Tips for Group Discussions/ Personal interviews

An analytical bent and arguments with meat, will do. More insights to help you gear up for B-School admissions.

by Careers !" - ## Mar, #"$$ %&'() *+SC(SS+',S -%*. and )ersonal +nter/iews -)+. are standard selection tools for admission into good business schools in +ndia. 0hile your academic record, wor1 e2perience -if any. and scores in the entrance test 3ualify you for an inter/iew call, your final selection depends largely on your performance in the last mile. + will tal1 about two things here - what the moderators4 inter/iewers are loo1ing for, and how students should prepare for success. 0e will also bust some myths while we address these 3uestions. + ha/e been a recruiter from prominent B-schools during my days in the corporate sector and am now part of the selection panel for )ra2is. + also do some training in this area. So + ha/e a fair idea of what it ta1es to win. Lets begin with GDs. A group of students is assigned a topic for discussion for $56#" minutes. 7he panel is loo1ing for an effecti/e combination of 1nowledge and s1ills in the candidates. 8nowledge comprises some understanding of the topic assigned, and also a good le/el of awareness of the world around us. )reparation 6 the only way to prepare is to read more, de/elop a 1een interest in current affairs and see1 opportunities to discuss these in groups. 8nowledge gi/es the content in a discussion 6 without good content you cannot score well. MYTH: Candidates perform well because they are smooth tal1ers. !"L#TY: Candidates perform well because they tal1 sense and there is sufficient meat in what they say. B-Schools see1 a /ariety of s1ills in the aspirants. 7hese comprise analytical s1ills, communication s1ills, team s1ills, ability to handle stress, decision-ma1ing s1ills etc. 9ets tal1 about the first three. Management is an applied discipline 6 students need to use their analytical s1ills to apply theory effecti/ely to sol/e day-to-day problems. 7he panel wishes to see whether the candidate is able to thin1 clearly about a situation, dig into his treasure of 1nowledge and apply it usefully in the short time he has to ma1e his point. )reparation students can train themsel/es to thin1 analytically 6 it is an attitude that one can de/elop as opposed to not thin1 at all. Ma1e it a habit to get to the why and how of issues 6 dont ta1e things at face /alue 6 thin1 about them before you form an opinion.

MYTH: Academic brilliance e3uals analytical s1ills. !"L#TY: Students with lower academic achie/ements sometimes demonstrate better capability to relate their learning to practical situations. Communication s1ills are perhaps the most critical attribute of the modern manager. 7hese include listening and articulation s1ills. Moderators loo1 for the candidates 1eenness and ability to listen to others 6 mature managers are /ery good listeners because e/ery time you listen, you learn. )reparation - train yourself to be a good listener 6 de/elop the patience to listen attenti/ely. Ac1nowledge that e/eryone has something /aluable to say. 0hen spea1ing in a %*, your :ob is to articulate your point of /iew in a way that is easy for others to comprehend. )reparation - inculcate the good habit of structuring your thoughts and presenting them logically. 0riting essays on a /ariety of topics is good practice de/eloping thought structure. $%#&' T"'! ; 7rain your mind to thin1 analytically ; <our %* arguments should ha/e meat ; &espect other peoples /iews ; 9istening is important. )ractise patience ; 0riting essays can impro/e thought structure M<7=> %ood communication is about spea1ing a lot, spea1ing in a stylish accent and using big words. &?A9+7<> %ood communication is about listening, spea1ing at the appropriate time, using easy-to-understand ?nglish and getting your point across in as simple a manner as possible. B-Schools prepare you for :obs that in/ol/e being part of and managing teams. 7he %* is the first test of how good your team s1ills are. *o you listen to others@ =ow do you handle points of /iew different from yours@ Are you able to get across your point of /iew without appearing to be trying too hard@ *o you cross the line from being asserti/e to being aggressi/e@ +f you are a good team player, the other members of the group will tend to connect with you. 7his will be e/ident to a moderator e/en amidst the chaos that mar1s a typical %*. )reparation 6 learn to respect others for what they are. 9earn to be open-minded and recogniAe the fact that people thin1 differently about issues. See1 opportunities to discuss topics of mutual interest in di/erse groups. MYTH (: Candidates who try to run the group and ensure e/eryone gets a chance to spea1 etc. demonstrate great team s1ills. MYTH ): )eople who dominate a discussion and reduce others to submission do well in %*s. !"L#TY: Candidates who wor1 with the group, accommodate di/erse /iewpoints and assert themsel/es without aggression score high.

