you read? Why do you want to be a consultant? Where do you see yourself in 3 years? 5 years? 10 years? What is the most important thing not on your resume? What are your geographic/industry preferences? Tell me about a professional situation in which you impacted your peers. Are you a details or a big picture person? Why?

What are your criteria for selecting a firm? How would you choose from multiple offers? Why do you want to work at our firm? Why us instead of another consulting firm? What do you think it takes to make a good consultant? Describe an experience where you failed. What did you learn from this? What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? What is your GPA? Your XATs (this was really asked a few times!)? Be ready to explain if its below average. Describe a situation in the past where you had to analyze and solve a problem. Are you competitive? Why should we hire you? Where else are you applying and why? What is your concentration at XIMB? What do you do for fun at XIMB? How will you know when you have become a success? Describe the best/worst manager you have ever worked for. If you were offered the job right now, would you take it? Why should I bother reading your resume? What makes you a more interesting candidate than anyone else I interviewed today? Do you have any questions you would like to ask me? This last question is important. Be ready to ask two or three intelligent questions that will show your interest and preparation and provide you with any information you feel you need. Dont ask something that is obvious in the brochure or web page or was stated clearly at the presentation. Do ask questions that specifically were not answered in either forum to demonstrate that you paid attention to both sources of information. A few types of good questions to ask your interviewer: 1. Industry questions (What is the future of consulting? Etc.) 2. Firm specific questions to show you have done your homework (firm strategy or focus) 3. Background of interviewer 4. Career path at the firm

Possible approaches to tough questions

Wait we will come up with it very soon...............by then ponder on these questions.