So, you’ve completed your essays, submitted your application, and taken the GMAT or EA…and you’ve been invited for an LBS Dubai video interview.
Congratulations! You made it to the next (and probably most important) step in the process. All of the work you have done so far is to get you to this point. The LBS admissions committee is interested enough in your profile that they want to know more about you and verify what they have gleaned from your documentation thus far.
Despite all that effort, in order to get into the LBS Dubai EMBA program, you will have to ace the LBS Dubai video interview. It will more than likely be conducted over Zoom. You’ll be notified with enough time to schedule and prepare, so use your time wisely. Here are our tips (the same ones we give our clients), to help you ace the LBS Dubai video interview.
How to Ace the LBS Dubai Video Interview
1. Write your talking points beforehand.
Wouldn’t it be weird if you showed up to an interview with prepared notecards? Fortunately, this interview is done online, so no one will ever see our notes! We encourage our clients to make quick notes on the answers to the questions before the interview. Just 2-3 short talking points for each question. You can refer to them briefly during the interview to make sure you have a ready response to questions and help you stay on track.
Don’t make lengthy notes because you won’t have time to look at them…and you definitely should not be reading them.
2. Be sure to answer what they asked, not what you wanted to tell them.
You’ve worked hard during your career and you want the admissions committee to know that. They will–from your resume’. Since they already read your resume’ and essays, don’t bring up a lot of the same points during the video interview. Try to tell them new things about you or tell short stories that you couldn’t tell in the application.
No matter what, answer the question they asked! Don’t go on and on about things you want them to know but did not ask about.
You are probably thinking: I speak with others regularly, I am an excellent communicator, or I interview others so I know what to say. Trust us…re-evaluate how you are answering questions and take the time to really ensure that you give a focused answer. If necessary, have a “mock interview” with a friend or trusted colleague.
3. Try to keep the tone conversational.
You’ve got notes. You’ve done a mock interview. You’re ready, but…
Don’t be a robot!
The line between robotic and professional is not as fine as you think. It is possible to be friendly and professional. If you keep the tone just slightly (and we mean just slightly) casual, then the conversation will be more comfortable for them and you. You will project confidence and truth.
Just remember: it’s not an interrogation.
4. Check your zoom view before the interview.
Obviously, you need to be business casual during the zoom interview. Just because you are at home doesn’t mean professionalism goes out the window. You should be somewhere in between a stained t-shirt and a full suit with a jacket. Our favorite look is a starched white or blue button-up shirt (for ladies and gentlemen). All this you probably know since you’ve been working from home for at least the last year.
Here’s what you need to manage as well: your zoom view.
- Background: The less the admissions committee can see of it the better. The background doesn’t have to be plain, but it shouldn’t clearly be your bedroom. If you have a plain white wall in a room, move the desk in and a tall potted plant. It offers some visual interest and makes your place look corporate. Do not use virtual backgrounds because they slow down your zoom speed.
- Aspect: Ideally, the admissions committee should see your head and half of your upper body. If you are sitting at a desk, you will naturally hit this position. Get closer to the desk or bring your computer closer to ensure less of you is showing. However, don’t do an extreme close-up for 30 minutes. If you open a zoom meeting on your own and see the mirror view, you will be able to see exactly what they will see.
- Lighting: Turn the light on the room just to be sure. You are better lit in zoom than you think, so don’t overdo it with the lighting.
5. Present one narrative.
Reread your essays and make sure your verbal answers match the written ones if you are asked the same question. Sometimes you have to simplify your ambitions on paper so that they make sense in an essay. They should follow the same pattern during the LBS Dubai video interview. Don’t talk about the three different career paths you want to be on or get too personal. If you would not write it in an essay, do not say it during the interview.
What you present during your LBS Dubai video interview should represent you as one whole, focused professional. If they consider your resume’, application, essays, references, and video interview as a whole (which they will), every aspect should harmonize and tell the story you want to tell.
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