How to Justify Gap Year for MBA Interview?

It is completely possible to get an IIM with a 4 year gap on your resume. It is also possible to clear the MBA interview process with a gap year if you have solid justifications. While it is important to have a good reason such as preparation for the entrance test, volunteer work, online courses, etc to justify your gap year during the MBA interview process. 

A gap year for an MBA interview is between 1 to 3 years or even higher. It is crucial to have done something productive during the gap years. The best policy to clear the interview questions for your MBA course which are regarding a gap of 1 or more years is to be honest about the situation. 

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What is a Gap Year for MBA Interview

Between completing your undergraduate or graduate studies and applying for the MBA course, students may have a gap in their timeline. This gap may be measured in a few months to years. Those with a small gap of 2 months to 6 months may honestly provide the reason for their gap such as exam preparation, family affairs, etc. 

Students with a larger gap of 1+ years must be thoroughly prepared to answer the question on why they have a gap between their UG or PG studies and MBA decision. It is important to know how to answer such questions which are targeted towards assessment of your self awareness and maturity levels.

Breaking Down the Concept of a Gap Year for MBA Interview
Aspects	Detailed Explanation
Meaning	A period of months to years between last graduation until the MBA admission.
Relevancy	Important to answer during the interview stage, the bigger the gap, the better must be the reason for the gap.
Key Questions	What skills did you gain during your gap year(s)? Did you gain any valuable skills related to your goals during your gap year(s)? Why was this period important in your MBA journey? Did this gap year ready you for the future?
Other Questions	What did you do during this gap period? What was your goal during the gap period? How did this period help you prepare for MBA? How does this gap in your journey connect to your future career?
Why did you take a gap year?	You must know your ‘why’ which includes the reason behind your gap year period. You must be able to explain all the activities you performed during this gap year to the interviewer.
Skills to Show	Productivity, learning and growth during the gap year and its relevancy to the future goals including an MBA education.

Master the Gap Year Questions for MBA Interview

To master the gap year questions for MBA interviews, be prepared and honest. Do not jump from 1 idea to another. Instead, focus on the core of your context. Know what you are going to talk about and practice speaking out loud for at least 20 times before the interview. Follow a clear pattern, have solid reasons and show the result from the gap year in your answer.

• Follow the ‘CARL’ method, know your ‘Context’, ‘Action’, ‘Result’ and ‘Learning’.
• You must be able to answer the question honestly without manipulating reality or playing with the facts. Be upfront and real about the gap year,
• Avoid making generic excuses as these are easily recognizable and negatively affect your personality.
• Talk about the growth aspects of your journey, not the downside.
• Use a framework to answer the question, first mention why or the reasoning, then mention the actions you took and follow it up by results and learning.

How to Explain a Gap in Your Resume for MBA Interview

It is important to properly explain a gap in your resume for an MBA interview. You must learn to be honest about the reasons for which you needed the gap period. The actions or activities during this period must be explained clearly without fact manipulation. Honesty is the best policy. Keep your answer short and to the point. Do not beat around the bush.

For example, I have a gap of 1 year on my resume because during that time I had to prepare for the CAT and I was also taking English language classes to improve my language skills. I was aiming for a 95+ percentile in the CAT exam and wanted to improve my speaking skills so I can do well in the MBA course. 

How to Answer a Gap Question With Proper Explanation for an MBA Interview
Important Tips	Detailed Reasoning
Honesty	Your answer must be honest and clear.
Briefly Straightword	Do not get consumed in your emotions or add extra details in the interview.
Highlight Skills	Highlight your skills which you were able to develop during this period.
Time Productivity	Your answer must reflect how you used the time productively rather than wasting it for futile actions.
Growth Aspect	Connect all the actions taken during this period to a growth perspective with learning goals.

How to Justify a 3 Year Gap in an IIM Interview

You must be able to justify a 3 year gap in an IIM interview with an honest, well structured, clear and direct answer. It must show how this period helped you grow professionally and what all skills you acquired during this time. You must remain open to further questions and talk about the experience with a positive outcome. 

• Prepare a framework, understand the why for your gap year, keep your answers honest and clear.
• Use a format to answer the gap year questions, set the context first, the reason for your gap year then talk about what you did during that time.
• Show how the actions you took impacted your goals and stay positive in your wordings.
• Match your actions with the goals to show productivity.

What are Some Good Reasons Regarding a Gap Year After Graduation for an IIM Interview?

There are many good reasons that indicate that a gap year was required to fulfil certain goals or do something worthwhile. These reasons are common goals which students refer to when dealing with the gap year question. While some good reasons regarding a gap year after graduation for an IIM interview are skill focused, others are growth or career oriented.

1. Skill enhancement through courses like digital marketing, data analytics, etc. 
2. Entrepreneurship for a small business to learn about the challenges and opportunities.
3. Preparing for competitive exams like CAT for IIMs, UPSC, GATE, CS, Bank related, etc.
4. Freelancing or part time or contractual work with related career fields for work exposure.
5. Defining goals, hobbies, interest and giving time to learning about personal interests.
6. Job search, job break, personal or family emergency and more such reasons.