My first interview was with an alumna based locally who graduated ~10 years ago (over Zoom). It was very conversational, and she naturally weaved in several questions. The questions I remember were:
– Walk me through your resume.
– What do you do in your spare time?
– What will you do in your time outside academics at INSEAD?
– Several probing questions in my application essays (more detail around specific failures, achievements, etc.).
– Why do I want to return to the same place after INSEAD?
It lasted an hour and I left the interview feeling very positive.
My second interview was with an alum based locally who also graduated ~10 years ago (also over Zoom). It was very adversarial/aggressive, and he asked a lot of point-blank questions, and often told me my answers made no sense. Half the interview focused on my long-term goal and how I would achieve it, and the other half focused on my leadership style, what I would do in specific situations, and a lot of probing into my answers. The questions I remember were:
– Why an MBA now?
– Pitch your long-term goal to me if I had to invest in it.
– What is your management style?
– Have you ever had to be confrontational with a colleague or subordinate?
– What would you do if a subordinate undermines you?
– Why Fonty [university]? And why no exchanges?
It lasted an hour and I left the interview feeling quite shaken.
Both interviewers had full access to my entire application and resume (I had shared it with them before the interview as requested). With one very positive interview and one that felt quite negative, I guess we’ll see how it goes. Keeping my fingers crossed!
