2+2 Interviews

[rrahman]

Hi Stacy

I've been invited to the 2+2 interviews that HBS is conducting this month and I thought your advice and opinion about this new program would be a very useful part of my preparation. Some questions I have:

-how to handle the negative (mistake, failure, improvement on past action) questions
-what to focus on when someone says "tell me about yourself"
--what to make of the "why should HBS take you" question, without sounding cliche.

Help would be appreciated. Immensely!

[Lisa Anderson]

Dear R,

These are interview questions that you will get for many years in many job interviews. So crafting a great answer now will serve you well for many years to come.

"Tell me about yourself" is what I refer to as your 2-minute drill or elevator pitch. This should be a concise overview of your experience and education to date. You want to pick a place to start, either where you are now and work back in time or the reverse. So, in this case, you will want to start with something like, "currently I am a senior at X university majoring in Y" or "after growing up in the midwest, I decided to go to college on the east coast". Remember, this answer should not be long and winding, but concise and hitting the highlights of your life. Practice the answer, out loud, multiple times to get the flow down. Then it will sound conversational in the interview versus stiff.

"Why you" is a tough one without sounding cliche. So it is important that your answer sounds genuine, enthusiastic and coherent. I would suggest having an answer that demonstrates not only why you feel the program is helpful for your career but also how you will add value to HBS. Schools want students who will be involved and want a life-long relationship, not just people who are there for 2 years.

Best of luck,
Lisa