MBA入学面试支招
如何应对MBA入学面试 ?
近年来,MBA日益受到考研学生的追捧,春节一过,参加今年1月份笔试的考生,已经焦急地等待笔试的成绩公布,并且积极准备更重要的MBA 面试 的考验。MBA入学 考试 和其他研究生 考试 一样,要通过笔试和 面试 两道关口,MBA入学 考试 中面试的权重已经达到50%,热门院校的面试淘汰率也高达30%,也就是说,通过笔试的学生每3人中,将有1人与报考院校无缘。那么,考生如何在这段时间里做好准备,通过面试有哪些技巧?记者最近走访了上海MBA学界和权威教辅学校上海非凡进修学院的有关专家,就有关面试准备进行了较深入的探讨。
考试规则改革
据介绍,从2005年起,我国MBA考试规则进行了改革,招生将初试科目由原来的4门(政治、 英语 、综合能力、管理)改为2门( 英语 、综合能力考试)。相应地加强资格审查和复试环节,更加重视考生的实践经验和工作业绩,更加强调通过面试考查学生的管理潜质、沟通能力、分析能力、应变能力和协作精神等综合素质。按照要求,各校MBA招生必须实行差额面试,面试差额淘汰率不低于20%.除西部地区学校外,所有招生院校的MBA复试分数线不得低于教育部确定的全国最低复试分数线,至此,面试已成MBA考试的一大门坎,甚至是至关重要的环节。
MBA入学考试的复试环节包括政治理论考试、外语听力与口语测试以及综合素质面试。主要方式为个人面试、行为面试、压力面试、小组讨论等方式。其中小组讨论又称“无领导小组讨论”,即考生就一个话题展开讨论,考官不指定题目和讨论方向,完全由考生主导进行,考官则负责观察考生在讨论中的表现,确定考生是否适合从事管理工作。这是近年来商学院越来越偏好使用的面试形式,广大考生应该密切关注。
面试有规律可循
据非凡考辅专家介绍,面试虽然淘汰率比较高,但也是有规律可循的,考生可以积极的心态应对,不必过于紧张。从招生院校看,大致分成三类——
一为国内知名院校,如北大、清华、复旦、交大等,每年第一志愿考生都爆满。面试分数线往往是自主划定的,一般要高于国家线20分左右,而取得面试资格的考生数也大大超过录取人数,面试淘汰率在30%-50%.二为能够自给自足的院校,这类院校往往有一定的招生特色,或者所属城市、地区中的考生没有其他选择。这类院校多半没有自主划线权,只能按国家线招生。第一志愿考生与学校录取人数基本相当,有时略有节余,面试淘汰率为10%—20%左右。三是为数最为众多,多半是后申办MBA专业的院校或者本科招生名气就比较逊色的院校,他们的第一志愿合格者往往达不到学校计划录取人数,甚至空缺许多名额,愿意接收第二志愿考生,这类院校也会根据规定设置淘汰率,但没有条件严格执行,或者说有可能更会满足考生的求学愿望。
MBA院校招生很大程度上依托原有的知名度和本科毕业生数量,有时候名气和提供的MBA教学并不一定成正比,建议考生多咨询一下上届的学长,有充分的心理准备和应变的准备,在面试时做到胸有成竹。落选的考生也不要气馁,应快速联络第二志愿调剂院校,有时候反而会有意外的惊喜。
按规定各招生院校组织面试小组评委人数不得少于3人,成员还应包括企业界评委。因此考生了解面试考官的组成非常重要。MBA教育不等同于普通的教育,学校老师也希望能有企业界人士换个角度把关,因此最典型的考官小组就是由前MBA毕业生、年轻教师和招生学院资深教授组成。他们在分工上也略有侧重,企业人士问考生的工作相关问题,年轻教师一般考英文口语问答,而资深教授一般问学业和学校相关问题。
考察三种技能
一般而言,考官要考察三种技能的具备情况(概念、人际、技术),有管理经验优于无管理经验、有工作业绩优于无工作业绩、有管理雄心优于无管理雄心、有志气优于无志气、反应快优于反应慢、心志稳定优于神智慌乱、有管理地位优于无管理地位、有团队精神优于无团队精神、真诚者优于虚伪者。如今笔试不考听力了,面试中就会加大口语的分量,不过大家不用担心,一般是很简单的问题,比如自我介绍、大学学过的专业什么的,老师也不会太为难考生。
考生如需详细咨询面试技巧和调剂信息,可咨询www.phedu.cn网站,或向各校的MBA学生组织咨询。
MBA入学面试12点策略法
