UPDATE: This article was originally posted on March 16, 2020. It has been updated with 2023/24 information and tips below.
Located in one of the world’s hubs for luxury goods, HEC Paris, with two intakes each year, is one of the most sought-after MBA programs for international applicants – especially after securing a #11 spot in the Financial Times’ 2022 Global MBA ranking.
However, with options to add a finance certificate or do a double degree MBA with any of a number of global partner schools competition to join HEC’s elite MBA is more difficult than ever.
That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your HEC Paris interview to stand out. We’ve rounded up not only our best tips but have also included sample interview mocks to ensure you give your HEC interview your best shot.
How the HEC interview works
Making sure you shine during your HEC interview is no easy task.
HEC interviews are slightly unusual as, in addition to the usual questions probing your career development, goals, reasons for doing an MBA, and interest in the HEC program, the interview also includes a presentation question.
For the presentation question, students are expected to prepare a 10-minute PowerPoint on the topic of their choosing. During the interview, the alumni interviewer can ask the applicant to give their presentation at any time. There are generally few, if any, follow-up questions.
Our clients who have interviewed with HEC in the past say that the interviewer was very friendly and demonstrated a genuine interest in their answers. Though questions do tend to focus on standard MBA interview questions, be ready for anything.
Who will interview you?
You will interview with two members of HEC’s alumni community, each in a separate interview.
If you and your interviewer opt to conduct these interviews online, this will not negatively impact your application in any way.
Will the interviewer have read my application?
The HEC Paris interview is blind, meaning the interviewer will only have access to your CV. This means that you can repeat examples from your essays if you choose to.
How long will the HEC interview last?
45-60 minutes.
Who is HEC looking for?
(Photo courtesy of @HECParisMBA on Instagram)
“Our MBA students are not only team players. They are individuals who can inspire their colleagues to do their best work. They are ambitious and motivated individuals who want to make a positive and lasting contribution to any organization they serve.” HEC Admissions
Every year, HEC Paris searches the globe for outstanding professionals given the honor of joining each class (HEC has two intakes per year), each of around 350 students. With a strong emphasis on diversity, there is no “typical” HEC student, yet the average admitted student for the Class of 2023 (the last year for which official data is available) had a 690 average GMAT score and 6 years of work experience.
Beyond the impressive statistics, though, HEC is looking for candidates who want to make a positive impact on the world through their careers. That’s why, in addition to strong academic performance (demonstrated through the GMAT and university grades), HEC seeks candidates who possess the following qualities:
Leadership Potential
You should be able to share instances where you have excelled as a leader in your personal or professional life.
International Exposure
Our HEC Paris MBA students are globally-minded. You must be a well-rounded individual, able to adapt to different cultures from all over the world and collaborate with people of different backgrounds. You must have a good understanding of cultural differences, as well as be ready to share your knowledge and experience with others.
Interpersonal Skills and Personality
We value passion, humility, individuality and respect for others. You must be able to lead as well as collaborate within a team.
How can you prepare for your HEC Paris interview?
Though no interview is 100% predictable, HEC interviews do tend to center around a fairly standard list of MBA interview questions. As such, we have prepared some model questions below that previous candidates have received in their past HEC interviews.
SAMPLE HEC INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
The questions below are drawn from our clients’ interview reports, as well as from sites like clearadmit.com. Though these are not all the potential questions you could possibly receive during your HEC interview, preparing for these (and any follow-up questions you think you might be asked) should give you a very solid foundation for your interview.
STARTING UP QUESTIONS
- Tell me about yourself. (Expect follow-up questions)
- What do you do in your current job?
- What was your undergraduate experience like?
- What do you like to do in your free time?
- What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
- Name three firms you would like to work at after your MBA.
- Why did you quit your previous job?
- Why do you want an MBA?
- Why now?
- Why HEC?
- What will you contribute to HEC?
- What other schools have you applied to? If you get into all of them, how will you choose where to go?
- Have you visited campus? Spoken with alumni?
- Do you plan to stay in Europe after graduation?
LEADERSHIP & TEAMWORK
- Tell me about a time when you didn’t get along with your team. What did you do?
- Tell me about one instance when you disagreed with your boss and how you handled the situation
- What is your leadership style?
MISCELLANEOUS BEHAVIORAL
- Tell me an example of when things didn’t work out as you planned.
- Tell me about a time when you were pushed to your limits at work.
- How would your friends describe you?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- What/who has been the greatest influence on your career thus far?
- Which accomplishment are you proudest of?
PRESENTATION QUESTION
- Why did you choose this topic?
- Why are you passionate about X topic?
CLOSING
- Is there anything else you would like us to know about you?
- Is there anything you wish I had asked you?
- Questions for me?
We have found that answering real interview questions on the spot is a much better means of preparation than reading lists of interview questions for most candidates.
We highly suggest you take a look at mock interview questions and sample interview responses before your interview.
Our MBA Resource Center has dozens of real interview mocks from HEC Paris, as well as detailed guides to help you prepare for questions ranging from “Why our MBA program?” to “Tell us about a time you failed.”
The Ellin Lolis Consulting MBA Resource Center is your one-stop shop for interview success. Click to join!
If you’re still not quite confident with your interview skills, our interview experts can help you craft your answers or prepare you for the HEC Paris interview through mock interviews tailored to your profile.
What to do if you get a question you haven’t prepared an answer for
Despite your most diligent preparation, you will almost always receive a question you had not prepared.
First, stay calm and take a deep breath. You have already made it this far in the process, and one question will not trip you up!
Second, make sure you directly answer the question the interviewer asked you. For example, if the interviewer asks you about a time you had to deal with a difficult manager, make sure to tell a story about a difficult manager and how you handled the situation.
If you’re having trouble thinking of an answer or an example to support your answer, however, take a drink of water to give yourself a few more minutes to think. If you really can’t think of an example from your personal or professional experience, you can use a hypothetical answer about how you would act in a certain situation.
Finally, assume that the interviewer is testing how you think on your feet and respond to questions you didn’t prepare in advance. Though your answer might not be as polished as if you’d had weeks to rehearse it, smile and confidently respond to show you can handle any question they throw at you.
Practice makes perfect!
You have stressed about every aspect of your MBA application, and now you are ready for your interview! With the right preparation, this can be your chance to shine and get a highly-coveted spot at an elite business school.
However, maybe you don’t know where to start in preparing, or maybe you tend to ramble on and lose focus during interviews. Maybe you’ve even downloaded sample questions and written out your answers. The problem is, when you try to apply these templates to your own story, it doesn’t quite work.
Our interview prep focuses on helping you determine how to present yourself during your MBA interview while using appropriate, impact-driven language without being artificial, or worse, robotic.
That’s the approach we took with our client Lorena, who was admitted to HEC Paris. In her words:
“When I started the process I knew very little about it. Ellin guided me throughout the entire process. Preparing for interviews can be overwhelming, since you must dig deep into your professional and personal life, and she pushed me to show the best I could offer, while also being available, kind, and patient to help me or to clear up any doubt I had. Even when I second-guessed myself, she was there to support me. I‘ll be forever thankful for her and her team’s support in achieving my dream of an MBA. I surely couldn’t have chosen better. It was a pleasure to work with you!”
Our individual approach is why 98.9% of our clients secure admissions to at least one of their target schools.
Want to put the Ellin Lolis advantage to work for you? Schedule your preparation session with our team of interview experts today
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
