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Case QuestionsCasequestions aremost monlyused in consulting interviews,but theycan beused in other situations,suchas ininterviews for marketing positionswith consumergoods panies.Simply put,a caseinterview is theanalysis of a businessquestion.Unlike mostother interview questions,it is an interactiveprocess.Yourinterviewer willpresent you with a business problemand ask you for your opinion.Your job is to ask theinterviewerlogical questions that willpermit you to make a detailedremendation.The majorityof caseinterviewersdont have a specificanswer that you,the candidate,are expected to give.What theinterviewer is looking for is a thoughtprocess that is atonce analyticaland creative.Heres a sample casequestion:You are advising acredit cardparty thatwants tomarket aprepaid phonecard toits customers.Is this agood ideaYou:What is the roleof our pany Dowe simplymarket the card ormust wecreate themourselvesInterviewer:This cardwill beco-marketed with an outsidephone pany.We dontneed to performtelemunications functions.You:What areour expensesconnected with the cardInterviewer:We mustpay15cents forevery minutewe sell.We alsohave topay$
1.00as astart-up costfor the cardand cardsystems.You:What areour marketingexpensesInterviewer:We normallyuse slipsof paperthat areattached to the backsof ourcredit cardpaymentenvelopes.We sometimesalso sendcustomers a direct mailing-in aseparate envelope.Or wecan havetelemarketerscall selectedcustomers.You:Whats the cost ofeach of these marketingtechniques,and what is theirresponse rateInterviewer:Telemarketers have a2percent responserate,and cost$
1.00per call.Direct mailingscost us40cents permailing andhave a
0.50percent rateof response.Our paymentattachments have a
0.25rate ofresponse,but onlycost us5cents each.You:Im going to assumewe willsell one-hour phonecards.That willcost us$
9.00for theminutes and adollar percard-so each card costs us$
10.Interviewer:That soundsreasonable.You:And whatis our expected revenueon aone-hour phonecard What is thecurrent marketrate for a60-minute phonecardInterviewer:Assume its50cents a minute.You:So ifwe sellthe cardsfor$30,we have a$20profit,minus ourexpenditures onmarketing.Interviewer:Whats our cost structurelook likeHUDsstatistics armcould help,or evenconducting a small sampleof the second calculationin a fewrepresentative townsis possible.Other guesstimates:
1.How muchorange juiceis consumedeach dayin America
2.How manygolf ballswould fit into a
7473.How manygrocery storesare there in theU.S.BrainteasersHigh-tech panies,investment banksand consultingfirms arefamous for their brainteasers.Anyone,afterall,can e up with a cannedanswer todisplay theirleadership andmanagement skills-but fewerpeople canquicklye up with threesolid reasonswhy amanhole coveris round.Whether youreapplying for atechnical,corporate financeormarketingposition,expect to get afew of these beauties.Creativity andmentalflexibility andspeed areof paramountimportance tohigh-tech firms,and onesurefire way to testthesequalities isthrough theseslightly offbeatquestions.If youfield one of thesebrainteasers,your interviewer may give you a time limit.Dont beeflustered.Simply tryto think through the question fromevery angleyou can.Most questionsrequire eitherlogic,thatever-popular“out of the box*thinking,or both.X.If you look at a clockand thetime is3:15,whatis the anglebetween thehour and the minutehandsThe answer to this is not zero!The hourhand,remember,moves as well.The hourhand moves a quarter ofthe waybetween threeand four,so itmovesaquarterof a twelfth1/48of360degrees.So the answer issevenand ahalf degrees,to beexact.
2.A pany has tenmachines thatproduce goldcoins.One of the machinesis producingcoins that area gramlight.How do you tellwhich machineis making the defectivecoins withonly oneweighingThink thisthrough-clearly,every machinewill have to producea samplecoin orcoins,and you mustweigh all these coinstogether.How can you somehowindicate whichcoins camefrom whichmachineThe bestway todo it is to have everymachine crankout itsnumber incoins,so thatmachine1will makeonecoin,machine2will maketwo coins,and soon.Take allthe coins,weigh themtogether,and considertheirweight againstthe totaltheoretical weight.If yourefour gramsshort,for example,youll know thatmachine4is defective.