通常面试官们寻求的信息有12种,了解这些要点并能有准备地谈及每个要点和你本人相关的地方,就能够使你准备得更好,并对面试进程把握得更好。把你的12种观点当作核心信息,为展现你最好的技能和管理潜质而准备。结合你自己的信息,尝试着大声回答每个问题,然后评价你的进步,可能你会发现,简明扼要、轻松流畅的谈论这些问题,你还需要、更多的练习。
1.职业热情
问一下自己:“为什么有兴趣从事管理工作?你觉得你对管理工作充满激情吗?如果是的话,为什么?”最好给出一些具体的例子。这些例子可以是你带领团队向顶量销售业绩挑战,也可以是你在某一产品项目组中从产品研发到最后上市中的任何一件事情。
2.动机和目的
面试官想要知道你为什么要读MBA,试问你自己:“为什么要报考MBA?为什么要报考这所院校的MBA?”不要简单重复你 简历 上的内容,MBA能给你带来什么这是你思考的关键,你的性格特点是否适合你所报考的院校,你对你所报考的院校有多少了解。
3.技能和经验
想一想你的关键技能,并考虑如何将它们用在平时的工作中。避免陈词滥调和泛泛而谈;相反,要提供详尽的证据。想像你的弱点,并考虑如何把它们减少到最低的程度,使它们和你的力量均衡。尽可能地客观描述你自己,避免盲目自大或过分谦虚。
4.职业作风
描述你的职业品质,包括细心、努力和责任感。举例证明你如何把一个重要项目坚持到底,并获得了你所期盼的结果。说明你如何收集资料,如何预见困难险阻,如何应对压力。
5.领导才能
提供证据来证明你的影响力,包括创造能力、主动性、富有机智和领导才能。你能够为上面的每一项提供什么样的事例呢?事例应集中在你如何解决问题、带领团队战胜困难,如何利用可能被忽略的机会,如何赢得别人的支持来实现各个目标。
6.适应工作的能力
谈谈你所具备的工作能力是如何适应本职位的要求。你的回答应该对你过去的工作既有肯定的描述同时也要作否定的描述,不要作长篇大论,告诉面试官你的适应能力正是你读MBA最好的理由。
7.人际交往能力
在过去的工作中,你是如何同其他人合作协调的?什么类型的人喜欢和你在一起工作?公司的顾客或客户对你有怎么样的反应?你的目的是让面试官有信心,感觉你的性格适合做管理工作。
8.管理方式和交际技巧
谈谈你的管理方式和你运用于同事和领导间的交际技巧。重点在于你怎样工作,而不是你能做好什么样的工作。你将会是一个什么样的管理者、什么样的同事、什么样的员工?给出你自认为有影响力的个人或是著名领导的例子。为什么这些人能够获得这么大的成功。
9.解决问题的能力
举例证明你解决问题的能力。在过去,你是如何解决难题的?回答这些问题的侧重点应该放在实际问题的解决、合理的方法、工作的实际成果。
10.工作成就
考虑你的工作主动性和工作成就。举例说明你的付出得到的回报。不必过多地介绍工作背景,答案应该集中在你采取了什么样的行动和获取了什么样的成果。
11.职业报负
使你的工作报负适应于你读MBA的现实需要以及你未来的 职业规划 ,应该强调你希望通过MBA的学习想要提高的技能和能力。
12.个人兴趣和爱好
你有正常的生活方式吗?你的个人兴趣和职业兴趣是否协调。
将上述12条关键信息充分理解了,把他们整理成简单的摘要,这将成为你面试时有效的利用工具。有了以上的准备我们现在就可以进入下一个环节了。
名校MBA英文面试题目
个人信息方面的问题:
针对personal data
1. What’s your name?
2. May I have your name, please?
3. Are you Mr./Miss?
4. What’s your surname?
5. What is you family name?
6. What’s your full name?
7. How do you spell your last name?
8. Please give me your name.
9. May I ask your name?
10. I believe you’re Mr.…., aren’t you?
11. Your name, please.
12. How do you do, and you are…?
13. Miss... , I presume.
14. Would you give me your name?
Answers:
My name is …
Yes, I’m…
My surname is…
My full name is…
How do you do, I’m..
