The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are considered among India's best B-schools. Over time, Personal Interview (PI) becomes an inevitable component of the selection process at IIMs, which indeed is intimidating for most. The PI round is a very personal interaction between the candidate and a panel of interviewers with the aim of judging the personality, communication skills, and generally the fit of a candidate for a particular program.
Let's decipher in our blog what really happens in the IIM Interview round:
Duration of the Personal Interview Round at IIM:
The PI round typically ranges for about 15 to 20 minutes. The PI round is conducted by a panel of interviewers, which consists of experienced alumni, professors, and industry professionals. They anticipate being able to judge the candidate's communication skills, knowledge regarding current affairs, general awareness, and his personal qualities. Most likely, the interviewers will ask a whole range of questions from general ones about their academic background to highly specific questions in line with their career goals and interests.
What do interviewers observe during a personal interview at IIM:
During the PI round, the interviewers would especially make a note of body language, self-confidence, and attitude while evaluating the candidate. Questions would be asked that are crafted to assess problem-solving ability and decision-making ability by the candidate. Questions pertaining to hobbies, interests, and other extracurricular activities would also be asked for the purpose of assessing personality as well as cultural fit.
Crack the code: Ace IIM Interviews
To crack the IIM PI round, candidates must be well-prepared, confident, and articulate. They must be very clear about their career goals and the program they're applying for and can clearly elaborate upon these while showing that they are confidently and spontaneously presenting their thoughts. They must familiarize themselves with their CV, transcripts, and all other documents. Eye-contact, honesty, and a positive attitude respecting interviewers are also to be shown.
Here are some tips that will help ace the interview rounds at IIM:
Be well prepared: research the program and the institute in detail, and be adequately equipped with a clear understanding of your career goals and how the program can help you realize them.
Practice: practice on answering many common interview questions, and get yourself prepared with information relevant to current affairs, general awareness, and your academic background.
Talk with confidence: Practice speaking out loud as if all the walls have ears; maintain eye contact, do not be dishonest or rude in your answers, and be frank.
Express your personality: The interviewers will also look for your personality aspects so be yourself and display your unique strengths and talents.
Show enthusiasm: Show with excitement and zeal towards the program as well as the field you are hoping to enter into.
Questions: Raise questions on the program and the institute, revealing that you are interested in really joining the program.
In addition, the IIM interview process is very competitive, and a particular approach may not fit one individual. Hence, the candidate's preparation for the irregular and unexpected questions or situations should make him poised in demeanor and confidence throughout the interview process. The group discussion and other assessment methodologies could also become part of the selection process.
Showcase your skills: Impressing the interviewers
Impressing the interviewers during your IIM PI round requires showing off your skills and abilities. Here is how to do it:
Showcase communication skills: Show that you are articulate, clear, and confident in giving your response. Keep it concise without fillers.
Problem-solving skills: You can indicate that you have critical thinking skills by listing some practical examples that you have drawn from your academic or work life experiences.
Leadership skills : You may reference instances where you took the lead of a project or team and how you managed as well as guided others.
Demonstrate Your Passion: Explain why you are enthusiastic and passionate about the program you are applying for, then explain why you want to pursue that particular field.
Demonstrate Cultural Fit: Demonstrate that you fit well with the program by showing how your values and interests would align with those of the institution.
Be Yourself: Just exhibit your skills and personality skills in front of the interviewers. You should be natural while interviewing and not too casual or inappropriate.
Through this kind of exhibition of your skill and abilities, you will create long-lasting impressions in the minds of interviewers and will also increase chances of your selection into the program. All the best!
Do's and Don'ts for Personal Interviews at IIM:
Here are the dos and don'ts for the interview at IIM:
Do's:
Punctuality: Arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled interview.
Dress Code: Dressed in formal clothes and keep yourself clean and groomed.
Eye Contact: Maintain eye contact with the interviewers at the time of answering.
Speak Well: Speaking thoughts clearly in crisp words and without using fillers.
Never speak ill: Never criticize previous employers or colleagues.
Don'ts:
Do not get late: Getting late is sure to give a pretty bad impression in the first place.
Do not talk too much: One should not talk too much as it can make one appear restless or unprepared for the interview.
Don't fidget or look bored: Maintain good body language and do not appear distracted or bored.
Don't ask unnecessary questions: Never ask any unnecessary questions of the interview or programme.
Do not lie or exaggerate: Honesty is the best policy.
The process of PI round in IIM can be very stressful, but if strategically and adequately prepared for, candidates are sure to come out with flying colors from the interview and consequently increase their chances of becoming part of the program.
Common Pitfalls at IIM Interviews:
Some pitfalls that one is likely to make, specific to IIM interviews, are as follows:
1. Too casual or informal: One should not speak with the interviewer in a language which has any slang words or unpleasant words in it. Be professional in your communication and respectful.
2. Not prepared/ underprepared: Most of the people fail to research well about the course, institute, and latest news about it. It may make you look like someone who didn't care or knew nothing.
3. Lack of information about specific questions: Your inability to come up with answers regarding the program or what is contained in your resume may give an image of not being well prepared or not being informed.
4. Lack of interest: You fail to communicate to the committee that you have interest in the program and institution then you are doomed.
5. Criticize or become negative: You criticize the program, institute, or some features of the program and institute, then you are out.
6. Failure to portray your personality: Failure to display what will make you unique, different, and talented may not allow the interviewers to gain much of what is required from the program.
Candidates should research the program and the institute, prepare a rehearsed set of general interview questions and answers, and speak up through their skills and competencies.
Preparation, confidence, and authenticity will be guaranteed to make candidates leave a positive long-term impression on the interviewers as they create an impression that they are a good fit for the program. It also has to be understood that the interview process is just one of the ways in the selection process, and candidates should also prepare for group discussions along with other assessment methodologies that would probably accompany the process.
In total, having the right approach and the right mindset in place, candidates can ace this IIM interview round and one step closer to getting into this prestigious program. Get insider tips from IIM alumni. Book our specialized IIM interview coaching sessions today!
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