Preparing for HR Interviews: How to Tackle Common Behavioral Questions?

diplu
Hi,

I am an MBA student and will be appearing for interviews for my placements this month. I want to know the answers for certain behavioral questions like:
- Why did you choose HR?
- Why switch from B.A. (Bachelor's in Arts) to MBA?
- Why this organization?

Can someone help me with some general tips on how to answer these questions?
ra.services
Dear Diplu,

Greetings! I fail to understand how someone can answer the question of why you chose HR over other MBA disciplines.

Please understand that an interview is a tool to market yourself as an ideal candidate for the position, not someone else. So, you need to introspect why you chose HR over marketing or finance.

If the answer to the question of why MBA after BA comes up, you need to be honest. We, as interviewers, understand that it is basically done because a BA college doesn't have placements, but an MBA college does offer placements.

I ask you to be honest but at the same time tactful. An MBA gives you the edge because it inculcates in you a sense of management. It provides you with the correct tools to analyze. Nothing that is taught in an MBA is taken from the outside and stuffed into you. These attributes are already within you; an MBA just hones your skills and helps you prioritize.

So, when this question comes up, phrase your answer in a manner that suits the needs of the interviewer. For example, if a company is looking for people with excellent analytical skills, you can phrase your answer as lacking this before an MBA but being able to analyze and understand problems better now.

Or if the company is looking for a person for a marketing role, say that you have marketed the annual college fest and the response to your marketing skills resulted in a ____% increase in sponsorships by corporates. But please understand, whatever you say should be true and not fiction because they are experienced enough, and it may be difficult to bluff.

So, be honest, be yourself, and you shall succeed.

Regards,
Abhishek Bhatara
R&A Services
Pune
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