An interview is an opportunity for you to get to know the company, and for them to get to know you – finding a fit goes both ways.
Being able to communicate your story and why you are interested in a particular role/company/industry is vital to a successful interview. This requires preparation for behavioral questions and cases depending on the industry. Clear delivery and ability to manage your nerves prior to and during the interview are also important considerations.
Getting Started
Reflecting on your previous experiences is the best place to start preparing for your interviews. These worksheets will help you develop content that will inform stories for your interviews.
- Identifying Moments of Learning Worksheet
- Insights to Your Experiences Worksheet
- Reflecting on Your Skills and Experience
Delivering your Stories
Check out the Storytelling material in Career Labs for step by step tips on building impactful stories.
To feel more confident telling your stories during an interview it is important to invest time in preparing your body for a strong delivery. Here are some suggestions:
- Breathing Exercises
- Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds
- Breathe in for 1 count, out for 1 count; in for 2 counts, out for 2 counts; in for 3 counts, out for 3 counts; . . .
- Deep breath in, say a big Ahhhhhhh as you exhale, x3
- Count your breaths
- Power Posing with Amy Cuddy
- Tips for Practicing Delivery
Virtual Interviewing
When planning for an interview, it is important to consider the setting for the conversation in your preparations. Virtual interviews require some additional preparation on your part compared to in-person interviews. We have compiled some resources to help you plan for these conversations and make a positive impression on the call.
- Video Interviewing Checklist – Tips and recommendations on what to do before and during a video interview
- Virtual presence quick tips (5min video)
- Video Interviewing Tips– 20 video interview tips to help you dazzle the hiring manager and get the job.
- LinkedIn Learning Courses for Virtual Interviewing (requires LinkedIn Premium):
- Introducing New Ways to Get Ready for the Virtual Job Interview – LinkedIn blog post with tools and tips to help you prepare for virtual interviews
- 4 Tips to Nail a Virtual Job Interview – HBR article from March 2021
- Virtual Communication: Presenting with Empathy (video)
Behavioral Interviews
No matter which roles you interview for, you inevitably will encounter behavioral interview questions. Companies use behavioral interview questions to assess your hard, soft, and leadership skills. It is important to take time to prepare for behavioral interviews because authentic and impactful responses require thoughtful reflections on your past experiences.
We recommend going through the resources listed below, watching the videos and using the worksheets to help you generate high quality stories.
We also invite you to work and practice with a CMG Career Coach throughout the process.
Behavioral Interview Questions
This is the basic story that you’ll need to be able to tell – it’s your point of view about yourself (POV Self). You are the best expert in this regard. Recruiters, influencers, and hiring managers aren’t there to ‘figure you out’ and you don’t want them guessing. Be intentional about what you share about yourself related to the role. We recommend using a non-chronological framework for your answer.
The links below will help you think about different ways to develop content and flow of your TMAY story.
- TMAY – Why do they ask this question? – 5m58s
- TMAY – What makes a great TMAY story? – 4m49s
- TMAY – What are the elements of a TMAY Story? – 10m26s
- TMAY – How to structure your TMAY Story? – 4m21s
- TMAY workbook
Additional resources:
When approached with the right mindset, every weakness is an opportunity to learn and grow professionally.
Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity and risk — VUCAR. The business world is filled with VUCAR and we want to help you figure out where you stand in relation to these stressors. What’s your comfort level with these situations? How do you respond to these situations? And what relevant and impactful stories can you share during an interview to illustrate your skills in these situations?
How do you handle conflict with a peer? With your boss? Within a team? Be clear about your approach to managing conflicts in the workplace.
Often past experiences of failure evoke unpleasant and stressful emotions. Yet failure, more than success, is a great way to demonstrate learning and personal growth.
How do you persuade, influence or command? Take some time to think about Communication, a core business skill. Knowing your communication style and its impact can help an interviewer determine how you would work in their organization.
What are your core beliefs around teams? How should they work? And what’s your natural role on a team?
Leadership, whether formal or informal, is what differentiates an MBA from other talent. For this question, you will need to communicate your leadership style.
Case Interviews
Many industries are now including a mock case as part of their interview process. Haas has subscribed to RocketBlocks to help you prepare, they provide modules for Management Consulting, Product Management, Product Marketing and Strategy & BizOps roles.
RocketBlocks details are available in the corresponding Industry or Function resources.
Additional Resources
- MBA Interview Questions – List of questions Haasies have been previously asked at interviews for specific positions and companies. You must be logged into Google Drive with your @berkeley.edu email to access. If you are presented with the “request access” screen you will not be approved and need to sign in to Google from your @berkeley profile. If you would like to add your questions, please use this form
- LinkedIn Interview Prep Assessment Tool – This tool contains sample answers to common interview questions
- Seed/Series A questions to ask founders in an interview – List of questions to ask early-stage startup CEOs and underlying learning goals for each of them