Struggling with Interviews After MBA: How Can I Improve My Communication Skills?

Hello,

I am a student who has recently completed my MBA in HR and Marketing. I achieved many things during my MBA, such as being the semester topper and winning a National level summer internship competition in Jaipur.

My problem is that I am unable to crack interviews, which is very disappointing for me. I have received feedback from interviewers that my communication skills are not up to par. I seek your assistance in overcoming this issue.

I would greatly appreciate your advice on how to improve. Campus placements for my session are coming to an end, so I am eager to enhance my skills as soon as possible.

Thank you for your time and help.

The problem of poor oral communication that you have mentioned is common all over India. Partially, this is because our education system is exam-oriented. Students are taught to manage a 3-hour paper for each subject. Your institution has never bothered to groom a manager in you. Partially, the problem lies with you as well. Apart from the education system, you did not consider what skills would be tested during the interview.

Nevertheless, you need to look to the future. Overall, your written communication skills are not that bad. I say so considering this forum as the benchmark. This forum has a sufficient number of egregious posts written by freshly-passed MBAs. Considering those posts, you deserve more than passing marks in written communication.

To develop oral communication, start reading English newspapers, especially business dailies. Read aloud so that you can develop a flow. Keep a dictionary beside you while reading and check the meaning of every difficult word that you find. Please note this is the best method of improving your word power. Read editorials and take notes on the structure of the editorials.

Watch Indian English news channels and take notes on how the newscaster pronounces various words or phrases. Take notes on the structure of the news presentation. As of now, I do not recommend BBC or CNN as they would be of a high level for you.

All the best!

Regards, Dinesh Divekar

Practice makes perfect. Keep communication in English. Talk to family and friends confidently in English. Listening to English news, reading newspapers, and magazines will be helpful. Once you are determined, communicating in English will not be too difficult.

Hi Deepa,

Along with implementing the suggestions given by the CiteHR members, you may go through this link to work on your interview skills:

Interview Preparation | Soft Skills and Behavioral Skills Training - Atul Sharma, New Delhi

All the best!

I fully endorse what my friends have said. Apart from improving one's communication skills, there is always a need to practice public speaking. Making brief PowerPoint presentations on various topics of interest like employee engagement, organizational/cultural transformation, etc., and preparing to speak/elaborate on the bullet points helps ensure that your thought process gets translated into an acceptable statement on your favorite subject.

This practice immensely helps you gain an edge over your competitors since you are already the best in your core subject. These things must be included as a part of the curriculum in professional courses, which is not happening right now. I am sure you would benefit by doing so and be able to face your next interview well. Make sure that having eye contact with interviewers is of utmost importance. Wish you all the best.