Express to Impress: How can women interview better?

A quick search on how women today could interview better, landed me on a page teeming with tips on “what to wear for an interview”, “how to choose the right interview outfit”, basically suggestions of the similar order. It made me realize that no matter how much the global business scenario has changed certain stigmas with respect to women in business remain.

As future business leaders, we need to understand that it is way more than just dressing well. A professional demeanor and being presentable while interacting with various companies is indeed imperative but what is most important is how you bring out your story and how you keep the interviewers engaged and interested. I have been interviewing with a few companies throughout January, and have drawn a few insights from my personal experiences which I would love to share with you all:

·         BEFORE THE INTERVIEW:

è Know yourself – One month into interviews, I have realized the importance of all those “Discover” sessions by the GCS. Self-awareness in terms of knowing your strengths and weaknesses is crucial since all your stories are embedded with them. Not only is it an important element that interviewers look for in a candidate but is also a supplement to your confidence.

è Know your interviewer – An interview is nothing but a conversation, and a conversation cannot be memorable unless you connect with your interviewer! From my experience, I have benefited by reading the company’s 10-K before an interview to get a better perspective of the company, and expressing that knowledge and more, with the interviewers during pre-interview dinners. Asking intelligent but interesting questions go a long way!

·         DURING THE INTERVIEW:

è Keep smiling – I have had two stress interviews till now and trust me to have tried my best at holding on to my smile! In such situations, a voice inside you keeps telling you the extent to which you are bombing your interview, but it is best to ignore that voice and steer the interview ahead.

è Keeping track of the conversation – At times women find themselves in situations that play out their gender instead of their skills during an interview. It is on us to not sway from the conversation but continue to emphasize and focus on our skills while relaying how great a fit we are for the particular industry/company.

Urvashi Marda, Class of 2014

·         AFTER THE INTERVIEW:

è Stop mulling over the interview and replaying it in your head – It is important to give yourself a pat on the back for having done well! Send your thank you mails, and go on with planning your next day! Just remember – HARD WORK ALWAYS PAYS! And yes, you can secretly keep your fingers crossed.

Perspectives for a prospective EME student leader…

Truthfully, I feel privileged. I am part of a unique Kelley experience that has proven to be a truly rewarding one and one that continues to bring out the best in me.

"1 country, 3 industries, 9 weeks. Understand how South Africa influences Africa. Realize how you can influence your personal and professional growth”, we envisioned. As of now, we are less than 30 days away before our EME class heads to South Africa and as a leader I get an opportunity to see that vision take life. But let me slow down a bit, because a lot has culminated to this day – too many early mornings, way too many emails, a lot of research, some rejections, few bottles of wine (as part of the reconnaissance process, of course) and numerous laugh-out-loud moments. The time leading up to the beginning of those nine weeks has been a journey of its own and here I want to provide three takeaways from this experience of mine.

You can’t do this alone:

From the moment you submit your trip proposal till the time you go live (and there are various versions of “live” – first day of your EME booth, first day of student interviews, first day of classes, the list goes on….) you will face situations and problems you have never dealt with, things that will overwhelm you. Your team is your one constant. Give them your trust and know that you can trust them. It pays to have a solid team and investing time in creating that solid team. Challenge your team members, hold them accountable but have the utmost respect. One of the most memorable things I will take away from this trip before even having visited South Africa is the learning that happened between me and my team. It was easy for us to get along but we also didn’t get there without open communication (we call it “over-communication”) and mutual understanding.

Oh, the ambiguity:

When I first signed-up for the EME class, to my utter dismay, there was no prescribed reading for “How to prepare a class of MBAs for an emerging markets trip to South Africa while studying the three largest industries”. On paper, I had the “idea” of teaching the class about South Africa and that we were going to focus on three major industries – but what next? What did I do? Asked questions…..a lot of questions. Outside of my team, I sought guidance from the current student leaders, bombarded my classmates who just came back from their ‘Global experiences’ trips with my emails. I reached out to other IU programs that did similar trips, knocked on the doors for professors who might have the slightest idea of this vision we wanted to create. It was truly humbling to see faculty and friends here at IU responding promptly to requests and offering their help, some going more than the extra mile. And, although I didn’t hit gold every time, with every meeting I found something new and like building blocks things started to take shape and we created a classroom experience that we are truly proud of.

