IMD Interview Preparation

lindalinfuxi

从开始准备MBA开始到最后拿到offer，实在从这个网站获益太多，无以回报，只能以以下文字分享我的面试准备经历，希望可以帮到想报考IMD的同学们。
Application Essays
Having been through the tedious and painful application process with many B-schools, I can vouch that the IMD application process is the easiest and the most straightforward.
When writing the application essays, I focused a lot on crafting a holistic story on all related questions. Make sure you plan carefully the content of all your essays before drafting anything.

Next, the question on career goal is highly related to the question of why MBA. Your job is to convince the admissions officers on how an MBA can help to elevate your careers.
To illustrate, my career goal is to be in a global portfolio. With that as an objective, I need to equip myself with the skillsets needed to deal with global stakeholders, both internally and externally. The diversity of the IMD program will provide me with an opportunity to interact with peers from all over the world and learn how business is done in different regions. The rigour of the IMD program will prepare me well for the intensity and pressure any leadership position requires.

In summary, you need to (1) identify a few very strong reasons why you want to pursue an MBA now and (2) how IMD can help you achieve your ambition. In terms of approach, I have used the STAR (Situation-Task-Action-Result) method in all essays.

Interview
I find IMD's interview process very standard. There is nothing that stands out from my memory compared to other B-School interviews or job interviews.

I prepared a list of situation-based questions but barely used the answers in the interview. The questions asked can be categorized into the 3 groups below.
(1) Individual Questions: Who are you as a person? Your life experience, your strengths and weaknesses and your interests.

• Make sure you be authentic and genuine and of course, your answers should tie in with the application essay content
  

(2) Why-MBA Questions: Interviewers want to dig further on your primary motivation of doing an MBA, and why doing it now, and why doing it with IMD.

• Always start with one summary sentence of why and go on to explain the details if needed.
  

(3) Other Related Questions: I was also asked about my contribution to IMD.

• Everyone will have a different answer but this is an opportunity to demonstrate your uniqueness. It can be your background, your interest, your profession or even your culture.
  

Case Presentation
In the case presentation, you'll be given a 2-page case study with 1 question to present. The preparation time is more than sufficient to read through the case and prepare the presentation materials.
A common trap I'vé noticed among the peers on my assessment day is that many tend to recap the case with details. Note that you are only given 5-min to present and DO NOT exceed the time limit (especially in Switzerland), so make sure your viewpoints are succinct and memorable.

I'll recommend the 3 methods below:
(1) start with a summary of your presentation. I presented only 3 key points and I managed to relate them in a picture format. Most people are visual learners so it helps people remember as you move on to explain the details.
(2) explain your approach. The question is a very generic and broad one. Depending on your perspectives or roles, your answer may be different. You may want to identify your perspective to narrow down the scope.
(3) do not repeat the generic answer. You may not be the first one to present and you answer could have been explained in details by the previous presenter. I prepared 2-3 pieces of evidence for each point and only presented the ones not mentioned by the previous presenters.

Role Play
I found the role play to be the most captivating and interesting part of the entire assessment day. The aim is to test your soft skills, so how you relate to people can come out very realistically in such situations.
I find the preparation for this session not very useful though. All that I have planned prior to the conversation did not happen at all. I responded to the roleplay partner on the spot in the interaction.

The most important piece of advice I can offer is to give everyone the benefit of doubt. Do not go in with assumptions. Make yourself a listener and a problem solver.

Case Discussion
The case discussion provides you with an opportunity to get a feel of how classes are conducted in IMD. We had a very interactive and provocative discussion with the dean.
Make sure you form your own opinions on the case. You may be asked random questions that you have not prepared, but do share your thought process and derive a conclusion with the team/dean together.
People who were eager to present their viewpoints but did not prepare the arguments well all got rejected in my group, so I'd say if you do not know what to say, it is probably better to just keep quiet.

Also, make sure you know the details of the case by heart. In that situation, you probably don't have time to flip through the case materials on the spot.


Overall, the entire interview experience with IMD has been the most pleasant and memorable one. I have actually learned something just from the discussions and watching how people behave on the assessment day.  
Both the staff and the alumni are very open and welcoming. They are quite forthcoming with their views.

Wish everyone good luck in getting to their dream school!

烟寒Barcelona

感谢分享！               

北极大冰块

感谢！！