Graduate job interview
Invited to interview by HBS? Here are Harvard Business School interview questions from four different candidates.
The transcripts come from clients of Sandy Kreisberg, founder of HBSGuru.com, who helps more than 100 invited applicants rehearse and prepare for mock interviews in any given year. In all likelihood, Kreisberg goes through more interviews with HBS candidates than the few individuals on the HBS admissions team who actually conduct the 30-minute sessions.
His sample size–100+ interviews out of 1,900 in any given year–gives him a unique look at who makes the cut and who doesn’t. His advice on How Not to Blow a Harvard Business School Interview is a must-see.
Interview questions for four Harvard Business School candidates
The questions an MBA applicant receives in a Harvard Business School interview can vary significantly because each session is tailored to the individual candidate. At HBS, interviews last 30 minutes and are conducted by a member of the MBA admissions board who has reviewed a candidate’s application. Typically, one admissions staff member asks questions while another takes notes.
It is important to remember what HBS is looking for in a successful candidate, either in an interview or in an application to receive an interview. According to HBS, every candidate must have three key things: leadership habits, analytical ability and appetite, and engaged community citizenship. All three should be subtly reflected in one’s interview answers.
The following are four recent examples from four different candidates: a project manager, an analyst at an investment banking firm, an analyst at a private equity shop, and a veteran of the US military.
Interview Questions for Project Managers
How has covid affected your job and industry?
Are people working at home?
Are you working at home?
How was it?
What technology are you using to keep up to date with remote colleagues?
Do you find some people are better suited to remote work?
Ok, let’s get out of covid.
What was the most exciting project you worked on this year?
What role have you played?
How did you ramp up?
What would you do differently, looking back on this project?
How do you handle pushback?
Have you ever been unfairly criticized in your opinion?
what did you say
What would you say is the most valuable feedback you’ve ever received?
What was the situation?
What kind of leader do you aspire to be?
Besides managing your time, what is going to be difficult at HBS?
What is going to be less difficult?
How do you think you will be different after your two years at HBS?
We receive applications from many highly qualified applicants in your industry-Why should we admit you?
Interview Questions for an Investment Banker
How has covid affected your business (lots of follow up on my impact on deals, clients, colleagues, etc.)?
Tell me about your favorite deal, your toughest deal, and a deal that got away – and why?
How do you market yourself to investors?
What is your firm’s ‘secret sauce’?
What types of investors are attracted to your firm and why?
What has been the biggest challenge in raising money?
Tell me about a time you influenced someone else
Which of the roles you think about — deal maker, working with your portfolio companies, team lead and fundraising — have been the most difficult for you and why?
Have you ever wanted to run a company full-time?
How will your impact differ as an investor versus a CEO?
How did you learn about HBS?
What do you want I asked you?
Interview Questions for a Private Equity Analyst
Can you talk about recent contracts in your resume (lots of follow-up questions)
What do you do in your current role?
I see you have worked in different offices and on different continents of your bank, what are some cultural and operational differences? Which office did you enjoy the most?
How would your supervisor describe you?
Have you received constructive feedback in the past?
What did you learn in task 2?
Tell me about your goals. Where do you want to work? What can you see yourself doing if those goals don’t materialize?
What do you get from an MBA?
What did you think about doing your exchange semester at D? 1
Can you tell us more about living in A and B?
Can you tell us about extracurriculars?
Is there anything else you want us to know?
Interview Questions for a Military VET
What made you decide to join the military?
Tell me about the team you are currently working with. Lots of follow-up – what is team culture, who is a ‘leader’, how do we make decisions,
Give me two words your teammates would use to describe you.
What is a piece of constructive feedback you receive from your teammates?
What goals did you set for yourself in the military?
When did you decide to do MBA and why?
What are you interested in doing?
Which company would you be interested in working with and why?
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself?
