This article originally appeared on my blog…
My Kellogg interview came off pretty well, especially considering that I have not sat for any kind of genuine job interview since 2000. As others have reported, the interview was conversational and non-threatening, though relatively detailed and substantive.
We started off with a question or two about my college experiences and then started working through the resume. The interviewer did not just say: “Walk me through your resume.” Instead, she walked me through my resume and asked specific questions about the firms I worked for and why I moved on from one job to another.
She also used each job as a vehicle for asking questions around collaboration, leadership, etc. Questions included: “What do you think makes a great leader?” “When have you shown leadership?” “When you collaborate with your peers, what kinds of challenges come up and how do you handle them?”
There were a few tough questions asking me to justify why I made – or didn’t make – certain career moves, but I had a sense that the purpose of the tough questions was to see how i reacted – would i get defensive, or would i maintain my composure? I would recommend that all interviewees consider this when preparing for their interviews: the answer may not always matter as much as whether or not your lose your cool, because they are evaluating maturity as much as anything else.
Another tactical note: if you’re planning to enter a new field, make sure that you can get specific about your roadmap and the firms (name them) or types of organizations that you will look to for employment.
My interview ran about 15 minutes longer than the prescribed 30 minutes, which meant that I either talked way too much or that the discussion naturally extended itself due to the particularly high quality of discourse 🙂 Who can say…
Finally, while the campus visit definitely helped solidify my excitement about Kellogg, an alumni interviewer probably would have given me more instant feedback. My Kellogg interview ended warmly enough, but I have no idea if the interviewer will be writing a stellar recommendation or expressing some concerns. Seems like people who have had alumni interviews get a flavor for what’s going in their file.
