First Interview: My interviewer is a CEO of an Investment Company in Abu Dhabi, he’s Lebanese and so down-to-earth; a graduate of McGill (Engineering) and Stanford (Ms Eng). The interview time was 45 minutes, and i felt it went very positive especially that i was very motivated and passionate. Major questions asked:
- Tell me about yourself… it’s like walk me through your resume.. he wanted to know about my background and experience, and the major events in my life.
- He then asked a lot of questions (even in details) about my company (structure, activity, how do we get projects/clients etc…) and assignments i have worked on (he wanted a detailed description of what i do). I am actually involved in Strategy and Operations consulting, but he focused a lot on Strategy which is his area of specialization (so expect questions related to his industry). He also asked about my previous job responsibilities…. so expect to discuss details, but keep it simple (and highlight some managerial experience, progress in the job, involvement, teamwork, technical strength, etc..)
- I was also asked: State 3 of your strengths and 3 of your weaknesses (was not prepared for this, but it’s almost the 1st Insead essay
- My career objectives after INSEAD
- I was then asked the typical questions: why do you wanna do an MBA (can’t u reach ur career objective without an MBA?)… and Why INSEAD
- Where else did you apply.. and how do u prioritize them? (i told him to which other schools i applied and why INSEAD is my priority… i mentioned IMD among these schools; he asked me: why not IMD?
- another questions: how many languages do you speak.. and what the level of proficiency in each
- we then have a Q&A where i asked some questions and showed him my some key characteristics of my personality (commitment, enthusiasm, motivation, etc…)
… at the end of the meeting, i felt some positive vibes from his side, we shook hands and he said: “nshallah kheir” (which is an Arabic statement meaning: “hopefully good”… i can’t find the exact translation for this).
Second Interview: My second interview went super great! The interview took place in Abu Dhabi where i work, and the Alumnus is from the same nationality as mine (INSEAD picks interviewers who have a similar professional experience or previous experience as your… currently i work in Management Consulting/Strategy and Operations, so my 1st interviewer is into the Strategy sector… prior to my current job i worked in Logistics…so my 2nd interviewer is into the logistics sector). It’s just a thought for people awaiting interviewers details: INSEAD picks interviewers with a similar profile to test your professional knowledge and experience.
Back to my interview details: he works in a company which i know very well and used to collaborate with in my previous job… that was a significant ice breaker at the beginning of the interview which was important to make us comfortable. He started by introducing himself (background and experience), and how he reached his current position; we then spent 1.5 hrs answering questions (he actually had 4 pages full of questions and blank spaces to fill my answers). I can say he was less challenging than my 1st interviewer, which made me more comfortable during the meeting. Then we spent 30 minutes for Q&A where he shared his INSEAD experience.
Typical questions asked:
- Tell me about the major milestones in you life since graduation (i asked if i can include my university years which are a significant to the major decisions of my current life)… we went into some details on each important event and decisions i took (why u decided to do this, why that, etc…)
- Tell me about your current job responsibilities
- He then asked me to pick 1 project i worked (in my current job). We spent like 10 min discussing it, what is it about, what did i do, etc…
- Question about my teamwork experience…. also about working in multicultural teams and what advantages it brings… and how to deal with different cultures…
- then the typical Why MBA, Why Now, and Why INSEAD?
- Where else are u applying?
- Where do you want to work after graduation?
- Long term career objectives
- Major extra-curricular activities
These are the major questions i can recall. Basically, it was more like an informal discussion and again my advice for everyone: be enthusiastic about everything you are saying…. my motivation and interest in the program definitely payed during the meeting. During the meeting, he clearly mentioned that he is enjoying this discussion because he can feel how enthusiastic i am about everything i say…. also it’s important to highlight the Work Hard Play Hard side of your life, and show how you are open to any culture, while highlighting your teamwork and leadership experiences. Again and again, be prepared for details about your current job! Finally, just be positive and be yourself… even if you don’t know something, say i don’t know… they are looking for honest people.
Good Luck everyone.
