Secret War Journal[14 April 2012]
Wohoo! I just had my interview at Singapore Management University (SMU) for the School of Information Systems! As I am now spending most of time in army, I only had weekends to go for interviews.
For SMU, they contact shortlisted applicants via mobile. That is in theory great since the applicant is contacted quickly and it is highly efficient. Unfortunately for me, I am in army. Thus, I was only able to contact them a few working days later as most of the time, I only could use mobile phones at night, which is way past office hours.
Against all odds, I managed to get a slot today, 3pm for the interview. To be honest, I do not know what to expect, there was surprisingly few materials to research on via the Internet on how to prepare for this particular interview. Nevertheless, I was able to get some glimpse how the interview would be conducted but no confirmation.
As a result, I felt as though I just went for an interview blind. So much for going into interviews prepared, hahas!
Phase 1: Pre-Interview
Part 0: Waiting Room
We were brought to the lift lobby which also served as a waiting room of sorts. Here, there are posters pasted on the walls of the nearby offices. The directions given were to read the posters. The posters generally provide information which you can also find on the University's website but I guess it would be very useful for applicants who did not have the time to read up either because they are really busy in army or work. However, one should note that not all the information from the website were reflected on the posters. So I would recommend that applicants should 'do their homework' before the interview.
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Part 1: Your Personality
After all the interviewees for this sessions has gathered (For my session, we have 6 people), we were brought to a classroom.
First, we were tasked to complete a short personality test/survey for the interviewers to have a roughly idea on your character.
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Part 2: Critical Information
Next, we were asked to write a mini-essay of sorts about ourselves. My advice would be to perhaps write fast because I actually ran out of time to write finish the questions on that piece of paper. Hahas!
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Part 3: Case Study Question
This question is, in my opinion, really relevant to the course so while it was the prelude to one of the most challenging component of the interview, it was really an eye-opener for me. You should have around 10-15 minutes and you are given a piece of A4 paper to write down your solutions.
I do not think you can prepare for this interview beforehand. Fret not, there would be help and sample questions and solutions to give you a better insight on how to approach the question. ;)
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Part 4: Verification
Probably the easiest part of the interview. Here, you would pass your supporting documents, both the real and the photocopied for verification. After a short period of time, they would return you the copies for your keeping. This should be conducted during Part 1-3 concurrently.
Phase 2: The Interview
Now for the actual interview. We are moved into another room where the interviewers await us.
Part 5: Presentation of Case Study Question
In this component of the interview, you are tasked to present your solutions for the case study question you did to the whole group and the interviewers, detailing your thought process.
During the presentation, you should expect questions to be asked from the interviewers for them to understand your solutions better. Thus, just stay calm and present your solutions! :)
I believe this is what most people would say the most challenging component of the interview, expect insightful and difficult questions to be asked. ;)
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Part 6: Estimation Question + Presentation
This is more of a logic question. Try to make sound assumptions. If you would really like to prepare for this component, you could try to know as much general knowledge as possible. In addition, it may be also a good idea to know more about SMU and general knowledge on SMU. You should have around 4 minutes to attempt the question.
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Part 7: Q & A
Shoot away your queries regarding the course you are gunning for! Word of caution though, please do not ask questions which could be answered on their website. ;)
Estimated duration: 2.5 to 3 hours
Bottom-line: Be at ease! Be comfortable with presenting to groups of people and be confident. Try not to flinch when difficult questions are asked. Take a moment and answer the question to the best of your ability. :)
Great news! I am offered a place on SMU School of Information Systems (SIS) since the interview! Guess, I did pretty decent. O.o
Sadly, I was not granted the double degree programme by SMU. Pity.
"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don't." - Anatole France