*T%D!+T* H,-L! *. ; Starting with the phrase 6 Myself B<C 6 theres no better way to put the panel off. ; %etting into details about siblings and cousins 6 especially the ones who seem to ha/e done well. 0e wish to 1now about you, not about your e2tended family. ; Citing 6ma1ing friends or meeting new people 6 as their hobby. 0onder how one pursues a hobby li1e meeting new peopleD ; Saying things li1e 6 + studied this in my first year 6 as an e2cuse for not 1nowing some basic stuff related to their sub:ect of study. 7he panel members studied this about #" years bac1 6 they still remember itD ; + will get to learn how to manage people as an answer to the 3uestion 6 0hat do you e2pect to learn in your business management education@ An MBA is a technical course that teaches you the fundamentals of a number of functions of running a business. +n short, the %* panel is testing whether you 1now the topic well, are able to present your point of /iew in a logical manner, are interested in understanding what others feel about the same sub:ect and are able to conduct yourself with grace in a group situation. And now the /ery last phase of the selection process 6 the )+. Some of the %* attributes we ha/e spo1en about remain as important in a )+ 6 1nowledge, analytical s1ills, communication s1ills. =owe/er, the )+ is a little more predictable as there is a set of 3uestions that is li1ely to be as1ed to a ma:ority of the candidates. +t ma1es sense to 1now what these 3uestions are and to be prepared with the answers. 9ets loo1 at some of these 3uestions> 7he most fre3uently as1ed first 3uestion is 6 Can you tell us something about yourself@ +t ma1es ample sense to prepare a comprehensi/e answer to this 6 the tric1 again being able to structure it effecti/ely. A necessary condition is to understand your own self 6 your strengths, wea1nesses and nature 6 before attempting an answer. 'ther common 3uestions relate to your reasons for doing an MBA, your career goals, reasons for switching streams or gi/ing up a :ob etc. Students often as1 me for help in answering these types of 3uestions. )lease remember that these are 3uestions about you and only you can gi/e honest answers to them. A counsellor can at best help you structure the reply. 7he candidate should be prepared to face 3uestions on his areas of interest in academics and his area of wor1. =e has to demonstrate the capability to thin1 and present his thoughts cogently. =ighlight your areas of strength 6 try to direct the inter/iew towards your area of comfort. A panelist loo1s at a candidate with two things in his mind 6 would + li1e to ha/e him on campus for the ne2t two years, and, will + be able to place him with a good organisation two years from now. 7he inter/iewee should thus come across as an honest, capable and sincere person.

Spea1 the truth while answering personal 3uestions 6 nothing wor1s 3uite as well as truth. *iligence, genuineness, maturity and an awareness of the en/ironment around you are positi/e traits. Cynicism, arrogance and indifference are negati/e traits. A seemingly innocuous 3uestion on who your role model is and why he is your role model can yield lots of information about you across these dimensions. =ighlight your learning from your academics and your :ob. ?mphasise your interest in pursuing an MBA, and that too from that B-school. A/oid running down your college, your current area of study, your current :ob etc,. to :ustify your decision to pursue an MBA. 9earn to say + dont 1now instead of ma1ing wild guessesD 7here is no substitute to preparation. 9isten attenti/ely to each 3uestion as1ed and 1eep your answers brief and to the point. =ope you en:oy the %*4 )+ process and get admission to the B-school of your choice