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Use Vince's "Mirror Method" to practice your interview answers at home
Use Vince's "Mirror Method" to practice your interview answers at home
Interviewing is physical
Do not prepare for interviews by writing outlines or scripts or PowerPoint slides
Instead, make simple note cards and use them to talk ... to yourself
Background
Background
Although I majored in History at Stanford, I took more acting classes than history classes
Patricia Ryan Madson was my acting professor (check out her bestselling book)
She taught me how to use the mirror to prepare for challenging roles
I have modified her method to help you pass your admissions or job interviews
Supplies needed
Supplies needed
note cards
a mirror
a timer set for 30 minutes (typical interview length)
a voice recorder (smart phone, computer, IC recorder: anything that will record your voice for playback and review)
Nine Mirror Method Steps Cover Ten Core Questions
Nine Mirror Method Steps Cover Ten Core Questions
plus a few questions you want to ask your interviewer (final Q&A)
A. Write these 10 core interview questions (plus final Q&A) on note cards
A. Write these 10 core interview questions (plus final Q&A) on note cards
Tell me about yourself / Walk me through your resume.
What are your three greatest strengths and three greatest weaknesses?
Provide me with an example showing your leadership.
What role do you usually play in teams?
Tell me about a time that you had to work on a team that did not get along.
Tell me about a time when you failed. What did you learn from the experience?
What are your goals? Why do you want an MBA now?
Why do you want to attend (this school)? (e.g. Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, LBS, INSEAD, etc.)
How will you contribute to our school community? (in classes, outside classes, as an alumnus)
What else? Surprise me.
Do you have any questions for me?
B. Write keywords or bullet points on the back of each card
B. Write keywords or bullet points on the back of each card
Here are some hints and tips in case they help
1. SELF-INTRODUCTION
Walk me through your resume.
Sample answer
Sample answer
2. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
What are your three greatest strengths and three greatest weaknesses?
How does each strength / weakness affect your work?
How might each strength / weakness impact your performance at our school / program / organization?
Sample answer
3. LEADERSHIP STYLE and example (behavioral question)
4. TEAMWORK ROLE
What role do you usually play in teams?
6. FAILURE (behavioral question)
Tell me about a time when you failed. What did you learn from the experience?
Sample answer
7. GOALS / WHY MBA / WHY NOW
8. WHY THIS SCHOOL / THIS PROGRAM / THIS ORGANIZATION / THIS COMPANY?
Why do you want to attend (this school)? (e.g. Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, LBS, INSEAD, etc.)
9. POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
How will you contribute to our school community? (in classes, outside classes, as an alumnus)
Related articles: read more about what MBA programs mean by "contribution"
Related articles: read more about what MBA programs mean by "contribution"
10. ANYTHING ELSE?
Surprise me.
Sample answer
C. Assemble the cards in random order (different every time)
C. Assemble the cards in random order (different every time)
D. Start the timer as you begin speaking
D. Start the timer as you begin speaking
E. Ask and answer each question
E. Ask and answer each question
F. Maintain eye contact (with yourself) as you talk (try not to look at your cards)
F. Maintain eye contact (with yourself) as you talk (try not to look at your cards)
G. Ask yourself "why" and "how" whenever appropriate to simulate an interviewer's follow-up questions
G. Ask yourself "why" and "how" whenever appropriate to simulate an interviewer's follow-up questions
H. Make each answer as direct and concise as possible (no more than two minutes per answer, hopefully less)
H. Make each answer as direct and concise as possible (no more than two minutes per answer, hopefully less)
I. Listen to your answers in between self-study practice sessions to ensure continuous quality improvement
I. Listen to your answers in between self-study practice sessions to ensure continuous quality improvement
J. REPEAT STEPS EVERY MORNING AND EVERY NIGHT UNTIL YOUR ACTUAL INTERVIEW
J. REPEAT STEPS EVERY MORNING AND EVERY NIGHT UNTIL YOUR ACTUAL INTERVIEW
Shuffle your question cards every time you practice
Keep opening questions ("tell me about yourself" or "walk me through your resume") at the top of your stack and closing questions ("what else?" and Q&A) at the bottom
For all other questions, make sure to change the order every time
Reason 1: be prepared - you can never know in what order your interviewer will decide to ask her questions (interviewing is more art than science)
If you expect questions to follow a certain logical order, you might be surprised and unprepared if the interviewer follows her own logic and asks the questions in a different order than you expected
Reason 2: master your material - we build long-term memory through repetition in random order
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