From Economics to MBA: A Glimpse into the FORE Interview Experience
Candidate Profile
- Background: B.A. (Hons.) in Economics
- Work Experience: 11 months
- Interview Panel: 3 panelists
- Duration: Approximately 7-8 minutes
Interview Questions & Candidate’s Approach
Work Experience & Business Acumen
🔵 Panelist 1 (P1): Explain your job role and the tools you use.
📌 Tip: Structure your response by breaking it into responsibilities, key contributions, and the tools/software you use. Mention any analytics or financial tools relevant to your domain.
🔵 Panelist 1 (P1): Name two recent scams or business news events.
📌 Tip: Stay updated with recent financial and corporate fraud cases. Briefly explain what happened, its impact on the economy, and any regulatory actions taken.
🔵 Panelist 1 (P1): Name three female entrepreneurs or businesswomen.
📌 Tip: Mention prominent women leaders like Indra Nooyi, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, or Falguni Nayar. Highlight their contributions in a few words.
🔵 Panelist 1 (P1): What is the difference between consulting and investment banking?
📌 Tip: Consulting focuses on advising businesses on strategy, operations, and problem-solving, while investment banking deals with raising capital, mergers, and acquisitions. Use examples to clarify.
Leadership & Behavioral Questions
🔵 Panelist 2 (P2): Explain a situation where you had a disagreement with your superiors.
📌 Tip: Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) approach. Focus on how you handled the disagreement professionally and what you learned.
🔵 Panelist 2 (P2): If you are a team lead, how will you handle knowledge gaps in your team?
📌 Tip: Talk about mentorship, training programs, and encouraging peer learning to bridge knowledge gaps.
Persuasion & Goal Clarity
🔵 Panelist 3 (P3): Suppose I am the last company that has come to campus, and you are still not hired. The pay is low. Convince me to hire you.
📌 Tip: Demonstrate adaptability and eagerness to contribute. Emphasize your learning ability and long-term potential over immediate salary concerns.
🔵 Panelist 3 (P3): What role are you looking for?
📌 Tip: Be specific about your career interests (e.g., business analysis, consulting, finance) and how an MBA will help you achieve them.
Extempore Round
🔵 Topic: The growth of fitness apps
📌 Tip: Discuss the rise of digital health solutions, increasing fitness consciousness, and the role of AI in personalized training. Mention examples like MyFitnessPal, Cult.fit, or Fitbit.
Key Takeaways for Aspirants
- ✅ Keep your answers structured and to the point—time is limited.
- ✅ Stay updated on business news, economic policies, and industry trends.
- ✅ Use real-life examples while answering behavioral questions.
- ✅ Persuasion-based questions test your confidence and reasoning—sell yourself convincingly.
- ✅ Practice extempore speaking on trending topics to improve articulation.
📢 Disclaimer: The above interview experience is based on real candidate interactions. To ensure privacy, some details have been altered. However, the core questions and insights remain authentic. This post is for educational purposes and does not represent the official views of any institution. Any resemblance to actual individuals is purely coincidental.