针对personal qualities
1. What kind of personalities do you think you have?
2. What kind of person are you?
3. What types of people do like to work with?
4. What types of people don’t you like to work with?
5. Do you think you are introverted or extroverted?
6. Would you like to describe yourself as what kind of person you are?
7. Would you like to tell me your weak points and strong points?
8. What do you think is the most important thing fo you to be happy?
9. What basic principles do you apply to you work?
10. What do you think a job is?
11. Are you more a follower or a leader?
12. What attitude do you take towards life?
Answers:
1. I think I’m honest and reliable.
2. I feel I’m initiative and aggressive, responsible in doing things.
3. To tell you the truth, I think I’m imaginative and creative.
4. I like to work with imaginative and creative persons.
5. I don not like to work with the introverted people.
6. I believe I’m extroverted, easy to approach and friendly to everyone.
7. Frankly, I think I’m quite outgoing and I enjoy mixing and doing things with others.
8. I wouldn’t call myself introverted though some times I’m inclined to think independently and enjoy staying all by my self, often and often I like sharing activities with others.
9. I approach things very enthusiastically and I can take on jobs that bother other people and work at them slowly until they get done.
10. I think a job is on the one hand a way of making a living, but on the other hand, it is also a very important way to self-fulfillment.
11. . I think I am more of a leader, but I am team-task minded too.
12. I feel it is important to build a career. Seize the day, seize the hour. Even if it’s hard at the time. I try to get things done that day and not to let them go.
有关兴趣爱好的提问
1. Do you have any special interests other than your job?
2. What are your hobbies?
3. What other interests do you have?
4. What kind of recreations do you most enjoy?
Answers:
My chief interest is…
Yes, …is my special interest.
I like to read books. (mystery, novel, detective, fiction, non-fiction, biography)
I enjoy spots.
I like dancing.
5. What do you like to do in your spare time?
6. What do you do when you are not working?
7. How do you spend your free time?
8. How do you entertain yourself after work?
Answer:
On weekends, I sometimes go mountain climbing with my colleagues or fishing.
9. What’s your marital status?
10. Could you tell me something about your family?
11. Do you spend much time staying with your family?
Answers:
I’m not married. /I’m still a single.
I’ve been married for 10 years and have a daughter.
I usually get together with my family on weekends because we are all busy.
Working Experience(有关工作经验方面的问题)
Q: What is important to you in a job?
A: For example, challenge, the feeling of accomplishment, and knowing that you have made a contribution.
Q: Please tell me your present job.
A: I am working in a garment factory. My present job is to inspect the quality of products. comparatively speaking, quality control is rather simple. Although I do my job well, I am looking for a new job which is more challenging.
Q: Your resume says you have had some experience working in a foreign representative office in Shanghai, may I ask why you left?
A: I worked in a foreign representative office for one year. However, I left there two years ago because the work they gave me was rather dull. I found another job which is more interesting.
Q: What kind of jobs have you had?
A: I worked as a business coordinator in a foreign representative office, then I transferred to a joint venture as a sales manager. So I am familiar with the textile market in China.
Q: What qualifications do you have that make you feel you will be successful in your field?
A: First, I think my technical background is helpful. I have enough knowledge to market the products to my customers. Secondly, I have studied for four months in a Marketing Training Program with satisfactory results. Finally, I have mastered the English Language. These qualifications will make me successful in my career.
Q: What have you learned from the jobs you have had?
A: I have learned a lot about business know-how and basic office skills. In addition, I learned at my previous jobs how to cooperate with my colleagues.
Q: What’s you major weak point?
A: I haven't been involved in international business, so I don' t have any experience, but I have studied this course in an International Business Training Center.
或者:
Q: What are you greatest weaknesses?
