London Business School MIF Interviews
About MIF Interviews:
Academic and professional admissions depend on interviews. It helps evaluate candidates’ credentials, talents, and personality. Interviews allow assessors to interact with applicants and make holistic judgements. This crucial step helps institutions to discover the most promising individuals who can succeed in their programmes.
Typical Interview Method:
Interviews usually include numerous steps to evaluate an applicant’s profile. Based on academic records, essays, and recommendation letters, individuals are shortlisted. Interviews might be face-to-face, telephonic, or video-based for shortlisted candidates.
The interview assesses an applicant’s topic knowledge, problem-solving, communication, critical thinking, and programme fit. They may ask broad and particular questions to gauge the applicant’s intelligence. Interviewers analyse motivation, personality, and fit with the institution’s ideals in addition to academic ability.
Interview panels use established criteria for fairness and uniformity. Academics, extracurriculars, leadership, and problem-solving may be considered. To evaluate a candidate’s capacity to collaborate, think critically, and solve issues under pressure, interviews may include practical exercises, group discussions, or case studies.
In conclusion, admission interviews help schools find extraordinary people with the talents, qualifications, and personality to succeed in their programmes. The systematic process allows evaluators to make educated selections and choose a varied and skilled group.
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LBS MIF Frequently Asked Interview Questions
- Why are you interested in Finance?
- What do you want to do after graduation?
- Tell us about your long-term goals?
- What are derivatives, options, value at risk, proprietary trading?
- How can you use your current background in your future career in finance?
- Why LBS?
- What would you bring to the student body and the program?
LBS MIF Interview Questions – 1
Both technical and behavioral questions. Mainly, we went through my resume. The toughest question was why I was interested in Finance. (My background is high-tech) You need to explain where your interest in finance stems from. It needs to be genuine and real. You need to have a story to tell.
Another important question was what I wanted to do after I graduated. Again, I need a good story to tell. “I want to work in the Finance industry” is not good. “Investment banking” is better, but not specific enough. Research the departments within the type of company you want to work for and have a couple of words to say about the position you want to take. I also explained to him my plan for job search, which would begin even before the program would start. I’m planning to get a summer internship and get a CFA qualification.
What about my long-term plans? I already had an answer in my essay, but I had to defend my position. Your interviewer may try to convince you that you had a boilerplate answer, and the worst thing you can do is accept that.
Some technical questions about finance. What are derivatives, options, value at risk, proprietary trading? Don’t make things up. If you don’t know the answer to a question just admit it, and say you are eager to learn what the answer is. Although you’re not expected to already know everything that would be taught during the program, you need to have some knowledge.
How can I use my current background in my future career in finance? I said I can use my strategy and sales experience if I were to work for a trading group in an I-bank. He said I-Bank trade desks do not do many sales. I told him that as I get higher in the group I believe I would have more sales responsibility to mutual funds etc. He bought into that.
Being in the US, why am I applying to LBS? Did I think about the finance programs in the US? Now be careful. This is a trick question. Here’s why. The finance programs in the US (not talking about finance-oriented MBA programs here) are geared towards churning out quants. For example, Berkeley’s Haas is a great program, but it’s financial engineering. He was basically trying to gauge whether I knew what I wanted. So I gave him the answer he wanted. (I think). I said I was interested in a leadership role in a finance organization, not being a number jock. (Nothing wrong with being a number jock, I just don’t want it). The only program similar to what I wanted was Princeton in the US, but I’d prefer LBS over Princeton due to many reasons.
What would I bring to the student body and the program? Need some creativity here. I think these boring questions are designed to see you’re out of the box thinking. They want to see sparks in your eyes when telling a story. Some originality is needed here. Not sure if I was successful, but I said being a manager in a public company, I know what the shareholder expectations are, and I know how these requirements translate into a daily workload. I also bring significant international experience (I live in the US, but I’m not American), and I’ve had this kind of experience already once. Finally, I’m technically savvy and can help people. He said these were all great reasons, but don’t try to overemphasize technical background much. MiF is more technical than MBA, but you’re not going to be a quant. So don’t brag about your technical qualifications much.
