MBA Interview- Career Goals, Why MBA and Contribution Questions

MBA Interview Career goals, Why MBA and Contribution related questions:

• Short term goals, long term goals, plan b career goals
• Why MBA?
• Why MBA from <<Target program>> b-school?
• What do you hope to learn from our program?
• Which courses will you take?
• What will you contribute to our program?
• How did you choose schools? Which schools did you apply to?
• Which clubs/extracurriculars would you want to participate in?

A sure set of questioning in your MBA interview would center on your goals and why you want to attend business school. Its therefore really important that you build your answers around these questions and practice them well. Fumbling on these is not an option.

The goals question is best answered if you structure your answer effectively – you have already walked the interviewer through your resume, so they have a fair understanding of your background. Moving forward from there, briefly highlight the experiences and insights that have shaped your passion for achieving impact in the future. Then, outline how you would fulfil your passion through the short- and long-term career goals. Specifically, your answer should include:

1. What is your passion for the future? How did this develop through professional or other experiences? What kind of impact do you wish to create through your career?

(To achieve that, what will you do in the short term and the long term?)

2. Short term goals (we consider this time frame after MBA for upto 5 years)

• Which industry and companies will you work at (give 2-3 company names as example).
• What will you do here and what skills and knowledge (required in the long term) will you learn there?

3. Long term goals (we consider this time frame roughly 8-10 years after MBA)

• You can mention industry, possible company names and region that interests you. This has to be linked to your career vision that you had written earlier- so talk about the larger impact you will make in this role. You don’t have to give granular details as you would for the short term goals.

While most applicants would prepare answers for their short- and long-term goals, also be ready to discuss your plan B career goal in case your short term goals don’t materialize.  

For the “WHY our b-school” question, do not give generic answers. Instead provide specific reasons for how you will benefit from the b-school. Even if you get asked “why MBA?” give an answer on “Why our B-school” so that your answer is specific and tailored to that particular b-school.

Maintain a structure around your answer. Many applicants directly jump into what they are going to study while at business school without giving context on why they need to learn all that stuff. To avoid this, identify your top 3-4 learning needs and match them with specific program features.  When you do this, there’s a logical structure to your answer. In very simple terms, it would be like – “I have identified X, Y and Z to be my gaps which I hope to fulfil through A, B and C features of your MBA program. 

Show your research about the MBA program by going beyond the basic information mentioned on the website to talk about a deeper level understanding of how you will benefit from the MBA program. Your response can include:

1. Academics: Concentrations, specific courses, or professors whose expertise aligns with your career goals. Avoid mentioning professors simply because they are well-known.
2. Experiential Learning: Opportunities like consulting projects or global immersions.
3. Leadership Development: Unique initiatives or frameworks the school offers.
4. Professional Support: Clubs, networking opportunities, or industry connections—only include specifics if you can articulate them clearly.
5. Social Engagement: Professional and social clubs that align with your interests or career goals.

You can use a similar structure for the “How will you contribute?” question. Focus on areas like academics, clubs, professional events (e.g., seminars, conferences, career treks), and extracurricular activities. Outline how your background, skills, and interests make you uniquely positioned to contribute to these areas.

Both answers — Why MBA? and How will you contribute? —   must be grounded in research.  Engage with current students and alumni to gain a deeper understanding of the program. Incorporate relevant insights from these conversations into your answers. While you can name 1-2 people you spoke with, avoid excessive name-dropping, as it can come across as cheesy.

Key Tip: specificity is the key to scoring this answer. Every b-school asks these questions, and generic or recycled answers will undermine your credibility, while disengaging your interviewer. So, its really important that you tailor your responses to each program, making them personal and relevant to your career goals and learning needs. 

Finally, your answer is meant to be only a snapshot of what you will do at business school. You are not expected to mention every single thing you will learn or area you will contribute. So, for both the answers, focus on the top 3-4 points that connect with your narrative rather than narrating a laundry list of program benefits or contribution. This will give the interviewer confidence in  your understanding of the school and your fit for  program.