HEC Paris Interview Preparation

The Presentation + CV Interview at HEC

The Presentation (Your Control): You drive this entirely. There's no standard question. You choose the topic, structure the argument, and deliver it. The quality of your presentation significantly influences the tone and trajectory of the interview. A compelling, clear presentation creates momentum; a weak or confusing one requires recovery.

Post-Presentation Questions (Interviewer-Driven): After your presentation, the interviewer will ask follow-ups. Based on interview debriefs, common questions include: "Why is this topic so important to you?" "How did you approach this challenge?" "What surprised you about this experience?" "Would you do anything differently now?" "How does this tie into your MBA goals?" These assess both depth of thinking and your ability to reflect on experiences.

CV Discussion Questions (Structured Around Your Background): "Walk me through your career path. Why each move?" "Tell me about your most significant achievement." "Describe a time you led a team or project." "What would you do differently in your current role?" "Why an MBA, and why now?" "Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?" "Tell me about a challenge you faced and how you overcame it." "What have you learned about yourself professionally?"

Behavioral Questions (Assessing Your Values & Fit): "Tell me about a time you disagreed with a colleague or manager. How did you handle it?" "Describe a situation where you received critical feedback. What did you do with it?" "When have you had to adapt quickly to change?" "Tell me about a time you demonstrated integrity, even when it was costly." "How do you approach continuous learning?"

Strategic Preparation for HEC Paris

Phase 1: Choose Your Presentation Topic (Week 1) This is not a trivial decision. Your topic reveals what you value. Brainstorm 5-10 possibilities across professional and personal domains. Then filter by these criteria: (1) Can you talk about this passionately for 10 minutes without notes? (2) Does it reveal something meaningful about your thinking, values, or curiosity? (3) Is it specific enough to be interesting, not generic? (4) Will it spark questions and dialogue, not shut down conversation?

Avoid topics that are too broad ("The Future of Technology"), too trivial ("My Vacation in Italy"), or too risky (political rants, controversial topics without nuance). Strong choices tend to be specific, personal, and reflective of your growth or learning. Examples: "How I Built a Successful Affiliate Marketing Side Business," "Navigating Bias in Tech: Three Lessons from Recruiting Diverse Teams," "Why I Switched Careers from Law to Tech Startups (And What I Learned)."

Phase 2: Structure Your Presentation (Weeks 1-2) HEC values clarity and logical flow. Use this framework:

Minutes 0-2: The "Why" (Passion): Open with why this topic matters to you. Not the business case, but the personal case. "I became obsessed with supply chain sustainability after visiting a textile factory in Cambodia and seeing the human cost of our consumption." This hook establishes emotional investment.

Minutes 2-8: The "What" (Core Content): Present your central argument or narrative arc. If it's a project, walk through the problem you identified, your approach, key decisions, and outcomes. If it's a passion, explore the depth of your engagement—research you've done, perspectives you've encountered, how your thinking has evolved. Support with 2-3 concrete examples or data points. This is where intellectual rigor shows.

Minutes 8-10: The "Impact" (Closing): How has this shaped you? What did you learn about yourself, about the world, about leadership? What's the inflection point this represents in your thinking? End with forward momentum—how does this connect to your MBA goals, your future career, your values?

Slide Design Tips: Keep slides minimal. HEC values substance over design. Use visuals if they clarify; avoid slides dense with text. 5-6 slides is typical. One slide per major point, plus opening and closing slides. Remember: the slides support your words, not the reverse. If you can deliver this presentation without slides, the slides are good support. If you need the slides to remember what to say, you're not ready.

Phase 3: Delivery Practice (Weeks 2-3) Record yourself presenting. Watch playback and assess:

• Eye contact: Are you looking at the camera (your interviewer) or reading from slides?
• Pacing: Are you rushing due to nervousness, or moving deliberately?
• Clarity: Can a person who doesn't know you understand your argument after listening once?
• Passion: Does your voice inflect when you talk about what you care about, or are you monotone?
• Filler words: How many "ums," "ahs," "likes," or "you knows" do you use per minute?

Practice 20+ times. Yes, 20 times. Not because you're memorizing (you shouldn't), but because you're internalizing the flow so deeply that you can deliver it naturally, with pauses for breath and thought, without sounding scripted.

Phase 4: Prepare for Follow-Up Questions (Week 3) After your presentation, the interviewer will likely ask questions. They might ask for clarification ("What did you mean by this?"), challenge your thinking ("Why did you approach it that way, not differently?"), or ask for deeper reflection ("What would you do now, knowing what you know?"). Practice answering these improvisationally. Have talking points, not scripts. Show intellectual humility—if you don't know, say so and reason through it.

Phase 5: CV Deep Dive Prep (Week 3-4) Prepare to discuss every item on your CV in depth. Your interviewer will have only your CV; they'll use it as a map. Be ready for questions like: "Walk me through your career trajectory." "Tell me about the most significant project you led." "Why did you leave that role?" "What would you do differently?" "How does this connect to your MBA goals?" Write out your career narrative—not as a script, but as key talking points. Your story should show progression, learning, and intentionality, not just job-hopping.