Feedback:

My sincere apologies for prescribing one of the most over-used words in the MBA dictionary. Yet it is one of most important tools I know I will take away as I enter the “real world” again in a few months. My work and my skills as a leader would not have been the same had it not been for the honest, constructive feedback I have received. Does that make you weak? I think it makes you wiser. I still remember one of our most productive sessions as a team was a five hour long meeting at the local Uptown Café. We poked large, gaping holes at the curriculum I had spent all summer creating. I should’ve been upset and defensive, but surprisingly I was elated. I finally had a voice other than my own to help guide what was best for the class. Feedback continued as I went through the EME planning process – through leadership exercises, one-on-one meetings with the faculty and staff at Kelley (for this, I’m sincerely grateful). The two things with good feedback are that (1) you have to seek for it and when you have sought it or if you are lucky enough to have received it without asking for it, (2) it is up to you to take action. This is when things get tough – the part when you have to do something. Having been in a position when I have decided to stay passive, I realized that although it was easier and things were simple, conflict-free, it was not sustainable. What truly made me happy was the part of me that wanted to be better, the one that wanted to change. And so I try.

Alumnae Spotlight: Stacy Thompson

Kelley Women: Alumnae Spotlight

 

Name: Stacy Thompson

Hometown: Indianapolis, IN

Undergraduate Institution: Indiana University, Bloomington

Career Prior to Kelley: Dabbled in medical devices

Kelley MBA Graduation Year: 2007

Current Company, job title and location: BIOTRONIK AG (medical devices), Global Marketing Manager, Zurich, Switzerland

          

1    Why did you choose to attend Kelley?

I was fortunate enough to receive a fellowship through the Life Science Initiative at IU and I knew it wasn’t an opportunity that I could afford to pass up!

2    What is your favorite Kelley experience?

That’s really hard for me to say. So, I guess I’d have to say of course the MBA galas, time spent on patios in the spring/fall, every tailgate, road trip to National Association of Women MBAs conference...

3    What is the first thing you would do upon returning to Bloomington?

Well we were just back not that long ago for our 5 year reunion this fall and the first thing I did was head to Crazy Horse to reminisce and catch up. Also, I would definitely plan my next trip around the IU basketball schedule.

4      If you could give one piece of advice to current students, what would it be?

Can I give two? Enjoy every moment here. Two years flies like crazy and I guarantee you will spend some time after graduation wishing you were sitting in the Core again...well maybe not in the Core, but definitely back at school. Second-Have a plan to achieve your goals, but don’t be afraid to veer a little as opportunities come up. The best things that have happened in my career are things that get me closer to my general goals, but have been totally unexpected and unplanned.

5     How do you find balance between work and your home life?

Like a lot of people, my work tends to be pretty cyclical. Sometimes work is crazy and sometimes things will be a little slower. If my team is in a slow period I try to take full advantage (leaving on time, catching up on stuff at home, meeting up with friends after work, relaxing, etc.) completely guilt-free because I know that things won’t stay that way forever.

6     What is the biggest issue facing women in your industry?

To be honest, I’m not sure. Maybe I’m just naive, but I feel like I’m generally on a pretty even-playing field. However, in medical device/healthcare marketing you often end up having to travel quite a bit and for someone balancing family life I can imagine it’s difficult to continue to advance if you try to limit time away from home.

7     How has Kelley prepared you for your career?

I think Kelley prepared me by providing a variety of skills and the confidence to apply them. We got plenty of practice in Excel, networking, presentations, case analysis; and exposure to a number of different industries, models, and companies.  In total I think I better understand how to use these skills and put them to work in a number of different settings. Plus, I feel better prepared to control the direction of my career.

