Interview Guide - Walk Me Through Your Resume

Walk me through your resume.

Make your resume a narrative rather than merely relating a series of unconnected events. Focus on upward progression. If there’s a gap in your resume – perhaps from a period of unemployment– don’t shy away from that but also don’t dwell on it. Mention it, own it, and move on. Turn it into a period of personal development by sharing what you did to keep busy. Also be sure to cap your time. Keep your “walk” to 5 minutes, and don’t spend all your time in one area versus another. For example, don’t go on and on about your college  experience to the detriment of your more relevant work experience.

You wrote about this story in your essay, can you give us more details about this

aspect?

This a great example of how anything you mention in your application package is fair

game. While you may be prepared to describe your undergraduate studies, jobs and

volunteer experience, all details – even briefly mentioned hobbies/awards – are fair game for questioning by the interviewer. Briefly explain the what, but be sure to hit home on the impact and what you learned or gained. Be able to explain or defend all that you present.

My partner (observer) hasn’t seen your applications, tell him/her about yourself.

You are likely going to get some kind of intro question that’s specific to you and your story, so practice it like an elevator pitch. If you’ve got one minute with someone, what are the salient, memorable, and striking things about you? Highlight what you are most passionate about. It truly takes practice to share your story succinctly and keep it exciting for your audience.  

In dealing with people from foreign countries on a regular basis, did you find

there to be any ethical differences in how the people worked?

This is a great opportunity to introduce the type of perspective you will be bring to the

SCHOOL X community. Your application may show that you worked or lived abroad, but the

interview will be used to dig deeper into how perceptive or culturally aware you are.

What did you actually learn? Is the work ethic or work schedule vastly different? Was

corruption more readily accepted or frowned upon? While this is a yes or no questions,

but sure to provide 1-2 examples to paint a picture in support of your response.

What is one thing I’d never have guessed about you, even after reading your

application?

Here is an opportunity to go beyond your achievements – or at least your business related achievements – and tell your interviewers about something that really makes you tick. Try to think of some missing piece of you that, for whatever reason, you didn’t write about in your application. Think about what would make you an interesting or valuable section mate to have at SCHOOL X. If you can relate your answer back to your application, that’s great, but don’t worry if you have a separate interest, an unusual hobby, an exciting travel story, a peculiar talent, or a childhood accomplishment that’s unrelated. Do not use an example from your application materials! Show layers to your character.

Are you happy with the choices that you've made? What advice as a college senior

would I give to my freshman self?

These are two separate questions, but hit away at the same point. The interviewer(s)

would like to understand how reflective you are about the choices you’ve made in your

life. If you aren’t happy with some of your choices, what did you learn from them? It is

okay (and encouraged) to own your failures or poor decisions, so long as you articulate

the growth you experienced as a result of time and maturity since those choices.

After graduating [from undergrad], what options did you consider?

During your interview, you will often be held accountable to the story you have presented in your application. This is one of those moments. Feel free to be open and honest about the options you considered, but be sure demonstrate assertiveness in your decision making and in how you weighed the options and ruled out the less favorable ones. While you did not pursue these other options, this is a great opportunity to share interesting insights into your thought process, as well as your