A: Identify one or two, such as the following:" I tend to drive myself too hard", " I expect others to perform beyond their capacities", " I like to see a job done quickly, and I'm critical if it isn't." Note these weaknesses could also be regarded as desirable qualities. The trick with this question is to describe a weakness so that it could also be considered a virtue.
Q: What are your greatest strengths?
A: I know a lot about how the Chinese economy works, and how business is done here. Secondly, I speak English fluently. I have no difficulty with language. And, I am a hard worker when I have something challenging to do.
Q: Please tell me about your working experience.
A: I have five years experience in the chemical industry since I graduated from
college. First of all I worked as an assistant engineer in the××× Company. Three years later I transferred to ××× Company. Now I am working in the Sale Department of that company.
Q: Where do you want to be five years from now?
A: In five years, I'd like to have my boss's job. (I’d like to be my own boss.)
Q: What is your career objective?
A: I want to apply my experience and education to a position in personnel administration in a Sino-America joint venture.
or:
I want to get a position offering challenge an responsibility in the realm of marketing.
Q: Would you talk about some of your achievements at work?
or
Q: Can you tell me something about your achievements?
A: I have been ×××for ABC Company for ×××years. Sales of the item for which I have been responsible have increased by 14% during the last four years.
其他的一些有关工作方面的问题及答案:
1. What do you do?
2. What kind of work are you doing now?
3. How long did you work there?
4. Where have you worked in the past?
5. What kind of work were you doing at your previous employer’s?
6. What did your work consist of exactly?
7. What work were your responsible for at your previous employer’s?
8. What did you most like (dislike) about your previous job?
9. What were your responsibilities as a ..?
Answers:
I’m a sales manager at ××× company.
I have been …at..
I was in charge of ..
I have been working there for ×××years.
I was responsible for …
Educational Background (关于教育背景方面的问题)
Q: what is your major?
A: My major is Business Administration. I am especially interested in "Marketing".
Q: What are your major and minor subjects?
A: My major subject is Physics and my minor subject is Practical Mathematics.
Q: What subject did you major in at university?
A: I majored in Economics.
Q: Which university did you graduate from?
A: I graduated from ××× University.
Q: When did you graduate from university?
A: I graduated from Shanghai Normal University in 1990.
Q: Have you received any degrees?
A: Yes. First, I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature, and then an MBA degree.
Q: What course did you like best?
A: Project Management. I was very interested in this course when I was a student. And I think it's very useful for my present work.
Q: How did you get on with your studies in college?
A:I did well in college. I was one of the top students in the class.
Q: Do you feel that you have received a good general training?
A; Yes, I have studied in an English training program and a computer training program since I graduated from university. I am currently studying Finance at a training school.
其他一些有关教育背景方面的提问方式及答案:
1. What’s your educational background?
2. What degrees do you have?
3. What about your education?
4. Now tell me something about your professional education?
5. What university did you graduate from?
6. What’s your specialty?
7. What research have you even done?
8. What are your major subject and minor subjects?
9. How many languages can you speak?
10. What foreign languages can you speak?
11. Can you speak, write, and read English fluently?
12. Can you manage English conversations?
13. How is your English proficiency?
Answers:
1. Three years ago I graduated from ×××University. I received a ×××degree there. ××× is my major and English is my foreign language.
2. I have a master of ×××
3. my specialty is ×××
4. I like to deal with…
5. my major is
其他方面的问题:
Q: Why should we accept you?
A: Because firstly I’ve received very good academic training, secondly, I’ve obtained good job skills, and finally I’m very enthusiastic about my MBA study.
Q: What would you do if....?
A: This question is designed to test your response. For example: "What would you do if your computer broke down during an audit?" Your answer there isn't nearly so important as your approach to the problem. And a calm approach is best. Start by saying, "One thing I might do is ..." Then give several alternative choices.
Q: What do you think is more important in getting a job, education background or experience?
A: Most job advertisements say that experience is needed or preferred, that is to say, those with experience are more likely to be hired.
Q: What qualities are needed to get a promotion in a company?
A: If an employee is hard-working and loyal/well-experienced in his job, creative and innovative/quick at decision-making, he is likely to be promoted.
Q: What qualities are the basic requirements for leading positions at all levels in a company?