3.Four members of U2Bono,the Edge,Larry andAdam need to get across anarrow bridgetoplay aconcert.Since itsdark,a flashlightis requiredto cross,but the band hasonly oneflashlight,and onlytwo peoplecan crossthe bridgeat atime.This is not to say,of course,that ifone of themembers of thebandhas crossedthe bridge,he cante backby himselfwith theflashlight.Adamtakes only aminutetoget across,Larry takestwo minutes,the Edgetakesfive minutes,and slowpokeBono takesten minutes.A paircan onlygo asfast as the slowestmember.They have17minutes togetacross.How shouldthey do itThe keyto attackingthis question is tounderstand thatBono and the Edgeare majorliabilities andmust begroupedtogether.In otherwords,if yousent themacross separately,youd alreadybe usingfifteen minutes.What does this meanThat Bono and the Edge mustgo acrosstogether.But theycan notbe the first pairorone of them willhave totransport theflashlight back.Instead,you sendLarry andAdam overfirst,takingtwo minutes.Adam esback,taking anotherminute,for atotal ofthree minutes.Bonoand theEdgethen goover,taking tenminutes,and bringing the totalto
13.Larry esback,taking anothertwo minutes,for atotalof
15.Adam andLarry goback over,bringingthetotal time to17minutes.Illegal questionsInterviewersare legallybarred from asking questionsabout yourreligion,color,race,national origin,marital status,sex,sexual orientation,childcare arrangements,or otherfamily plans.Federal andState lawssuch as TheAmericans WithDisabilities ActADA,the PregnancyDiscrimination Act,and theCivilRights Actof1964Title VII,which was amended in1991,allow you to avoiddiscussing anyof thisinformation.The interviewers ask shouldfocus exclusivelyon the position and your experienceandqualifications forit.You do not have to revealany privateinformation thatdoes not relate to your ability toperform on the job.Your interviewermight notrealize theyreasking anillegal question-they mightthink theyare simplybreakingthe ice.So if they doask a question of this sort,you shouldmake adecision about their intentionsandwhether or not you want to answer it.In somecases,the question might be innocuous enoughthat youllfeel fortable answeringit.If you dont wish to discusssomething that you fearmight wrongfullybe usedagainstyou,then you should tactfullysay thatquestion doesnotrelate to your abilities toperform the job,abilities thatinclude x,y,and z.Here aresome examplesof illegalquestions:•Are youmarried•Do you have anykids Are you planningto have anymore•What politicalparty do you belongto•Do you have anyillnesses weshould know about•What nationalityare you•What churchdo you go to•Do yousmokeCareer EssentialsmonInterview QuestionsQuestionsasked byskilled andwell-prepared interviewersalways havea purposeregardless ofhowirrelevant to the position they mayseem.It is important torealize that the purposeof many questions is to testout whether you havethe specificqualitiesand skillsrequired for the position.There is not necessarilya rightor wronganswer to suchquestions;rather interviewers are seekingevidence ofsuch qualitiesas yourmotivation,energy,attitudes,initiative ormaturity.An exampleof aseemingly irrelevantquestion couldbe Tell me how would yougo aboutbuying acarIn thissituation the intervieweris not concernedso muchabout whatcar dealeryou wouldgo toor theorderin which you wouldgo aboutdoing this,but ratherabout thesort of approach you would use.Do youplanDo yougive upeasily Do you seekassistance fromother peopleHow do you budgetyour timeandmoneyThe followingare examplesof some of the more difficultquestions you may be asked ininterviews.Theguidelines areintended onlyto stimulateyour thinking.They are not modelanswers.You willnotnecessarily beasked allor evenmany of these questionsin oneinterview.The questionsas setout herearenot inpriority/sequential order.Please notethat thesequestions arein additionto thosethat relateto specificjob petenciese.g.researchskills,writing skills,technical knowledge,customer serviceskills etc.Look carefullyat the job descriptionoranalyse therole carefullyto identify the skillsthe intervieweris likelyto focus on.Question1nWhat do you haveto offerusnGuidelines-Answer in terms of the skills and personalqualities you have relevant to the job.You mayrefer to your academic qualifications,relevant sectionsof universitycourses,experience in the workplace,leisure activitiesor personalqualities.Question2What hasprompted you to applyfor this position0Guidelines-Explain whyyou areinterested in the organization.If you have hada long-term interest inthem,say so.If