The stakes are high, you’ve come so far, so getting this final communication right is essential.

As former admissions directors and business school professionals from the world’s top business schools, my Fortuna colleagues and I have prepared thousands of candidates for interviews with top MBA schools. In fact, that’s one of many services we offer in our MBA Start-to-Finish Packages in addition to the Traditional Interview Prep we offer a la carte.

Interview prep is ideal for you if:

You get tongue tied every time you practice with a friend or on your own.

Preparing for interviews can be scary. Fortuna coaches know that and know how to help candidates prepare to be the best version of themselves in any interview.

You want to do a mock interview with someone who really knows what the schools are looking for and who will provide you with critical feedback on how to quickly improve.

Your best friend, colleague, or parent certainly mean well but their knowledge of the business school landscape is limited.

You need to perfect your brief 2-minute elevator pitch in response to the question “can you walk me through your resume” or “tell me about yourself”.

This is where you first impressions are made and if done correctly you will provide your interviewer with material to ask you more specific questions. Getting this wrong is a recipe for interview disaster. Are you saying too much or too little? Are your key messages strong and clear? These are just some of the areas you will cover in Fortuna’s MBA Interview prep.

You need help with some of the trickier questions, such as “tell me about a time you dealt with conflict at work” or “what are some of your weaknesses”?

Candidates often trip up by trying to avoid the tough questions or trying to perform the imagined role of perfect candidate. Showing humility, as well as self- and situational awareness is critical.

Brief you on what to expect through a detailed MBA interview strategy session.

Your Fortuna coach will walk you through what to expect in your interview and what are the key elements you need to prepare.

Perhaps there’s a gap in your resume that needs explaining. Should you mention it in your elevator pitch or later and what’s the best way to position it? Or perhaps your GPA wasn’t as strong as it should have been and you’re not sure how to respond to a question on that. These are just some examples of the types of exchanges you may have with your coach regarding strategy.

Conduct your mock interview via Skype or Zoom, providing real-time feedback and coaching to enhance performance

 Nothing beats practice with a coach. Your Fortuna coach will ask you the same questions your interviewers will and then stop, give feedback, and start again. Candidates make incredible progress in our mock interview sessions. Their elevator pitch is tightened and more interesting. They are much clearer in their messaging on why an MBA with X school and why now. Our candidates improve dramatically, and not just their messages, but their communication style, too.

Ensure you’re interview ready – not over-rehearsed, but someone who can speak with confidence, reflect on past experiences and clearly convey your personal strengths and future potential.

While it may seem counter-intuitive, the best prepared candidates are the ones that are the most natural in their interviews. Our coaches provide candidates with important tips on how to stay calm and how to break the ice and establish a positive connection with their interviewer. They provide nuanced input on communications style and body language. We ensure that our candidates have prepared pertinent questions for their interviewer.

In our experience, the thorough preparation done with the guidance of an expert and caring coach, is a major confidence booster. And feeling confident is invaluable for acing an MBA interview!