An MBA Interview questions such as “walk me through your resume” or “introduce yourself” is likely going to be your first question in the interview, so its crucial to make a strong impression with this answer. Unfortunately, many applicants blow this by going off on long, unfocused tangents, without a clear vision of what they want to communicate. This can result in a lengthy monologue that becomes irrelevant and risks creating a poor first impression.
How should you answer this?
Since this question is almost certain to come up, it’s essential to prepare and practice your answer. Your goal is to guide the interviewer through your educational and professional journey in a clear, concise and relevant manner that eventually connects your storyline with your career goals, which would typically be the next question.
You may decide to follow a chronological order (education first, followed by first job, followed by subsequent jobs) or a reverse chronological order (latest professional experience first followed by education) based on what feels most natural for your story.
Share a concise overview of your education and career progression, while highlighting your motivation for an academic stream or a career path, inflection points in your career, key achievements and learnings.
Weave in impactful stories about ECAs at college or achievement stories from work, without getting into too much detail – introducing these would be enough to generate the interviewer’s interest so they can ask you further questions as the interview progresses. Also use numbers where relevant to showcase the scale or impact of your accomplishments. Quantifiable results make your achievements more tangible and meaningful.
Avoid making your answer irrelevant or excessively long and boring by pacing yourself. If you begin with your college education, avoid dwelling on specific courses or extra-curricular activities that weren’t impactful or don’t fit with your career goals story. Instead, transition quickly to your professional experience, outlining your career trajectory and key roles, with brief examples of significant achievements. Again, try keeping the focus on telling those elements that fit with your career goals.
At the end of your answer, talk about your current extracurricular activities where you play a leadership role, the impact you made and why these experiences are important to you.
Aim to keep this answer to about three minutes, providing a quick snapshot that will engage the interviewer and provide them with hooks to question you further.
If you’re asked “Introduce yourself” or “tell me about yourself”, you can cover similar points but feel free to make it a little more personal.
Tip- Don’t sound mechanical or too rehearsed in your delivery of the answer. Be conversational and friendly, but do remember to cover all the points.