locationis significant,you couldmention thisafter talkingabout yourinterest in the firm.Try notto focuson what you willget fromthe organization,but thequalities you will bringto them.Youcould mentionthat you see the position asoffering challenge,a chanceto learnnew thingsand to enhanceand developskills and abilities necessaryfor the position.Question3“What do you wantfrom usnGuidelines-This isa goodtimetotalk abouttraining orpromotion opportunitiesgiving someidea oflong-term careerplans.There may be aspectsof the organizations workthat reallyinterest you,and youmaywish to move into another areaof thatorganization lateron.The intervieweris probablytrying toassessyour enthusiasmand ambition.Question4nAt the end of the firstyear,if yougot this job,how would you measure your success**Guidelines-In your preparation for the interviewyou wouldhave developeda goodunderstanding of theduties andpersonal attributeslisted in the job description,as wellas finding out about the goals andobjectives of the organization.Think abouttangible resultsyou mightbe able to achieveon the job thatcontributeto thosegoalsand objectives.The interviewerisnotso interestedherein what tasksor dutiesyou plan tohave pleted,but how yougo about planningand assessingyour ownperformance.Are there anypractical waysyou currentlymeasureyoursuccess inpart-time workor studye.g.sales figures,grades,andfeedback from your supervisoror lecturerQuestion5“What appealsto you about thisjobnGuidelines-This issimilar toQuestions2and3,but you may want to focusmore closelyon thespecificduties outlined in the job descriptionor what your understanding of typicaltasks for this kind of jobwouldbe.Again,cover thekinds ofskills,interests orknowledge fromprevious studyor workthat you wouldbring to the position.Question6“What are your long-term plans”Guidelines-If you are flexibleabout your long-term planssay so,however,it paysto give a generalpictureof whatinterests younow,and how you seethat developing.You shouldnot mit yourself toa long-termperiod with an employerif you do nothonestly feelthat you can doso.At thisstage you may notbein aposition to know howlong you would seeyourself stayingin anyone job.On the other hand,you arekeento putto workthe skillsthat you have developed.Avoid Idont know1and ashrug of the shoulders,as anemployeris usuallytrying to assess howmotivated and interested you are!Question7nWhat do you seeyourself doingin five years from now”Guidelines-Similar toQuestion
6.Your answerwill give evidence ofwhether ornot you are thesort ofpersonwho plansahead.Remember thatfewer andfewer employersexpect alltheir employees to make alife-long careerin theirorganization.You may want toexpress adesire toprogress asrapidly as ability andopportunitiesallow within the organization,or whatyou would like todo on a broaderscale.Question8“How longdoyou expect tostay withusnGuidelines-Do notmityourselftoa specific timeunless you are quiteclear on this.Indicate you anticipatestaying in the positionfor aslong asit takesto learnthe job and togain experiencein it,and that you thenhope tomoveon within the organization.After makinga mentyourself,you canalways turnthis questionback to the employer and ask howlong theywould expectyou tostay with them.Question9Tell us about yourselfHGuidelines-If this is askedat thebeginning of the interviewgiveaquick rundown of your qualificationsandexperience todate,and thenask whether the interviewerswould like you toexpand.If the question isaskedtowards theend of the interviewandyou have alreadytalked a lot about yourself,then thisis theopportunityfor you to elaborateon anypositive pointsand putacross anymessages you have nothad thechanceto giveso far.Question10“Why shouldwe appointyouGuidelines-Answer interms of the qualifications,skills and interests that you havewhich arerelevant tothe position,i.e.summaries yoursuitability.Where a job descriptionis availablebefore the interview,make sureyou havestudied itthoroughly aspart of yourpreparationfor the interview.Your replyshouldbe basedon therequired skillsoutlinedin the jobdescription.Do notpare yourselfwith otherapplicantseven if you knowsomeof them.If you are invitedby the interviewers topare yourselfwith otherapplicants,politely statethat you are notin a position tojudge others,and leavethat sideof the interviewing to them!Question11Have youapplied for other jobsnGuidelines-Be honest.This question is oftenused duringgraduate recruitment.Your approachto jobhuntingindicates how you approachchallenges.Employers areaware ofthe petitivenessofthejob