Congratulations again to all those invited for the panel interviews. Some may have already interviewed while others preparing, hope this will be useful. As disclaimer, doing this will not guarantee your success as I am not part of the evaluation team neither are these tips a representation of the WBG or YPP team’s views.
1️⃣ Having a back-up plan: At the time I was invited, I was working as a management consultant for a great firm and I loved my job. I knew that even if the YPP opportunity fell through, I am still in a good place. This alone kept me calm and increased my confidence knowing I was not desperate or looking for an escape plan. Do not resign from your job yet cuz you have been called for interviews.
2️⃣ Mock interviews: I asked a few friends and YPs to give me mock interviews. Some of them were kind to invite their colleagues and they formed a panel and every weekend, they interviewed me. They gave me feedback, and tips to improve. We prepared a question bank (some with the help of ChatGPT 😃), in and out of the Health sector, across personal and technical themes. This made me feel prepared.
3️⃣ Having no strategy: As part of our interviews, we had a group assessment. I was given lots of advice on how to behave in the group to be seen in positive light. I am grateful for that but I decided I want to portray my true and unique personality on how I behave in a group. If the assessors see that my behavior is not what they want, then fine meaning, I will not thrive there. I am my best when I am being myself so my confidence was boosted. This is subjective.
4️⃣ My consultant cap: I know that the bank’s technical specialists provide technical assistance to client and that is what we do as consultants so I put on my consultant cap. I was able to structure my answers, present my technical expertise in a comprehensive way and make it as actionable as possible. Research about top-down communication, frameworks for answering questions such as STAR, SWOT etc and how to synthesise facts to reach a good conclusion. McKinsey communication resources online can be of help.
5️⃣ Maximize general tips: General tips such as formal and comfortable dressing, researching about the WBG, using personal experiences and always showing horizontal and vertical depth/breadth of expertise also helped. I read my past submissions again such as the essays, CV etc so that I am consistent. Prepare genuine questions for the interviewers about the job, your area of expertise etc. I asked one of my interviewers, ‘if they were to change 2 things about their job, what will it be?’ This is because I had heard all good things about the WBG, so I wanted to hear the other side.
Hopefully this is helpful to those preparing for their interviews. Good luck friends! If you have any questions, I am happy to answer to the best of my ability.
Ngwashi Christabel MD, MSc