8     Any interesting hobbies or last pieces of advice?

Stay connected to as many classmates as you can-know where to find them via Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ or class lists. Coming from someone who’s been laid off twice, you just never know when you might need some help and who might be in a position to offer it. And make sure that you help other people out in return whenever you can!

How to Keep Fit During the MBA: Elise Leithauser

Staying healthy and fit during an MBA program can be extremely challenging, especially during the Core.  The four pillars of health (all of which tend to gradually go out the window as the semester progresses) are:  food, exercise, sleep and stress management.  Recommendations for how to stay on top of each of these foundations are included below:

FOOD

1. Start your day with a green drink every morning (e.g., Body Ecology Vitality SuperGreen). Your gut regulates 80% of your immune system and is the core of your physical and emotional well-being.
2. Frequent your local juice bar (e.g, Soma, Roots on the Square).  Eating on the run often means not getting enough fruits and vegetables.  Smoothies or freshly juiced fruits and vegetables will give you a nice kick of living enzymes, vitamins and minerals.
3. Avoid soda (even diet!).  Soda has no nutritional value and both regular and diet have been proven to cause weight gain.  Spring water or green tea is a better option.
4. Avoid/limit sugar, wheat and dairy.  These three staples of the American diet are the most addictive foods on the planet.  If you cannot avoid all three, try to at least avoid sugar, esp. refined.  Many times there will simply be no other option than leftover pizza in a cohort room.  Though it’s inevitable now and then, try to minimize these types of meals.  If you don’t have time to cook, good options are “naked” burritos from Laughing Planet, Thai rice bowls from Roots on the Square, Tempeh hash from Feast, or fish and vegetables from Upland or Finch’s.
5. Bring healthy snacks to school.  Good options are nuts and dried fruit, apple slices with almond butter, or carrots and hummus.
6. If you’re trying to lose weight, a calorie counter like the “Lose It!” mobile app can really help.  Set realistic goals and stick to them.

EXERCISE

1. Do what you love!  Whether running, cycling, dancing, boot-camp  kickboxing, swimming, rock climbing, etc., be sure to choose workouts that will capture and hold your interest.
2. Mix it up.  Be sure to include resistance work (e.g., weight lifting, sculpt classes, Pilates, planks), cardio (e.g., running, spinning, elliptical), explosive movements (e.g., jumps, sprints, punches) and stretching (e.g., yoga, warm-ups/cool-downs) in your weekly routine.
3. Schedule a few exercise options on your Outlook calendar seven days a week, knowing that the chances of that actually happening are slim to none.  Due to the ever-changing busy schedules of an MBA, you will often need to accommodate emergency team meetings, last minute events, etc.  When your favorite activity doesn’t work out, you’ll have a few other options to take its place.  Try to move your body as often as you can for at least 30 minutes a day.
4. If you can’t muster up the motivation to train on your own, consider joining CrossFit Bloomington, which provides short, intense daily workouts via on-site fitness coaches.

SLEEP

• Get enough sleep.  Try for at least five hours but preferably 7-8.  Lack of sleep has been proven to lead to weight gain.  Catch up on the weekends and/or take naps if you are going into a sleep deficit.  An added benefit is that when you are rested, your mind is better able to process and retain the stacks of information you’re receiving every day.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

• Take at least five minutes a day to connect with your spiritual self.  Whether meditating, practicing gratitude, journal writing, reading scripture or poetry, or simply taking a deep breath and looking at the sky, keeping things in perspective and seeing the bigger picture will lower your stress levels.  Stress creates cortisol in the body, which leads to weight gain and lowered immunity.

Finally, be kind to yourself.  You’re juggling not only academics but also an astounding load of extracurricular activities, job searching, MBA social activities and outside relationships with family and friends.  Sometimes one or more of these areas will overshadow the others, so just keep on track by balancing them as best you can.  Keeping your physical and mental self strong and healthy through the rigors of the MBA program will go a long way towards setting you up for success in every other area of your life.