A Group Discussion, by definition involves speaking before a group of people. This puts in some aspects of public speaking i.e. speaking and content. However, due to its interactive nature, a group discussion also involves listening to other people’s ideas. A typical group discussion has 8-12 participants and lasts for 15 to 20 minutes. It means each participant gets an average of around 2 minutes to talk; the rest of the time is spent listening.
Purpose and parameters of GD
The primary purpose of a GD is to test the candidate’s knowledge as well as his/her personality during a one-on-one interaction. Generally, the panel would have multiple parameters to test the candidate’s suitability for the course. The observers in a GD would focus on the following essential aspects while evaluating the candidate: content, logical coherence in thought process, communication skills, non-verbal cues / body language, ethics and value structure.
Group Discussion Tips
1. In a discussion, if you talk in a long winded way, then the other participants will not be courteous and wait for you to come to the point. Hence, speaking in a concise manner is very important.
2. Address everyone in the group so while you are making your point you are not talking to one person only but the whole group. At the same time, do not look at the moderators as they are not a part of the group.
3. Dress formally and use formal language.
4. Address other participants with respect. Do not gesticulate a lot; if you are accustomed to using your hands while making a point ensure that you do not encroach into the space in front of other participants.
5. Do not point to a specific participant while talking. Do not get personal; try to be objective in your arguments.
6. Avoid using extreme words and extreme statements.
7. If you are disagreeing with someone else do it civilly. Disagree with the point and not with the person.
An Interview is a conversation where questions are asked and answers are given. In common parlance, the word “interview” refers to a one-on-one conversation with one person acting in the role of the interviewer and the other in the role of the interviewee. The interviewer asks questions, the interviewee responds, with participants taking turns talking.
The Personal Interview, PI is the last door that you have to open to enter a Business School of your choice. Despite months of preparation, no one can predict the pattern and structure of a personal interview. There are a few commonly asked questions in the personal interview by top MBA colleges.
It’s not expected of you to know the answer to every question that you face in a personal interview, but you can prepare some of the commonly asked questions in an interview. The interview panel of the MBA College which you’ve applied for is aware of the fact that you are a student and are not expected to know everything. So, be honest when you’re in the interview room. The personal interview is conducted to assess your interpersonal & communication skills and to know your vision as an MBA aspirant.
Commonly asked questions
I. Personal
A.Background
1. Tell me about yourself.
2. What would you like me to know about you that is not on your resume?
3. What are the three most important events of your life?
4. What was an experience in your life that you would want to go back and change?
B. Self Description
1. How would your friends describe you?
2. Give me three words to describe yourself.
C. Goals
1. What new goals have you established for yourself recently?
2. What are your five to ten year career goals?
3. What are the attributes of an ideal job for you? If you could do it allover again, what would you do differently?
D. Values
4. What does success mean to you?
5. What does failure mean to you?
6. Which is more important to you: money or the type of job?
7. Who do you admire? Why?
II. Management / Leadership Style
1. Define leadership.
2. Tell me about a time when you successfully resolved a conflict.
3. Give me an example of a leadership role you have held when not everything went as planned.
4. What two attributes are most important in your job?
5. How do you feel about working overtime?
III. Strengths / Weaknesses and Skills
1. What are your strengths/ weakness?
2. Give me an example of something that you have done that shows initiative.
3. What makes you stand out among your fellow students?
4. Have you ever had any failures? What did you learn from them?
5. How do you feel about working in a structured environment?
6. In what kind of work environment do you do your best work?
7. What kinds of tasks and responsibilities motivate you the most?
IV. Education
1. Why did you decide to get an MBA?
2. Why IIMA? (Or whichever institute you are being interviewed in.)
3. What made you decide to major in ?
4. What electives have you taken? Which did you enjoy the most?
5. What college classes did you like the least? Why?
V. Extra Curriculars
1. What extra-curricular school activities are you involved in?
2. What have you learned from your activities?
3. What is your favorite book/movie/song/painting or author/actor/singer/artist?
4. Which magazines/newspapers do you read regularly? Which books have you read recently?
VI. Job / Company / Industry
1. What do you know about your company?
2. What do you predict is going to happen in this industry in the next 5 years?
3. Do you know who your competitors are?
4. What interests you most about this position? What parts of the job do you think you would find the least satisfying?
5. What concerns you about your company?
1001 PI PREPARATION QUESTION :-
“It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers”
1001 Questions
But even though most of us realize the importance of raising questions, asking good ones is sometimes another matter. They are not always that simple to think up.
