My YLP Interview Experience - II

For Part One

On entering the room, I saw a guy and a lady. Both in their late-30s or early-40s. Be warned, I’m bad at guessing ages. After a firm handshake with both, I sat at my chair.

The guy began –

“Ok Jigar. Why don’t we start with your internships. What did you do at <Startup I interned at>?”

In my mind, I was thinking –

“What ?! We’re jumping right in? No warm-up questions? Nothing to make me feel comfortable?”

After a brief pause, I answered his question. I began with what the startup was set up to do. What was the objective of that particular client. What our team planned to do. Expectations from me. Finally I ended with what I learned and what I accomplished.

Notice how I didn’t directly answer the question. I set the context up. This matters a lot. Your job as an interviewee should be to bring the interviewer on the same page. Imagine interviews as a sketching game. Your job is to instruct the interviewer so that he sketches something very close to what you have in your mind. (I’ll write more about this in a later post.)

The guy asked me a few follow-up questions. From his follow-up questions I felt confident that the two of us are on same page and therefore I answered those questions directly. If I had felt otherwise, I would’ve set the context again. He then moved from my resume to my application and asked me a question from my essay. [For the curious ones, the essay was one where we were supposed to write about our short-term and long-term goals]

To be honest I don’t remember his exact question but it revolved around WHY ISB?

I was prepared for this question. My answer was well researched and specific. I answered how certain courses would help me gain knowledge and an access to group of experts which would help me advance towards my goal. Again I set the context up by iterating what my long term goal was [no more than 2 lines] and how these courses acted as vital steps to reach closer to my goal.

As soon as I finished the answer, the lady, who was listening all the while, asked me a question. To be honest, I really liked her question and that’s the reason why I remember her question verbatim.

“What has changed from the time you submitted your resume to this interview?”

To put everyone on same page – During our time, (God, I sound like my grandpa!) the first round required us to submit our resume. Also, the first round deadline was November (If I remember it correctly) and the interview was at October. There was almost a year gap between the time I submitted my resume and my interview.

I divided my answer in 3 areas.[McKinsey guys chuckle here]

Personal, Professional and Social. I answered them in reverse order. On social front, I answered how transitioning to final year made me a mentor on all the clubs I had been an active member of. Thus, I was able to impart my views on problems that were occurring. Supported with an example of Entrepreneurship Cell. Then on professional front, I answered how becoming Head of the Institute Placements Team is different from being just a team member. Another example followed. Finally on personal front, I answered how I was learning that I can’t always have things go my way. That listening and actually following others’ suggestions can lead to more fruitful results. Another example followed.

The guy asked me a question on the 97 word essay I had written.

“What’s the Feynman Learning Technique?”

Inside my head, I was thinking, “Yup. The trap worked. He asked what I wanted him to ask.” I answered it with a constant smile on my face.

Finally, the lady asked me whether I had any questions for them. I said Yes. This is the part where I would want YOU to try to summarize my question in one line.

“I acknowledge the really tough decisions you people make. To put an apt comparison, I feel your job is to select some oranges from a basket of oranges, some apples from a basket of apples, some grapes from a basket of grapes and make sure that the fruit salad is as best as it can possibly get. To make things worse, you cannot change the fruit once you’ve selected. My question is how do you ensure that you always make the best salad?”

You can laugh as much as you like. They did too. My question was intentional. And for the hundredth time, I really did ask that question. This links perfectly to my future post on how to make sure your interview is not only remarkable but also rememberable. (All you grammar nazis, I know rememberable is not a word. But I can’t find a similar word that goes well with remarkable)

To summarize my question in one line – On what parameters do you accept and reject a candidate?

I could’ve asked this question directly. But I didn’t. And yeah, such questions, if framed properly, work like a charm in making sure that interviewers remember you.

They answered my question, dragging the fruit salad metaphor. This time they had a constant smile on their face while answering.

The interview ended. We shook hands. And when I came out, other interviewees were surprised. “Dude, you came out in 20 minutes. Mine lasted 40.” Yup. They were having the same look that you are having right now. 20 minutes!