market.They would be mostsurprised if you indicatedthat you have not applied forother jobsand mayquestionyour initiativeor motivation.If you are nota student/graduate participatingin auniversity recruitmentprogrammed,you maywish toapproachthis questionmore carefully.The interviewermay be looking to ascertain howfocused andclearlydefined your job objectivemay be.Question12How doyou handlepressurenGuidelines-Give examplesof situationswhere youhave beenunder pressureand ways in which you havepositivelyhandled it.Remember thisisatypical exampleof aquestion wherethere isno onecorrectanswer.The employeris more interested inwhether youhave developedstrategies forcoping underpressurerather thaninwhat these strategiesare.Question13“Arent youover qualifiedfor this positionMGuidelines-This isa leadingquestion.If youhave beencalled for an interviewit isunlikely the employerconsiders yougreatly overqualified.Otherwise theycould notjustify thetime spentinterviewing you.Donot apologizefor yourdegree.Rather stateyour willingness to startat thebottom andwork yourway up,your enthusiasmfor the organization and your desireto developa broaderrange ofskills.Emphasize skillssuch as factfinding,analysis,your capacityto acquirenew knowledgequickly,rather than the specificcontentof yourdegree.Some employersare moreinterested inwhatyou can offerin thepracticalhands-on1sense thanin theacademic*sense!Question14nWhat are your majorstrengths and weaknessesnGuidelines-Once again the employeris seekingtoascertainhow matureyou areand yourawareness ofyourselfasaperson.If youhaveajobdescription,you mayfind ituseful tofocusonwhere you see yourstrengths and weaknessesin relationto thetasks listed.Remember weaknessescan beturned intostrengths.Talk about the strategiesyou usefor dealingwith thatweakness,or itspositive sidee.g.taking timetomake decisionsmay slowyou down,but on theother hand you are notimpulsive.Listing toomanyweaknesses willtype youas verynegative.You mayhavetoadmit that you donot havea particulartype ofexperiencecalled forhowever you may be able to give evidence of your abilitytodetermine the skillsrequired.Dont bring up toomany weaknesses-one ortwo willsuffice!Question15nHow muchdoyou knowabout our organization1一二Guidelines-Your answerwill revealthe amountof homeworkyouhavedone beforethe interview.Forexample,ifthe panyhasproducts in the marketplace looksfor theseat pointsof sale.Use yourinitiative tofindout as much as you canabout theorganization andduring theinterview citewaysin whichyouhavegone aboutfindingoutthis information.Question16nHow muchdoyou expect to be paid三Guidelines-This question is generallymore monin theprivate sectorwhen youhave applied for apositionwith noidentified salaryscale.Where thesalary range is unknownit is very important to investigateparablerates elsewherebefore youattend theinterview.Never discusssalary untiltheendof theinterviewingprocedure,when theyhave actuallyoffered you the position.If thequestion is asked beforethe offer,reply alongthe linesthat untilan offer is made,you feelany discussionof salaryis premature.You mightalso addthat asa reputableorganization,you expectthat they will bepaying afair andpetitivesalary for the position.When anofferismade talk about arange rather than afixed figure.Since theemployercreated theposition,theywillalready havesome figurein mind.Find out what that is,use yoursalaryresearch,and dontundersell yourself.Question18“Why did you choose to major in…?”Guidelines-Avoid theimpression of aimlessness oruncertainty.It isfine tomajorin a subjectbecause ofyourinterests.However bewilling totalk about this interest.Show evidence of knowledge,positiveattitude towardsstudy,and anunderstanding ofskillsandknowledge youhave gained.Question19nWhat doyou do in yourspare timenGuidelines-employers seekinga fullerpicture ofyou orto help you relaxduring theinterview generallyaskthis.Finding outabout yourother interestsand leisureactivities givesemployers anotheropportunity toQuestion17“Have youanyquestionsfor us”Guidelines-It isimportant that you dohave questionsfor the following reasons:•In order to make your ownassessment ofthejobyou need to findout asmuch as possible about whatthe jobis reallylike,or moreinformation about theorganization;•To show your seriousinterests intheposition and preparationfor theinterview;二To furtheroutline achievementsand skillsnot coveredso farintheinterview.This isa goodtimeto ask theemployerwhat skillsthey considerto be the mostcritical for theposition,andwhether theysee agap intheskills youhaveto