A personal interview is aimed at knowing a candidate more intimately - assessing the clarity of thinking process, future goals and the 'fit' with the B-school. A personal interview is aimed at knowing a candidate more intimately – assessing the clarity of thinking process, future goals and the 'fit' with the B-school.

During the personal interview, Interviewer will check the analytical skills of the candidate in ways that cannot be done with a written test. Certain questions during the personal interview are devised to see how the candidate can analyze a situation and create a solution. For example, an employer may ask a candidate to explain a time when the candidate had to work quickly against a pending deadline. In the personal interview, the employer can ask follow-up questions to dig deeper into the candidate's critical thinking process, to see if he/she fits to be a part of the Institute/organization

Why do want to do an MBA? How does it fit into your career goals? What do you wish to do after your MBA? These are some hard questions that you will have to answer almost invariably in all Interviews. These questions search the 'inner motivations' of a candidate, and there are no 'right answers'. The only way to answer these questions is to introspect: what excites and motivates you; what makes you perform your best; what would you really like to do in your life, and how do you genuinely see an MBA helping. Tough questions, but answering them honestly is critical for your success!

'Why MBA?' is the most important question that MBA aspirants need to answer. There is no "good answer" for this. The answer needs to be your answer. In other words, you need to think deeply, introspect and find out what it is that really drives you. So put on your thinking cap, do some soul searching and then jot down the answers to 'what's your goal' questions.

When an employer is engaged in a personal interview with a candidate, he will listen to hear how the candidate gives answers to questions, watch for body language that can indicate the candidate is not being truthful or is uncomfortable; determine confidence by gauging eye contact. Is the student is able to effectively communicate using his entire body, etc and these skills can only be judged during a personal interview.

Given that a good MBA is a demanding programme, B-schools would like to know how you will be able to cope up with the academics and the extra-curricular 24 x 7 demands of your new campus. They are also keen to assess how you have utilized the earlier learning opportunities. Be prepared to discuss different specialty areas in business and their responsibilities.

Interviewers will also expect you to discuss current issues in business, including the economy, taxation, foreign competition, the role of technology and ethical challenges in the field. So be careful about the gates you open, and be very sure you have in-depth knowledge about whatever you mention. For e.g. if you say you have an avid interest in Badminton, be ready for questions pertaining to Prakash Padukone, Deepika Padukone, plastic shuttles v/s feather shuttles, Saina Nehwal etc. It is advisable to brush up 2-3 subjects from your graduation thoroughly if you are a student fresh out of college. Also, contextual knowledge of the environment around you as well as "general knowledge" comes quite handy.

Candidates who do not take the time to create a professional presentation for a personal interview can hurt their chances for getting the job. A personal interview gives the employer the opportunity to see what the candidate considers to be professional grooming, professional attire and a professional attitude. A candidate's resume may be impressive, but if he shows up to the interview 30 minutes late and is not dressed in professional interview attire, then he may not be the candidate you are looking for.

In a personal interview it is not always the answer you give to a question that is important, but how you give that answer. An interviewer is well aware of the corporate culture within his institute and a personal interview gives the interviewer a chance to gauge the candidate's attitude to see if there is a match with the institute.

Every business school has different policies when it comes to MBA interviews. Typically, an MBA interview is conducted by one or more members of the admissions committee. However, it is not unusual to be interviewed by current students or alumni. Professors do not normally conduct admissions interviews, but there are a few schools who do assign faculty members to the task.

No matter who interviews you, expect a lot of questions and an evaluation. Most admissions committees have a form that they work off. They will ask you specific questions from the form. If you are being interviewed by other students or alumni, don't expect anything different. They have probably been trained by the admissions committee to use the form or ask specific questions. Read more about the different types of MBA interviews. Personal Interview can also turn out to be an opportunity to 'sell' yourself. While intimidating for some MBA-hopefuls, the personal interview represents a prime opportunity. Interviews allow you the chance to not only put a face and personality to the name and credentials on your application file, but also to express your academic, personal, and professional accomplishments, experiences, and intentions.

An admissions committee can glean some information about you from recommendations, essays, personal statements, and other parts of your application, but an MBA interview gives them an opportunity to really learn who you are. They can ask you questions they do not know the answer to or get clarifications on things they do not understand. An MBA interview also gives you the opportunity to learn more about the school and ask any questions you might have about the program, career services, or campus facilities. Even if you feel like there is no other business school for you, an MBA interview will provide an opportunity to confirm you made the right choice.

In an interview, one can collect complete information about the candidate. Interview collects information about the candidate's cultural and educational background, work experience, intelligence quotient, communication skills, personality type, interests, social behavior, etc.

Due to some limitations, the candidate cannot give his full information or details in the Registration Form. However, an interviewer can collect additional relevant information of the candidate by scheduling a personal meeting with him. During meeting, interview process helps an interviewer to collect that information which is currently not available in the registration form. Thus, an interview supplements the registration form by collecting and verifying some missing information of the candidate.

In an interview, the interviewer can see and talk to the candidates. So he can make a correct decision, whether to select or reject the candidate. Personal interview is the best method of selecting the right student for the institute.

In an interview, the candidates discuss about their past work experiences, achievements, research works, etc. Interview helps an employer to collect a lot of useful information from different candidates. The interviewer can use this collected information to improve efficiency.

An interview is a public-relation tool. So, it should be conducted properly in a friendly and fearless environment. The candidates being interviewed should be treated with dignity and respect. Whether the candidate is selected or rejected, he / she should feel happy about the Institute. This will boost the image of the institute.