The interview took about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The originally allotted time was 45 minutes, so we went over a little. He answered a lot of my questions. I realized most of my questions had one “official” and one “off-the-record” answer. Off the record, answer was universally more useful.
LBS MIF Interview Questions – 2
I had a Round 1 interview. The alumni’s office served as the venue for my interview. I’ve observed that at LSB interviews, the interviewer and candidate are typically of the same gender.
The interviewer offered me a presentation topic to work on and said that she was more interested in seeing how well I could organize my thoughts than how much I knew about the subject. In addition to the presentation, the following queries were posed:
1. Please review your resume.
2. A few inquiries on my work history and other information I provided in my application
3. Why LBS and why finance?
4. If I am accepted to all the schools I’ve applied to, which one will I choose?
5. What if LBS wants you to reapply the next year if you don’t get in this year?
6. What does leadership mean to you? A leader, are you?
7. How will you support peer education at LBS?
8. Describe your advantages and disadvantages.
The conversation lasted over two hours. It was rather comprehensive.
LBS MIF Interview Questions – 3
My interview took place off-campus and was led by a graduate. I looked professional by donning a suit and tie. The uncomfortable scenario was brought on by the interviewer’s probing questions. More than two hours passed during the experience.
I was questioned about:
1. Describe your career and educational background.
2. Why did you select this position?
Why Finance right now? Do you believe LBS can assist you in attaining your post-MIF objectives?
4. What if you are unemployed after receiving your LBS degree?
5. How will you make sure you land a job once you graduate?
6. Other than imparting knowledge from your professional experience to your peers at LBS, how will you contribute value to them?
There were several follow-up inquiries. My interviewer chose a presentation topic for me that wasn’t on the LBS list.
LBS MIF Interview Questions – 4
A video conference was used to conduct the interview.Here are a few of the inquiries he made:
1. Could you give a brief summary of your professional background and emphasize any positions or assignments that relate to the MIF program?
2. Why did you decide to enroll in a Master of Finance program, and how do you see it assisting you in achieving your professional goals?
3. LBS stresses cooperation and teamwork. Could you give an instance of a difficult team project you participated in and how you significantly impacted its success?
4. What qualities do you believe set successful financial professionals apart from others? How do you demonstrate these traits?
5. LBS takes pride in the diversity of its student body. How have you proactively looked for opportunities to be exposed to various cultures and viewpoints?
6. In light of the shifting financial environment, which technological developments do you anticipate having the most influence on the finance sector? How do you intend to adjust to these changes?
7. How do you intend to use the networks and resources offered by LBS to improve your educational experience and broaden your professional network?
8. Do you have any further information about yourself you’d want the admissions committee to know? Do you have any queries concerning the MIF course of study or the LBS alumni opportunities?
Both of the interviews helped me express my aims and intentions clearly and gave me insightful information about the MIF program. I had a good interview experience overall since the interviewers showed a genuine interest in my past experiences and future goals.
LBS MIF Interview Questions – 5
I just got the chance to speak with an admissions representative for the LBS MIF program. Here are some of the questions that were posed during the online interview:
1. Could you briefly describe your academic history and point out any assignments or courses that helped you get ready for the MIF program?
2. What led you to decide on LBS as your preferred university and why did you decide to pursue a Master’s in Finance?
3. How do you see the MIF program advancing your immediate and long-term professional objectives?
4. Describe a circumstance in which you had to work with people from various cultural backgrounds. How did you overcome the difficulties and come out on top?
5. What do you think will be the biggest difficulties facing those working in the financial business in the upcoming years, given the industry’s quick changeover?
6. How do you keep up with the latest news and financial industry trends? Can you talk about any recent events that attracted your interest?
7. A strong feeling of community is important to LBS. How do you intend to benefit the student body and improve the LBS educational environment as a whole?
8. Do you have any queries for me about the MIF program, the professors, or the accessible career services?
