Blog post by: Jessica Olszyk

Interview season is here for Booth, and for some prospective students, this is their first time interviewing in quite a while. Or, some have forged less-than-traditional paths to get to business school. It’s difficult not to speak in platitudes when talking about interviews, “be yourself” is true, and yet saying it to someone asking for interview help feels extremely inadequate. 

Below are some tips from three first year background diverse Boothies who have some clear interview specifics for your background. 

Coming from the military? Caleb was a Navy SEAL for seven years and details his advice:

“Don’t sell your experiences short. You may not have the business foundations that someone from a typical corporate role has, but what you lack there you make up for in leadership, collaboration, and problem solving. Things that felt routine to us, like briefing leadership on short notice, running 24-hour operations, or being responsible for a team’s safety, sound really impressive to people who haven’t had those opportunities. Be proud of what you’ve done and share it with confidence.

Just make sure you’re telling that story in a way your interviewer can follow. Leave out the military jargon. I don’t know half the acronyms people use, and someone who has never served won’t understand any of it. Translate your experience into plain language so the impact comes through.”– Caleb Tuff ‘28

Coming from a “traditional” background? Saanya was a Bain consultant before coming to Booth:

“Overall, I used my interview to showcase my personality and how I would contribute to the Booth class and beyond. For questions about why I wanted to come to Booth and my overarching career goals, my story was well aligned with my essays and built upon my professional consulting experience and personal stories. You can really customize your experience at Booth, and I showcased that I did my research and highlighted aspects I wanted to explore (e.g., clubs, classes, research). Lastly, interviews are often with current students, so I approached it as a genuine way to meet a Boothie and share my story. “ -Saanya Bhargava ‘28

Coming from a “non-traditional” background? Nicholas did cancer research at The Dana-Farber Institute: 

“I would say for me the most important thing I emphasized during my interview was my narrative and how my background helped me find my passion. I knew I loved the sector/industry I was in but also knew I wanted to have an impact from a different side. So in my interview I made sure to bridge the gap between my previous experience and my next career goals. For me, I specifically wanted to switch to finance in the healthcare sector and leverage my biology degree and lab experience in a cancer hospital through an investment role. I’d say I also made sure to highlight how Booth specifically could bridge the gap for me and provide the platform to transition into a completely new role.” – Nicholas Parcharidis ‘28