[面试经验] INSEAD Interview experience(story)

INSEAD Interview experience(story)

I just finished the two interviews required by the school. Here i'm sharing my story, not just interviews.

Both of the interviewers are super busy and i struggled 3 weeks to finally set up the time slots. Both of them are based in a city about 1.5 hours flight away. I was sopposed to be there on Monday for the appointment at 4pm, but i sat on the plane like a idiot for 3 hours and then off-loaded because the flight was cancelled. The air company said there was something wrong with the engine!!! What a joke!!!! I had to make a hundred phone calls to re-organize the whole thing.

Anyway, the next day my first interviewer, Paul, interviewed me in a 5-star hotel by a stunning beach. Pual graduated from INSEAD in 1995 and was a banker with Barkley(UK) and then joined Mckinsey after INSEAD. Now he is Principal (means senior Partner?) of Mckinsey. Paul is nice and was kind enough to buy me a skinny flat white, which i didn't have chance to touch at all. The interview last approx. 30 minutes and there is not much to say but just standard questions such as Why MBA, why INSEAD and why this career goal. Anyway it's not bad.

I said goodbye and checked in a backpackers' in the city central cause i had another interview scheduled the morning next day. Here comes the drama.

I was in deep sleep at 5am in the lower bed. All of a sudden, it rained!!!! You know what? The British guy living in the upper bed peed!!!!!!!!!! He was drunk and I couldn't wake him up. Jesus Christ!! I rushed into the bathroom to have a shower and had to ask for another room. The receiptionist promised to kick him out, hahaha

OK, let's get back to the interview thing.

Peter, my second interviewer, was with Bain before and after INSEAD (1995 as well, I guess). And now he is a Director in a prestigious PE. His last title in Bain was Partner or something even higher. BTW, the office of that PE is the most luxurious office that i have ever seen (British style with super harbor view). This time the interview went very well (thanks to the British guy). I was asked to tell the story of myself. It last about 45 minutes and I got absolutely positive feedback. Actually, it was so positive that not only he imply to recommend me to INSEAD, but also he promised to write a letter recommending Bain to keep in touch with me, as my career goal after MBA is management consultant as well. Actually, I got the copy of this letter, in which he forward my resume to his former workmates in Bain, when i was killing time in the airport.

Again, there was a thunder storm that kept me in the airport for another 2 hours.

All in all, terrible journeys but good interviews.

By nnm, 28-Feb-2007

Congradulations!!!

You did great job. Waiting to hear more good news from you!!

Well done, dude! the fabulous experience!

回北京请客！呵呵！

Thank you for sharing the fabulous experience!

great job.

hope you best result.

Gratulations for your well-received interview.

By the way, Principle is actually below Partner.  And I don't think there's any ranking senior than Partner in a consulting firm.

Anyways, I believe you can figure it out once you start to work in Bain in 09.

What a legendary experience!

Good luck!

P.S. The UK bank is called Barclays.

Thanks.

Regarding the titiles, I don't have much knowledge since I'm not in MC. But as far as I know M/B/B use different names for similar positions, and it could happen that same titles refer to different positons in different companies.

Undoubtly they are in senior positions since they are in late 30s and have graduated from INSEAD for more than 10 years. And i never talked to them directly but to their dedicated secertaries.

btw, it should be principal, not principle