PI Preparation: Format, Personal Interview Questions, Tips, Tricks, FAQs

During a personal interview round, an introduction must include candidate's name, place of residence, educational background, key achievements, and hobbies. At the UG level, candidates are expected to include theur school-related achievements or other co-curricular activities. Whereas, at PG level, candidates must include achievements from their work experience, internships, and academic projects at UG level.

Most of the personal interviews will start with an introduction of the candidate, therefore, one must prepare an answer for the same. An introcution during PI round must be structured, simple and relevant to the program. Additionally, the introduction must not be too long. This will helo the panel to judge a candidate's confidence and clarity of thoughts.

During a personal interview, one of the key topics of the conversation revolves around candidate's achievements and past work experience. While preparing for the PI round, candidates must focus on their academic strengths, reasons for choosing the course, interests, and learning attitude.

Lack of achievements can be compensated by showing clarity of thought towards the future goals, and interest in the learning outcome. Candidates can also talk about some related school projects, small competitions, or self-learning efforts put in by them to advance in their career path. For PG candidates, if there is no work experience, they can highlight academic projects or internships. Additionally, candidates can explain how they plan to gain experience after admission.

During a personal interview round, interviewers want to know if the candidate has a clear reason for choosing the course. Several candidates apply for a course due to peer pressure, or if parents force them to choose a particular course. In order to invest two to three years into a particular program, candidates must find the subjects interesting.

The answer to 'Why this course? ' should show an alignment between career goals, candidate's interests, and what the course has to offer. The answer will help the panel assess if the decision is informed or just random. A good response to this question will connect the dots between the career goal of a candidate with the course offerings. Before preparing for this answer, candidates must gather insights about the course content and try to relate it with the career goal.

During an interview, in case a candidate doesn't know the answer, he/she must admit it politely instead of guessing or answering incorrectly. Candidates can answer with "I am not sure, and will look into it" will show willingness to learn and honesty. Interviewers usually don't expect every answer to be correct. The primary parameters to judge a candidate during a PI round includes the attitude and confidence. Trying to bluff while answering a question may leave a bad impression on the panel.

While answering a question where the panel has asked about a weakness, candidates must mention a real weakness that does not directly impact their ability to succeed in the course. While answering the question, candidates must include how they are trying to overcome this weakness.

Candidates must avoid sating “I have no weakness” or mentioning traits like poor time management without a solution or plan for improvement.

Yes, candidates appearing for an interview must go through the topics they have studied in the past. Interview panel may expect candidates toi have a basic subject knowledge, especially if the candidate is aiming for a technical or specialised course. At UG level, questions are based on 11th and 12th standard subjects. Whereas, at the PG level, the panel may ask about graduation topics, projects, or field-related terms.

Revising core subjects, definitions, and key concepts related to the course will help candidates build the overall confidence. This will show a candidate's preparedness for the course.

It is normal to feel nervous during a personal interview round. In case a candidate forgets something, they can take a short pause and ask to come back to the question later. Staying calm and breathing slowly will help candidates manage nervousness. While preparing for an interview, candidates must practice mock interview to build confidence. Interviewers will understand that a candidate may feel pressure and might not penalize minor mistakes.

During a personal interview round, body language reflects honesty, confidence, and communication skills of a candidate. Candidates who maintain eye contact, sit straight, and use natural hand gestures are considered to be confident. Those who are contsnatly shaking legs, looking down, avoiding eye contacts are considered to be nervous during an interview round.

Candidates must enter the room, greet the panel, and thank them before leaving the room. Non-verbal communication also plays a big role in online as well as offline interviews. Both posture as well as facil experessions matter during an interview round.

Personal Interviews that are driven by an AI model are not harder compared to an in-person interview b ut might require a different appraoch. AI based model is designed to records answers, speaking style and facial expressions of a candidate. Candidates may not find a live panel, therefore, they must speak clearly and maintain eye contact with the camera at all times. 

While preparing for an AI interview, candidates must go through more of mock video questions. Check lighting conditions, and stay within the time limit for each question.

Candidates must not focus on spreading their charm by playing across words. The answer required by the interview panellist is about what the candidate wishes to achieve from the MBA degree. Candidates must answer the question with honesty and authenticity by explaining how the programme aligns with their interests and goals. Additionally, candidates must answer why an MBA degree makes the most sense in achieving the goals.

During personal interviews, it can be tempting to impress the panel by presenting your strengths as weaknesses. However, doing so may not work in your favor as interviewers are likely to have heard such responses numerous times before. Instead, it is advisable to be honest and answer the question truthfully. If you have a weakness, acknowledge it, but also explain how you are working to improve in that area. This shows that you are self-aware and willing to learn and grow, which are valuable qualities in any job candidate. By being truthful and showing a willingness to improve, you are more likely to make a positive impression on the interview panel.

When attending an interview, it is important to dress appropriately. A formal attire is usually the best option. You should wear clothes that make you feel confident and comfortable. Wearing formal clothes can also help enhance your body language, allowing you to appear more professional and confident during the interview. It is recommended that you choose dark-colored clothes without any pattern or prints for a more suitable and professional look. This will also help you make a good first impression and increase your chances of landing the job.