Preparation

Kit (2018-20)

Topic: Common PI Questions

Media Committee IIFT

 Why MBA?

As you stand at one of the most critical crossroads of your life, there would be a million questions in your
mind. During the last few years of your student life, you would have looked at a number of career options
and tried to gauge what it is that you would like to become. Eventually, what is the kind of work that you
want to do for the rest of your life? While most of you, by now, would have an idea about your dream job,
some of the more focused among you would also have an idea about your dream companies. Some
professional qualified folks would have by now figured whether to continue in your technical field or take
off on a management career. As you are all set to become serious about your careers, lets talk about MBA
as a career option, if it is what you want to do in life.

What does MBA have to offer you?

High pay packages, lavish lifestyles, senior positions in organisations etc are some of the common reasons
why people choose MBA as a career option. But if we were to give it a deeper thought, we would wonder,
is this the real reason why MBA as a career option is so popular. There is definitely no denial in the above-
mentioned factors but well, to base your decisions with only these objectives in mind, would seem a highly
blinkered attitude, don’t you agree?

• According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, self- actualisation comes above social needs (don’t bother
if you don’t know Maslow’s law, you shall soon learn about it in your MBA!) So in order to make
this decision of a lifetime, you should be much more informed about the pros and cons (if any) of
selecting MBA as a career option.
• An MBA course is a hothouse where you are pushed to deliver. You are introduced to fierce
competition. The conditions work on you in such a way that either you breakdown and leave the
course half way or you end up becoming a tough professional.
• An MBA programme exposes you to a very wide area of experience in terms of subjects and people.
You get exposed to varied subjects like macroeconomics, consumer behaviour, psychology,
marketing, cultural heritage, communication theory, operations research, quantitative techniques,
finance, HR, etc. Most programmes cover over 30 subjects! Apart from exposure to subjects, you
meet people from various backgrounds and places. This really broadens your outlook!

• In order to work in teams and create powerful solutions, one needs to develop interpersonal
sensitivity. Handling people and group dynamics in today’s competitive world is
considered to be one of the most important challenges.
• Having had an exposure to a competitive, holistic and dynamic environment, one, needless
to say, develops a deep-rooted confidence in one’s abilities. The feeling that come what may,
I am ready to face the challenge and face it boldly comes uniquely with this career option.
 Commonly asked questions

• Tell me about yourself.

• Why MBA?
• Why MBA from this institute?
• Mention 3 strengths. Write 2 lines about each.
• Mention 3 weaknesses. Write 2 lines about each.
• Give 3 adjectives that best define you.
• How would your friend describe you? (3 adjectives).
• How would your professor describe you? (3 adjectives).
• What do you propose to do in your career in the short and long term?
• Who is your role model in your life?
• Why not work for a few years and then go for management OR Why quit your job now?
• Which specialization you would take in MBA?
• If not selected then what are your alternative plans?
• What are your family values?
• Would you like to ask anything?
• Reason for poor academic performance
• What was your biggest decision in life?
• What are your hobbies? What have you done to pursue your hobbies seriously?
• What motivates you?
• Identify one instance in life and describe the situation:
1. Ethical dilemma
2. Aggression
3. Took risk which paid of
4. Took risk which did not pay off
5. Praise awarded
6. Rewarding college experience
7. You had trouble with people
8. Persuaded team on an idea
9. Overcame resistance
10. You made unreasonable request (in hindsight)
11. Frustration in dealing with the team
12. You used tact and diplomacy to get things done
13. Bout of frustration
 14. Others criticized you
15. You put in efforts/ performance beyond requirements
16. You faced a crisis situation
17. You solved a problem creatively
18. You brought a new idea or a business goal to the table
19. Inspired people/ team members/ colleagues
20. Achieved results against all odds
21. Highest point in life
22. Compromised on values
23. Difference in opinion with team and you went ahead with your decision
24. Biggest failure. What went wrong and what would you have done differently?

Interview - Sample Questions & Suggested Answers

Justify your decision to pursue the MBA programme?

Don't tell the panel that you are looking for a "challenging job in a good firm with lots of money, status and
glamour". Instead, you must convey to the interview panel that you have made a rational and informed
decision about your career choice and your intended course of higher study. There are broadly four areas
which your answer could touch upon:

• Career Objectives: You could talk about your career objectives and how the two year MBA
programme will help you achieve them.
• Value Addition: Value addition will essentially be in two forms knowledge and skills.
• Background: This is where you connect your past to your future. If you are an engineer, try and
say that the MBA course and your engineering degree will help you do your job better in the
company that you will join. You should be able to convincingly justify how your engineering
qualification will help.
• Opportunities and Rewards: You could also at this stage mention the opportunities that are
opening up in organizations for management graduates. At this stage mentioning superior monetary
rewards for management graduates may not be a bad idea.
Why do you think you would enjoy your chosen area of study (Eg: Marketing)?

Marketing is key to the success of any organization and the function has always appealed to me, because it requires a
combination of creativity, strategic and analytic ability - all qualities that I feel I possess. Through discussions with some of my
seniors, I have a pretty good idea of what it's like to work toward taking up a marketing job, and I know I will enjoy the work.

How do you spend your spare time?

I have a good collection of books of different genre and enjoy reading. In addition, I love driving during late evenings or on
rainy weekend afternoons. Also, for the last two years I've been volunteering at the local children's hospital on Saturday
mornings.

What are your weaknesses?

I used to be somewhat disorganized, but eventually this got me into trouble when I missed an appointment I hadn't written
down. It was clear that I had to learn how to be more organized. So, with the help of my senior colleague we worked out a
system that I still use today. Not only do I stay on top of things, but I'm more efficient, too.

The first thing you need to do prior to interviewing is assess yourself. This includes listing your strengths and weaknesses,
your accomplishments and achievements, reviewing your strong and your weak subjects, and recording some of the key
decisions you have made in your life.

You should then review your interests, the disappointments you've encountered, your work environment likes/dislikes, your
business and personal values, your goals, needs, restrictions, and life style preferences.

Prepare structured answers for the following potential questions.

1. Why should we admit you into our MBA program?
2. What are your strongest abilities?
3. What skills would you be bringing to the classroom? (Relevant if you have job experience)
4. What are you looking for in this program?
5. Tell me something about yourself?
6. What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses?
7. Where do you want to be in 5 years?
8. Why do you want to study in this institute?
9. What does "success" mean to you?
10. What does "failure" mean to you?
11. What are your three major accomplishments?
12. What have you disliked in your past jobs? (If you have worked in more than one
organization)
13. What kinds of people do you enjoy working with? (If you possess work experience)
14. What kinds of people frustrate you?
14. What kinds of people frustrate you?
15. How long before you can make a contribution (Not monetary) to the institute?
16. In the past year, what have you been dissatisfied about in your performance?
17. What according to you is your ideal job and how will this program help you realise the
same?
18. What can you tell me about your past bosses? (If you have work experience)
19. Which is more important to you: money or the type of job?
20. What have you learned from your activities in college?
21. Were your extracurricular activities worth the time you put into them?
22. What have they taught you?
23. What qualities should a successful manager possess?
24. What two attributes are most important in your job?
25. What major problem have you encountered and how did you deal with it?
26. What have you done that you consider creative?
27. Who do you admire? Why?
28. What do you get passionate about?
29. What courses are you taking?