A: In my view, a business leader should be able to build up appropriate and effective interpersonal relationship with his/her employees and clients.
Q: Why do some honest and loyal employees remain unprompted after many years of hard work?
A: The position of a leader asks for more than honesty, loyalty and industry.
Q: Do you think English is quite important in MBA study?
A: Having an excellent command of English in speaking, reading, listening, and writing is critical to a MBA student as long as he wants to become an internationalized entrepreneur and doesn’t want to miss the huge potential of business opportunities in the cooperation with any company from English-speaking countries.
And since MBA projects have been far more developed in US and European countries than in China, an English proficiency will definitely be of a great help to the understanding and learning of advanced theories and practices in business administration.
Q: Do you know something about the development of China’s MBA projects? Can you give any suggestions on the room for improvement of China’s MBA projects?
A: China began to participate in MBA programs since the early 1980s’ mainly through cooperation with US and European business schools. And from 1990s’, China began to establish the degree of MBA projects.
Suggestions for improvement:
Localization of MBA projects, especially focus on the establishment of our own case bank.
Market-orientation. China is in great need of executives who are technically sound in the fields of IT, finance, and accounting and who have a thorough command of management theories and good communication skills and strategic viewpoints.
More attention should be drawn to the education of CTOs and CFOs besides the traditional education of CEOs.
In China, apart from CTOs, we are in great need for CFOs, those who knows the operation of capital markets as well as the general management knowledge because the biggest challenges for enterprises in China are how to finance a company and how to handle the risky capital markets.
Q: What is CFO and the related responsibilities?
A:
CFO is the abbreviated form of Chief Financial Officer, who is the most important and valuable position of management in modern enterprises besides CEO.
Responsibilities for CFO: handle various financial relations especially relations with the investors (investment financing), with governments (taxation, and bond supervision), and strategic business planning, and human resources management.
A CFO will direct the department of planning, department of finance, department of operational management, department of ERP and department of H.R.
In other words, CFO is responsible for all the departments except departments of production and sales.
We should lay more emphasis on the education and training of CFO.
Relationship between CEO and CFO
CEO is the one who make decisions on the long-term objectives or missions for a company, while CFO is the one who make those ambitions and long-term planning into concrete, operable strategies especially the financial strategies. And not only that, CFO is the person who actually assess the fulfillment of the objectives. So the harmonious cooperation between CEO and CFO in a company is critical.
一些背景资料:
Q: What is the difference between MBA program at home and abroad?
A: China’s MBA projects are lagging behind their counterparts at abroad in the following respects:
Teachers and teaching facilities
At abroad: Doctoral degree is a must for teachers in universities, and for those who teach in business schools. They have to have obtained professional education in business and management, some with educational background in economics and other pertinent sciences. And most of them have direct or indirect experience of business administration and they keep a close contact with enterprises through consulting services or research projects. So they can combine those management theories with enterprise practices which is quite advantageous to the MBA education.
At home: We have teachers without doctoral degrees at our business schools, teachers without professional business or management background, and teachers lacking practical understanding of how an enterprise is actually operated.
Source of students
At abroad: basically, all students applying for MBA education come from enterprises and they intend to continue their career in enterprises when they finished their MBA study. They are people with highest potentials to become excellent businessmen or businesswomen.
At home: we have a more complex source of students. A large part of enrolled students are not from enterprises which means they have no former business experience. Although some are excellent people they simply need longer period to become entrepreneurs. Some choose to enter governments and intuitions after their MBA education which goes against the overall objectives of MBA programs.
System of managing MBA education
At abroad: business schools have self-decision-making for their MBA projects, such as the scale of recruitment, tuitions and way of hiring teachers. The high autonomy enables them to develop fast and obtain special features of their own.
At home: Universities have little independence and it’s even worse when it comes to business schools. All the above-mentioned decisions are made under a planning system which consequently affect the quality of MBA programs.
Teaching methods
At abroad: besides the traditional ways of teaching, that is lecture and case study, there are many kinds of different ways of education for example, field projects, group projects decision by computer simulation, guest speech , project study, consulting reports , role plays, discussions and seminars, action learning, debates, internships, study trips, student presentation, problem solving and experiential exercises.
At home : our teaching methods are rather limited.