5 Secrets to a Successful Interview for a Management Student
The placement season in a university is often filled with nervous final year students, prepping for their interviews with complete dedication and commitment. While mock interviews, resume writing workshops, and research can help you ace the interview, there’s something else that students often miss. What if you knew exactly what interviewers look for in management students? Wouldn’t you be able to then align your resume content and your answers accordingly?
College placements are the first real job interviews for most students and thus, it is natural to feel overwhelmed and confused. However, the trick is to remain calm, composed and confident so that you land your dream job.
We bring you the top 5 secrets to a successful first interview:
1. Be Well-Prepared, Head to Toe
Preparation can go a long way in making you feel confident and showing the interviewers that you can handle yourself well in challenging situations. Start by dressing the part – invest in some professional attire and keep it crisp and clean (don’t forget grooming yourself). Always be there before time and make sure you have done ample research about the company. Also, be ready with all your documents and resume – make sure you have reviewed and read it many times so you’re prepared for any questions that arise from it. Employers are looking for sharp and smart individuals who are always prepared for anything that comes their way.
2. Write an Elevator Pitch
If you are interviewing for your dream job, you’ve got to step up your game and train for it. Remember Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000-hour rule? Once you’ve really trained hard for the role, it’s also important to share it with your interviewers. And unfortunately, you’ll have less than 100 seconds to do so. That’s why, you must prepare an elevator pitch, stating your strengths and skills. Talk about who you are, what you are offering, and what all you can bring to the business. You have to be self-promotional, without being egotistical. Mention at least 5 points that showcase you’ve made a difference somewhere – what problems did you solve with some innovative solutions? Your interviewer will want to know how you can help them resolve challenges with your creative thinking abilities.
3. Have an Interview Personality
Interviewers are looking for a particular personality in management students – that goes beyond skills and knowledge. Today, soft skills, communication, and body language also play a very important role in the corporate world. Things to remember: make eye contact, be polite and courteous, maintain good posture and use professional language. If you’re an introvert, don the personality of an extrovert for an hour so that you can talk about yourself with confidence. On the contrary, if you’re an extrovert, try to limit your enthusiasm and keep it professional without going overboard.
4. Showcase Your Best Self and Skills
Interviewers are looking for someone who has the skills required to match their job description. That’s why you need to first thoroughly read the JD and then make sure you talk about skills that align with the job. For instance, technical competency may be a highly desirable skill in an IT or an engineering company. On the contrary, communication, people, and sales skills will be valuable in a retail job. Loyalty, problem-solving, and flexibility and agility are usually the most wanted skills by interviewers across all industry verticals.
5. Focus Your Emotions
Rarely people talk about the emotion in an interview but it can make or break your dream. Before you enter the room, focus on a positive emotion, and remember when you have felt the emotion naturally. Once your frame of mind is set in that position, you can learn to avoid all other mental distractions. It’s natural to feel nervous but you have to be passionate, happy, and excited during the interview to showcase positive energy. This way, you’ll be remembered by the interviewers for a long time and it will work in your favour.
Don’t forget to thank the interviewing panel at the end and reiterate why you’d be the best person for the job. At IIMS Pune , students get a lot of mock interviews and workshops to hone their interview skills. As a result, the management students are well-aware of what interviewers are looking for in the right candidate.
Ready for achieving all your dreams? Take the first step at IIMS. Admissions 2020 Open, Apply Now.
