InterviewBay: A brief background about yourself.

I am a Senior Case Team Leader with the Monitor Group in New York City. I oversee multiple case teams as engagement manager – creating the workplan for each case, generating recommendations, reporting directly to Partners, and selecting each case team. I manage on average eight consultants at a time and have extensive executive-level client interaction.

Previously I was an Investment Banking Analyst with Credit Suisse in Los Angeles. I have my MBA from Kellogg, which I graduated from with the Dean’s Award for the Top Academic Achievement, ranking first out of the 650 graduating students. I also have my Honors of Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business, which I graduated from as an Ivey Scholar. In my past I have also worked for a Canadian Cabinet Minister and the current Premier of Ontario.

InterviewBay: How has been your experience at Kellogg? Has Kellogg met all your career and personal aspirations? What do you like the most at Kellogg?

I very much enjoyed my Kellogg experience. I was seeking to gain exposure to extremely knowledgeable professors and students and I achieved just that. In my section of 78 students, 13 came from BCG, 6 from McKinsey, and many others from the top investment banks, consulting firms, Fortune 100’s and private equity firms. Kellogg’s team orientation enabled me to meaningfully learn from my exposures to these individuals. My professors were exceptional. I took a class with the former CEO and Chairman of Baxter (now Executive Partner at Madison Dearborn), another with a Senior Partner at McKinsey, two classes with the past Head of Equity Derivatives at Goldman Sachs and the past head of mid-west Investment Banking for JP Morgan. Another class was with the head of a private equity fund. Learning and getting close with these professors was a once in a lifetime learning opportunity. The guest speakers in my classes (some speaking in front of just 20 of us) were incredible. The included the CEO of Abbott, past co-CEO of Kraft, CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks, a Texas Pacific Group Partner, CEO of DaVita, Eddie George (past NFL star), and the Vice Chairman of Morgan Stanley Investment Banking.

InterviewBay: What is the importance of interviews in the overall selection process at Kellogg? Is it a make or break after the interview? Or, does it form a parameter in the applicant's candidature? 

There are a few overarching goals in the Kellogg interview process: 

• Do I want this person on my team?Kellogg is an extremely teamwork oriented school, far more than any other top business school.Almost every class has a material graded component that is based on a team generated component (i.e. presentation, paper, etc.).Accordingly, the interviewer wants to determine if the candidate demonstrates the requisite skill set and personality that will be conducive to providing a positive teamwork environment.Illustrating either a deep bench of knowledge in certain domains or a broad understanding of business concepts (either through previous academic or professional experience) is advisable.If the conversation with the interviewer is fluid/easy, that will be a good gauge as to whether the personality consideration is achieved.Can you hold their interest?Can you discuss numerous areas of interest and knowledge, so they perceive you as rounded and interesting?If you can pass all the above considerations you will easily satisfy this foremost question of the interview of if they would want you on their team.

• Is the candidate passionate about his/her career aspirations?The interviewer is not concerned with what career you hope to pursue.Instead he/she is interested in why you want to pursue it, what you will bring to that industry and how you see your career evolving.Solid answers and indications to these points will enable the interviewer to report back to Kellogg that the interviewee appears well-able to secure employment in their industry of choice and that they will ultimately become respected, valuable members of the alumni community.

• Does the candidate have a clear understanding of why and how Kellogg will enable them to achieve their career and life objectives?To be clear, limiting your Kellogg learning aspirations to just your career is not advisable.Illustrating how you hope it to improve other areas of you life as well is valuable (i.e. non-profit interests, hobbies, social considerations, etc.).In addition, have a very clear set of examples of what you hope to learn at Kellogg and how what you learn will improve your career success and/or enable you to enter your career of choice. 

InterviewBay: What should a candidate emphasize during the interiew?

Things to Do and Communicate in the Interview: 

• Have one of your reasons for wanting to come to Kellogg involve your aspiration to learn from your fellow classmates, and how you expect to be able to do this better at Kellogg than any other school due to its emphasis on team work.

• Discuss the classes, professors and clubs you hope to be involved with and exposed to and give reasons for why.

