The Personal Interview round is a nerve wracking round. For all those candidates who have received their calls for GD and PI from Maharashtra based B-schools the time is ripe for giving shape to the final strategy for facing the GD PI rounds confidently. To help all such candidates MBAUniverse.com brings to you special tips on answering the most common and basic question that is asked during the Personal Interview round at B-schools -- ‘Why MBA?’.
It seems like another simple question on hearing, but attempting to answer it is not an easy task. This question is one of the most important questions on the minds of interview panelists.
Most of the PI candidates are not sure about how to answer this question and get nervous when it comes to answering this question. In this article of MBAUniverse.com, we will talk about the ways in which you can prepare yourself for answering this question the right way.
At times, this question may be worded differently, but the most suitable answer to give will be the one in which you feel most comfortable and convenient in.
Do not try to mug up answers given by others, if you cannot relate to it. Based on your answer to this important question the panelists will give further direction to the interview. Hence, you should answer this question carefully.
Remember that there is no fixed answer for this question. The answer should be logical and better still if you can portray your future plans, and link your future goals to your MBA.
Rahul Madhavan, IIM Ahmedabad student, suggests the following for answering the question, “Be logical in your answer, such that it fits into your background. The answer could range from wanting to shift your stream due to interest in other areas, to having a plan to start your own business one day.”
“Your answer will vary according to your background and goals. For example, if you are a working executive, your reason to do MBA is probably to enhance your qualification and climb up the corporate ladder. If you want to be an entrepreneur, then your reason to pursue MBA can be to obtain the basic knowledge about management and entrepreneurship and you can get the right footing. Or if you are a fresher and pursuing graduation, then your career aim can define the need for pursuing MBA,” adds Rahul.
Also, having a vision about where you want to see yourself in the future will help you find the answer to this important question. “Think about where you are presently, where you want to be in five years or 10 years from now, and fit your answer accordingly,” Rahul mentions.
Another key point is that while preparing for this answer, have an introspective view of yourself, your goals and ambitions, likes and dislikes. This would play a major role in helping you come up with the most suitable answer on ‘Why MBA?’
Ashwin Gurunathan, a student of IIM Lucknow gives his reason of pursuing MBA which he had presented to the interview panel. “In my case, I had a liking for sales and marketing, I liked travelling and after some years of working I felt I needed to change to what I wanted to do. The answer is very person centric.”
There might be a situation when even after lot of introspection you cannot find out a proper reason on why you want to pursue MBA, then you have to prepare for yourself a valid reason on why you want to go for an MBA.
You should make sure that your answer in such a situation should not reflect that the sole aim of your doing MBA is to get a job with a fat pay packet. In such a case, word your answer in such a way which would reflect your passion for MBA. Focusing on this, Madhavan shares, “I would say that be prepared with a story to sell on why MBA, and if possible lead the interview to where you want it to go.”
Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more expert advice on GD PI.
