MBA Interview Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

With Round 1 deadlines closing in over the next few weeks, many of our clients are (smartly!) turning their focus to MBA interview preparation. We love mock interviewing with them in the lead up to the real thing and, over the years, we’ve gleaned a number of MBA interview pitfalls to which even the most impressive candidates can fall victim.  Here they are and how to avoid them:

MBA Interview Pitfall #1: Jumbling the chronology of your resume walk through.

The opening question asked in most MBA interviews is ‘walk me through your resume’ or ‘tell me about yourself’. First, recognize that these are essentially the same question. Interviewers want a clear overview of your background, starting with college and moving forward. They want to hear about your career progression and accomplishments, but they also want to understand the ‘why’ behind each of your choices (college major, job changes, etc.).

Many candidates begin with their current role and work backward. However, this approach often feels awkward and difficult to follow. We find that it’s way more coherent to begin with college and talk through your experiences chronologically, through to the present day.

Treat each job or college experience as a distinct section. Specifically, you should address three elements: the “what,” the “why,” and the “how.” The ‘what’ refers to a high-level description of your company, function, and role. For college, briefly cover where you went and your major/minor(s). The ‘why’ refers to the rationale behind your decision to pursue that opportunity. As it relates to college, this may entail why you chose your school and/or major. Notably, the “how” involves sharing a key accomplishment. This detail highlights your impact and defines your group’s function.

An example could sound like this: “I joined ABC Consulting in their healthcare practice where I focused specifically on operations improvement projects. I partnered with an RN to develop a new process for X hospital. Notably, this initiative materially reduced the risk of sepsis, a potentially deadly infection. This project gave me a taste of the deep impact I could have through a career in healthcare, but it also made me curious about other questions such as XYZ. So that’s why I took my next role at ABC company, to explore the issue of access…”

After working your way through your current role, it can be a nice touch to wrap up with a brief mention of your involvements or interests outside of work. This framework leads naturally into the likely follow-on discussion of why you are choosing to pursue an MBA at this juncture.

MBA Interview Pitfall #2: Diving into ‘why MBA’ without sharing your career goals.

In addition to sharing your background, the other key thing your interviewer is looking for you to communicate is why you want to pursue an MBA and why their school is at the top of your list. When asked, ‘Why do you want to attend X school?’, we find that clients often get a bit flustered and dive right into the characteristics (classes, clubs, etc.) of that program that are appealing.

This approach is not inherently bad. However, the interviewer needs the context of your post-MBA plans to interpret your interests accurately. Instead, begin by sharing your immediate and long-term goals after graduation. Then, explain how the specific program ensures your success in that target career.

It may feel a bit like you are dodging their question at first and that’s ok, so long as the bulk of your answer is spent impressing them with your knowledge of the program and specific insights as to how it is a perfect fit for your needs.

MBA Interview Pitfall #3: Telling stories that are too complex.

A final pitfall we commonly see is responding to behavioral questions (‘tell me about a time when…’) with stories that require too much upfront context. Candidates often struggle with complicated stories. Consequently, they may present information in a way that confuses the interviewer. This confusion makes it difficult for the interviewer to recall your evaluation details. Furthermore, listeners tend to lose focus when they cannot follow the narrative.

Crucially, excessive context limits the time available to discuss your actions. Since your actions are the most important element, they deserve the most emphasis. Practice your stories out loud and focus on those where you can cover the ‘setup’ in ~30-45 seconds (max). You want to keep your answer to a behavioral question around two minutes, give or take, so this leaves plenty of time to cover your actions and the ‘result’ of the story.

Refining Your Interview Narrative

Did you know that we provide mock interview sessions accompanied by written feedback? We’d love to help you prepare. Reach out to learn more.