HBS phone interview, post call jitters, what do they mean
I enjoy reading your posts. I have a question about a recent HBS interview. The interview took place about two weeks ago – just before the holdays – and was over the phone (the phone had a delay b/c it was via satellite). It was late in Cambridge and early the next morning where I am. The interview lasted just over 30 minutes and was quite intense.
Bottom-line is that the interview felt very rushed. It was difficult to develop a rapport with the interviewer which sort of threw me off base for the first five minutes of it. Because of this, I came away from the call feeling like it was my worst one so far. After reviewing the questions in my mind following the call, I feel like I did better than ok on substance. However, given the rushed feeling of the interview, I did not really have the opportunity to express myself or even fully explain my answers.
So, is this normal? If you were me, what would you be thinking right now?
hmmmmm, I would be feeling mostly OK, as a matter of mind, altho pissed emotionally as you seem to be, but that describes A LOT of post HBS interviews, even face-to-face jobs. The real issues w. HBS interview is,
1. did you DISQUAL yourself by dint of poor English language ability, or MIND FREEZE, or DRIVEL Attack.
THAT IS MOST IMPT, AND HAPPENS ABOUT 15 percent of the time. If that happens, YOU DO NOT GET IN.
2. Did you substantively answer any REAL questions –about goals, or how you did x or y. Not BS questions like “Tell me about dealing w. a conflict?” but real questions, like HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY DO WHAT YOU SAID, GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF SOMEONE WHO HAS DONE THAT?” OR “We get lotsa kids who say they want to go to Africa and start microfinance, why should we believe you?”
A LOT OF TIMES, YOUR APP DOES NOT REALLY HAVE ANY REAL QUESTIONS LIKE THAT–SO YOU CANNOT SCREW IT UP.
3. The Beauty Contest part–where you likeable, humane, “our type” in terms of presenting, self-awareness, etc. and did you not piss us off b.c. of being arrogant, etc.
Sounds like you were OK on critical issues 1 and 2 above. and may have had a less than stellar beauty contest part, altho lots of winning kids feel rushed, so hard to say.
good luck and drop me a line after D-Day. 
