Let’s call her Kate.*

Kate had just got an invite to interview with her target school. When she signed up for the interview preparation service, she didn’t know what to expect. The interview was just four days away.

How did we help Kate?

Based on Kate’s application, we prepared a list of questions tailored to her profile.

When we had the first mock interview with Kate, she was unable to respond to most of the questions. When she did respond, there were too many fillers and silences that diluted her responses. She turned into a bundle of nerves and forgot some of the things she had quoted in her essays. Kate also remained slumped throughout the interview and barely smiled. While Kate had good communication skills, her lack of preparation coupled with nervousness meant her candidature was in danger. We gave Kate in-depth feedback along with suggestions to write down her responses that we could review. We also coached Kate on adopting an assertive tone and assured body language.

Both the verbal and written feedback helped Kate understand where she needed to improve. The second mock interview was better than the first but we were convinced Kate needed to practice more. We scheduled a third mock interview. As the quote goes “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is practice”. By the third session, the transformation was apparent. Kate was confident, gave measured responses and looked self-assured. Her interview was a breeze. And yes, two months later, she got her acceptance letter from her target b-school.

* Names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.