Group Discussion (GD) or Personal Interview (PI) are the two most crucial and final steps of making it to any of the major B-schools in our country. Getting to these two final stages itself is a major task, hence it is very important to be well prepared before you go to attend the group discussion or personal interview DDA Debit.
Once a candidate reaches the personal interview stage, it is wholly based on the candidate’s abilities when it comes to communication and being confident. Rarely is the decision based on other factors which have already been reviewed in previous stages like, academic results and marks.
It is extremely important that the candidate carries himself with great confidence, however, this confidence should not be misunderstood by evaluators as over confidence. The personal introduction that the candidate gives should be apt, precise and informative along with brevity.
The candidate should highlight his background, major skills and desire to pursue the course in brief. Touching on aspects like grades and marks in previous courses is considered to be a deviation and a futile waste of time as the interviewer already has this information about you.
MBA is a professional course and when you are applying to one of the top B schools in the country it is essential and expected of you to talk and carry yourself in a professional manner. You should speak fluently without stuttering and taking too many pauses. Whatever you wish to speak, practice at least 5-6 times on your own at home. The best way to rehearse, perfect and learn what you’re going to speak is by practicing it in front of a mirror.
Body language and body posture are very essential elements when a candidate goes for a group discussion or a personal interview. The candidate must dress well and formally. Shirt and pant should be ironed and wearing a tie for men is compulsory. Wearing a blazer shows a well-groomed candidate who is ready for the professional world.
It is important to sit upright without a slouch and make sure that your hands are not crosses or on the table, these show signs of nervousness and over-confidence. For girls, twirling and playing with hair is not acceptable. These are key aspects which the interviewer observes and uses to judge the candidate.
Eye contact demonstrates two key factors, firstly it shows the interviewer that you are interested in what he/she is saying and secondly it shows that you are confident and not nervous. Hence, even when you are listening to the interviewer and when you are speaking it is important to maintain eye contact.
However, for some people this may be difficult, in that case fix a virtual point a little above the eye level of the interviewer and focus on this point. If there is more than one interviewer on the panel then alternate eye contact with all of them. It is okay to make eye contact a little more often with one particular interviewer if they are showing more interest in you.
It is very important to never interrupt the questioner. Even if they are making a statement or comment on you or on anything that you have spoken so far and you believe to be wrong or invalid, it is imperative that you do not disturb them.
While you are speaking if the interviewer wishes to say something and speaks in the middle, then you should stop/pause momentarily and allow them to speak. Never speak to two interviewers at the same time. The opening statements to all your answers can determine the course of the interview. It is essential that the candidate makes a strong opening statement that can leave an impact on the panel.