offer.This willgive youan opportunity to identifyskillsand/or experiences,which havenot yeteupduring theinterview.uncover skillsandabilitieswhich may not havebeen discussed.Other activitiesalso giveemployers achancetoassessyour enthusiasm,curiosity andquality oflife.Question20nWhat are the most important considerationsforyou in choosinga jobnGuidelines-Answer interms ofjob objectives,training,experience availableor futureprospects.Do notanswerintermsof payor overseastravel orother indicationsof selfratherthanjob interest.Question21nHow doyou get on withother people**Guidelines-This questionisaskedto findout moreabout yoursocial andinterpersonal skills.Quoteexamples ofpast participationin teams,mittees ormunity organizations.Avoid discussingreasons whyyou donotgetonwith certainpeople.This isa goodopportunity to giveevidenceof anysituations,whichyou mayhave hadto useskills ofnegotiation,motivation orconflict resolution.Question22“Tell usabout aproject orpiece ofresearch youhave workedon whileat universityH.This isaquestionmonly askedat graduaterecruitment interviews.The interviewers arenotparticularlyconcerned aboutwhich research/project you choosetogive as an example,but are moreinterested infinding outthe stepsyou tookin pletingthe project/research.By examiningwhy and how thesestepswere taken,the interviewerscan getan ideaof someoftheskillsyoupossess,and assessyourabilitytosolve problems.Skills identifiedin your answer mayinclude:preparation andplanning,team work,timemanagement,organizing andresearching.Interviewers may also askyou toelaborate furtheronthisissueby askingquestions suchas whatdid youlearn from this project*and*why doyou considerthis projecttobe anachievement.Finally
1.Remain flexibleintheinterview so that youhear andanswer theactual questionsthat are askedrather thanthe onesyou thoughtor hopedthe interviewerswould ask.After interviewsare overreflectupon anyoftheseand otherquestions you were asked.Think aboutthe waysin whichyoucould improve your answers sothatwhen such questions are asked inthe future,you will be ableto answer themmore petently.
2.Keep inmind thatanswering interview questions withgeneral responsesisnotmakingthe most ofyouropportunity.Interviewers want to hearevidenceofyourabilities.By beingfactual in yourapproach you can revealyour skillswithout appearingto beboastful”.Illustrate your answerswith concreteexamples whereverpossible.Graduates withno full-time work experience will beable to use astheir examplestheir participationin sports,voluntary mitteework,casualemployment or university studiestogiveevidenceofinitiative,administrative,research ormunicationskills.Get a friend orfamily memberto askyou someofthequestions listedin thishandout andpracticeyour answersuntil youfeelfortablewith yourresponse.However,be aware of developingpatanswers andlisten carefullyto thequestions.
3.If youfeel youwouldlikemore assistance,a CareersAdviser isavailable to discussinformally/confidentially withyou waysin whichyou canimproveyour skills inhandling theseandother interview questions.Also,you cansign upfor one of ourmany workshopsrunthroughout theyear inorder togain morepractice ininterview skills.mon JobInterview QuestionsByrehearsing interview questions,youll beemore familiarwith your own qualificationsand willbe wellpreparedto demonstratehow you can benefitan employer.Some examples:•Tell me about yourself.nMake ashort,organized statementofyour education andprofessional achievementsandprofessional goals.Then,briefly describeyour qualificationsforthejoband the contributionsyoucould maketo theorganization.•Why doyou want to workheren orHWhat about our panyinterests you”Few questionsaremore important thanthese,so it isimportantto answerthem clearlyand withenthusiasm.Show the interviewer yourinterestinthe pany.Share whatyou learnedaboutthejob,the panyandthe industry through yourownresearch.Talk abouthowyourprofessional skillswillbenefit the pany.Unless you work insales,youranswershould neverbe simply:money.Theinterviewer willwonder if you reallycare aboutthejob.•nWhy did you leaveyour lastjob”The interviewermaywant to know ifyou had anyproblems onyour lastjob.If youdid nothaveany problems,simply givea reason,suchas:relocated awayfrom job;pany wentout ofbusiness;laid off;temporary job;no possibilityof advancement;wanted ajob bettersuited to yourskills.If youdid haveproblems,be honest.Show that you canaccept responsibilityand learn from yourmistakes.You shouldexplain anyproblems youhad orstill havewith anemployer,but dontdescribethat employerin negativeterms.Demonstrate thatit wasalearning experiencethat willnot affect your futurework.