• Experiential learning (i.e. the venture and buyout lab classes where student intern for credit at venture capital and private equity firms) is a major initiative at Kellogg.Note there are experiential lab classes in many other industries (review class listing on Kellogg website).If you have interest in this, and believe the experience will help you get into and prepare for your career of choice, explain this to the interviewer.

• Make an effort to create links to Kellogg.This can be achieved by a visit to campus, speaking with alumni/current students/professors or having deep reasons why Kellogg uniquely appeals to you.This will show the interviewer your genuine enthusiasm for the school.

InterviewBay: What are the things that a candidate should NOT do in the interview?

Things Not to Do and Communicate in the Interview: 

• Come off as arrogant.The tremendous team orientation at Kellogg does not allow for a bunch of “nose in the air” students.Be confident, yet humble.Extreme arrogance is the kiss of death in a Kellogg interview.

• Be underprepared.Have prepared stories across many domains (i.e. different jobs, academic, extracurricular, etc.) so that you come off rounded and interesting.Candidates who demonstrate overly limited experience and knowledge bases will be negatively viewed.

• Be pushy.If you have well-prepared for the interview there will be many points you want to get in.Let this happen naturally over the course of the interview.If you keep finding inappropriate/pushy ways to incorporate your stories and experiences, the interview will appear forced, maybe even desperate where the interviewer could feel that you have very few strong stories as you are desperately trying to find a way to get in those few good ones you have.Remember, the interviewer needs to fell like you are someone they want on their team, so do not monopolize the conversation and its agenda.If you have your best stories prepared you will have thought of different ways to weave each into the interview.That way they will find their way in and it will not feel haphazard.

InterviewBay: How should a potential candidate prepare for the Kellogg interviews? 

• Visit Kellogg’s website and become deeply familiar with what is happening at the school.Learn about which clubs you want to participate in (both for learning and social reasons).

• Speak with many current students, alumni and professors about the school.This will increase your familiarity with it and get you more excited to attend.

• Study the class list.Determine the classes you want to take, the majors you want to earn, and be able to communicate this if asked in the interview.If done well, these stories can be good fodder for the discussion of why you want to attend Kellogg.

• If possible visit campus.Evanston is a unique city, as is Jacobs (the building Kellogg classes take place in).Going will show your interviewer your commitment to wanting to come to Kellogg.It will also enable you to audit a class (or many classes).This experience will be very valuable to your communicating how the unique classes at Kellogg intrigue you.

InterviewBay: What dresscode would you suggest for the Kellogg interview (Men & Women)?

If the interview is taking place on campus or if it is off campus in the office of a professional then dress should be business formal (suit and tie for males).If the interview is in a coffee shop (mine was in Starbucks) then business casual is appropriate.I wore a dress shirt, slacks, dress shoes and a jacket, but no tie to Starbucks.I only put on the tie because my interviewer worked at a private equity firm and I knew he was coming from work so I did not want to be much underdressed relative.I think I could have gone without the jacket and been just fine also.Under no circumstances should you arrive in jeans or running shoes.

InterviewBay: Any suggestions on the steps after the interview?

After the interview the entire process is out of your hands.Communicating with the admissions committee will likely be viewed as unnecessary and potentially desperate.All you should do is send a thank you note to your interviewer (I certainly did this), thanking him/her for their time and restating your sincere interest in Kellogg.

InterviewBay: Would mock interviews help the potential candidates in their interview preparation?

Certainly the more preparation the better.You do not want your answers to come off as canned, nor should they be inaccurate or not interesting/impressive.A mock interview will enable you to “vet” your interview capabilities with someone who is highly informed and well-able to assess you similar to your actual interviewer. 

InterviewBay: What are the three tricky questions that a candidate can face in the Kellogg interviews?

Tricky Questions you May be Asked 

• Tell me about a time that you struggled with team members.What was the situation?How did you approach it? What was the result?

• What in you job experience do you think will provide your most valuable contribution to your Kellogg classmates?

• Why are you so passionate about the career you hope to pursue after Kellogg?

 Best of luck!