Prepare for Your HBS Interview with a Former HBS Interviewer
Devi Vallabhaneni, a Harvard Business School (HBS) graduate and former HBS MBA interviewer, is mbaMission’s HBS Interviewer in Residence and conducts HBS Intensive Interview Simulations.
Predicting exactly what questions you will be asked in your HBS interview is impossible, given the dynamic nature of the meeting and the school’s individualized approach, but this does not mean you cannot prepare to navigate the interaction effectively and increase your chances of leaving your desired impression.
Drawing on her six years as an interviewer at HBS, Devi Vallabhaneni shares a few helpful tips on how to properly prepare for your HBS interview, what to expect, and how to answer the questions you are asked.
Know what it means to prep.
There is no perfect way to prepare for your HBS interview. Feedback from my clients indicates that they generally prepare multi-dimensionally.
Some people prep by writing. I have heard of applicants writing out talking points to remind them of important aspects of their stories. Make sure that what you write are indeed talking points and not full answers that you are tempted to memorize.
Some people prep by speaking in front of a mirror. This way, you can hear and see yourself answer a question. It may feel awkward at first, but this method could be an important part of your “interview practice repertoire.” However, the downside is that for some, practicing too much in front of a mirror can lead them to edit themselves too much and their answers may not come across as natural.
Some people prep by dialoguing back and forth with a friend or colleague. This helps develop the ability to answer both anticipated and unanticipated questions naturally and spontaneously. The feedback you receive from dialoguing can then be incorporated in your next mock interview.
Yes, it is okay to feel nervous.
Feeling your nerves kick in is totally normal, but would you believe that every time I interviewed an HBS prospect, I was just as nervous? You might find that hard to imagine, but it is the truth! I felt like I owed each and every interviewee the courtesy of bringing my best to them, really getting to know them, and working just as hard as they had to arrive at the interview. So, know that the person on the other side of your HBS interview is eager and sincere about wanting to know the real you.
You have to know your story cold.
Your story should be within you, right? Well, maybe you wrote about your love of Chinese cookery in the personal section of your resume, but since then, you have not given another thought to the last cooking class you took—which, by the way, was a good story two years ago! Although I was never specifically trying to find weak spots in interviewees’ stories, I would sometimes start by asking about interests and hobbies they had listed that sounded interesting, so I just might have asked you about your Chinese cooking. Before your interview, refresh your familiarity with your entire application, even the parts you think are trivial.
Learn to master the what and how.
How you accomplished something is just as important as, if not more important than, what you actually accomplished. The how shows the real level of effort you had to expend to reach your end result. To me, the how also lets you share a deeper version of your story with your interviewer.
I once interviewed an applicant who had worked on a seemingly common financial transaction. Because of the regulatory and political complexity of the transaction, she had to create more than 30 different potential scenarios to anticipate and quantify the client’s next steps. In this case, the how gave me better insight into the applicant’s depth of analysis, creativity, and experience. Without that information, this project, on its face, may not have stood out to me as something meaningful. Be sure to detail the how of your achievements for your HBS interviewer so that they can better understand the rigor and impact of your experience.
Give full answers.
I once asked an applicant to tell me about a growth experience he had had while studying abroad. He responded by reporting that he had learned to make his bed. I have to admit that, on the surface, this is not much of an answer. However, after a few follow-up questions, I realized that he was humbly trying to explain that he had been coddled up to that point and that he had ultimately had an awakening about independence. I wish he had proactively connected these ideas, because we ultimately spent much more time than necessary on this topic, which precluded us from fully exploring other parts of his background. Giving full answers means demonstrating the broader context of your responses and anticipating the interviewer’s potential perceptions so that you use your 30 minutes as wisely and efficiently as possible.
Strive for practiced, not scripted.
You worked really hard on your HBS application, which is what led to this interview opportunity. But your application probably took weeks or months to complete and required multiple revisions and edits, whereas your interview is a one-shot 30 minutes. This is why practicing your answers verbally is a great idea, but practice does not mean memorization or rehearsal.
I once interviewed a woman I later ran into on campus when she was a first-year student. While we were catching up, she told me how nervous she had been for our interview and how she had practiced by writing out bullet points and verbalizing them in front of a mirror. I still remember her interview to this day. She was natural, conversational, and in the moment. The way she had practiced enabled her to convey what was salient while still being fully present and engaged. In contrast, another candidate I interviewed responded to my every question with “I have three reasons…” or “I have three examples…,” and in most cases, his replies did not match my questions! He had memorized pre-made answers and simply recited them when given the chance to speak.
When preparing for your interview, the most important thing to avoid is memorization of the answers you prepared. It is important to be present and answer the question you are being asked and not the question you perhaps practiced. Listening is just as important as, if not more important than, responding. Think of the interview as a dialogue and a conversation, which are two-way communications, and not as a speech, which is a one-way communication. Make sure to prepare useful points and stories and practice verbalizing them before your interview, but once you are in the meeting, pay attention to the questions being asked and call on those points and stories as appropriate.
Forget about the introvert-versus-extrovert factor.
Prospective interviewees regularly ask me, “Am I at a disadvantage if I’m an introvert?,” and they assume the interview is better suited to—and more beneficial for—extroverts. The truth is that I have seen both be extremely successful. Shy, quiet, low-key people can be just as compelling as those who are outgoing, animated, or gregarious. I remember an interview I had with a soft-spoken individual who had intriguing manufacturing experience in a foreign country. He really blossomed when he shared his worries about that country’s upcoming elections and how the outcome might affect his company and export potential. Your HBS interviewer is much more interested in your experiences, background, values, and interests than in your personality type—so just be thoroughly you.
Anticipate the interviewer’s homework.
I once interviewed an HBS applicant who was working at a start-up in a foreign country. I had never heard of it, so I read up on it, including its funding structure, mission, and founding team. I even found a news report that explained that one of the funding rounds had not gone smoothly. During the interview, we got on the topic of raising money, and the candidate was shocked when I asked about one of the investors. When he asked how I knew about that investor, I explained that I had researched his start-up—not to create “gotcha” questions but to better understand his work environment. Expect your HBS interviewer to go beyond just reading through the information you included in your application. The philosophy has always been (1) to meet candidates where they are and (2) that the more we know about an interviewee beforehand, the deeper and more helpful the interview will be.
Remember to enjoy the moment.
I used to begin my HBS interviews by briefly introducing myself and then enthusiastically asking, “Ready to have some fun?” The candidates would look at me like I was crazy, clearly incapable of thinking the interview could possibly be fun, but by the end of our conversation, they understood what I had meant. Your interview is an opportunity to talk about yourself, your background, your goals, and your experiences—and to let your personality and style shine through. Try to loosen up and enjoy it! The 30 minutes go by really fast. By the time the interview starts, you cannot do anything more to prepare, so try to push through any nervousness you may be feeling and make the most of the experience! The HBS interview is an extremely human process for both the interviewer and the interviewee. Embrace the opportunity to engage with the school on this next level and show your readiness for its unique MBA experience.
If you feel you can benefit from targeted interview preparation, Devi Vallabhaneni is conducting HBS Intensive Interview Simulations throughout the Round 2 interview season. Click here to view all the details on this offering and book your sessions today.