•What are your bestskillsnIf youhave sufficientlyresearched theorganization,you shouldbe ableto imaginewhat skillsthepany values.List them,then giveexamples where youhavedemonstrated theseskills.•What isyour majorweaknessnBe positive;turn aweakness into a strength.For example,you might say:I oftenwony toomuchover mywork.Sometimes Iwork lateto make sure thejobisdone well.”•nDo youprefer to work byyourself orwith othersnThe idealanswer is one offlexibility.However,be honest.Give examplesdescribing howyouhave workedin bothsituations.•What are your careergoalsn ornWhat areyour futureplans**The interviewerwants to knowifyour plansandthe panys goalsare patible.Let himknow thatyou are ambitiousenough toplan ahead.Talk aboutyour desireto learnmore andimprove yourperformance,and bespecific as possible abouthowyou will meetthe goalsyouhaveset foryourself.•What areyour hobbies**and Do you playany sportsHThe interviewermay belooking for evidenceofyourjob skillsoutside ofyour professionalexperience.For example,hobbies suchas chessor bridgedemonstrate analyticalskills.Reading,music,and paintingare creativehobbies.Individual sportsshow determinationand stamina,whilegroup sportactivities mayindicate youare fortableworking aspart of a team.Also,the interviewermight simplybe curiousas towhether youhavealife outside of work.Employees whohave creativeor athleticoutlets fortheir stressare oftenhealthier,happier andmoreproductive.•What salaryareyou expectingnYou probablydont want to answerthis onedirectly.Instead,deflect thequestion backto theinterviewerby sayingsomething like:nI dontknow.What areyou planningon payingthe bestcandidate1Let theemployer make the firstoffer.However,it isstill importantto knowwhat thecurrent salaryrangeisfortheprofession.Findsalary surveysat the library oron theInternet,and checkthe classifiedsto seewhat parablejobs inyourarea arepaying.This informationcan helpyou negotiatepensation oncetheemployermakesan offer.“What haveI forgottento asknUsethis asa chanceto summarizeyour goodcharacteristics andattributes and how theymay beusedto benefittheorganization.Convince the interviewer that you understandthe jobrequirementsand thatyou cansucceed.Here aresome otherjob interviewquestions you might want to rehearse.Your Qualifications•What canyou do for usthat someoneelse cantdo•What qualificationsdoyouhave thatrelateto theposition•What newskills orcapabilities have you developedrecently•Give mean examplefromaprevious jobwhere youveshown initiative.•What havebeen your greatest acplishmentsrecently•What isimportantto you in ajob•What motivatesyouin your work•What have you beendoing sinceyour lastjob•What qualitiesdoyou find importantinacoworkerYour CareerGoals•What would you like to beingdoing five years from now•How willyou judgeyourself successfulHow willyou achievesuccess•What type of positionareyouinterested in•How willthisjobfitinyour careerplans•What doyou expectfromthisjob•Do youhavealocation preference•Can youtravel•What hourscanyouwork•When couldyou startYourWork Experience•What have you learnedfrom yourpast jobs•What wereyour biggestresponsibilities•What specificskills acquiredor usedin previousjobs relateto thisposition•How doesyour previousexperience relateto thispositionWhat didyou likemost/least aboutyour lastjobYou:Okay,lets figurethis out.To sell1,000cards throughtelemarketing,we wouldneed to contact50,000people.That wouldcost us$50,
000.To usedirect mail,we wouldhavetocontact200,000thousand people,which,at40cents permailing,costsus$80,
000.Since theenvelope insertsarent veryreliable,we willneedtocontact800,000people usingthat method.But at5cents each,it costsonly$20,000to sell1,000cards.We make$20profit oneachcard.But evenat thecheapest promotionalvehicle,at$20profit,we wouldonlybreak even,because ourprofits on1,000cards would be$20,
000.We shouldntmarket thiscard,unless wecan furthercut ourmarketing costsor increasethe priceofthecard.If wecould slicethecostofthe envelopeattachments a penny orso,or sellthecardfor$35,or convinceourco-marketer toreduce ourcosts,it mightbe worthselling.monly-asked Questionspaniesthese dayslook for more thanwhether yourea wittyor especiallycool individualwhen it es topersonality.Among thecharacteristics higheston theirlist areteamwork andinnovation.They maynot askwhetheryouarea teamplayer,or creative—doesnt meanyou shouldntgo aheadand tell them.But thenagain,alotof interviewers will askyou outright:tell mewhy yourpersonal traitswill workhere.
1.Why areyou applyingfor thispositionProbably the most monly asked questionat job interviews.You needto convinceyour interviewerthat youareenthusiastic aboutthejob.
2.Tell meabout atime when you usedinitiative/Give mean exampleof whenyou cameup with aninnovative solution/Give mean exampleofatime youexceeded expectations.In thisever-changing worldin which we work,employees aresupposed to be innovative,to beable tothinkoutsideofthe box.Questions likethese suchasthe way theinitiative”question and“exceededexpectations questionsare wordedcan beused asopportunities totalk aboutcreative faculties--pick aninstancewhen showinginitiative meantingupwithanout-of-the-ordinary solution.
3.1see onyour resumethatyouserved aschairperson ofsuch-and-such mittee.What wasthatexperience likeAlongwith innovation,employers oftenlook forleadership ability.In general,interviewers arelooking forevidenceofa willingnesstolisten,an abilitytogivefeedback,andafirmness when itesto gettingthingsdone.
4.What wouldmembersofyour basketballteam/business schoolcohort/butterfly catchingexpeditionsay aboutyou Tellusabout atimeyouhadto deal withadifficult teammember.Teamwork is another highlyvalued traitthese days,panies arelookingforemployees who work wellingroups.If your interviewer doesntbring upteamwork,doityourself.These questionsare similarto theleadershipquestions-interviewersarelookingforboth anopenness toideas andawillingnessto nudgeteammembers towarda goal.•Whom maywe contactfor referencesYourEducation•How doyou thinkyoureducationhas prepared you for thisposition•What wereyour favoriteclasses/activities atschool•Why didyou choose your major•Do you plan tocontinue youreducationWhile everyemployer willhave hisown favoriteinterview,four ofthe mostmonly askedare:•Tell meabout yourself•What areyour strengthsand weaknesses•What experiencehaveyouhad thatqualifies you forthisposition•Why shouldwe hireyouThe firstquestionisstraightforward enoughand isintended toput theinterviewee atease.A briefdescription of experiencesrelevantto thejobappliedforis enough.The interviewerisnotreally askingforyour lifestory.Before theinterview prepare yourself forthesecondquestion byreviewing youracademic orworkexperience.Most people are wellaware of their strengthsbut havea problemowning upto theirweaknesses.The keyhere isinthe presentation.For example,nI workwell independently.0makes astrengthout ofbeing abad teamworker.Focussing onyour strengthsforthe last questionshould havepreparedyou todiscusspositive experiencesthatqualify youfortheposition.The fourthquestionismore thanjust anotherre-iteration ofyour strengthsand skills.Employers arenotonly interested in pastworkexperience;they alsowant toknow youare dedicatedand mitted,thatyouarenot goingto bea disruptiveinfluence and thatyou will fitinto thepany culture.To helpyou prepare for yourinterview seehow manyofthefollowing questionsyou can answer fortablyandwork onthose areaswhereyouare lessconfident.The momentofthejob interviewhas e.Youve doneallthehard work,got thequalifications,sent intheimpressive resume,now forthe lasthurdle-theinterview.You sitthere waitingforthebarrage.The interviewergazes atyou,clears histhroat and....•Why arentyou earningmore atyour age•Would you like tohave myjob•When doyou expect a promotion•What wasthe lastbook youread How did itaffectyou•What would you sayif Itold youyourinterviewso faris lousy•Rate yourselfonascale ofone toten•Tell mea funnystory•How doyou rateme as an interviewerPlease answernow.No matterhow hardyouhaveworked orhow impressiveyour resumeor experiencemaybe,the interviewcan make orbreak you.To-day interviewersare gettingmore andmore sophisticatedintheart ofinterviewing.They areusing whatcan onlybe describedas tough,mean and,more andmore varioustrick questions totest anddraw youout.Yet thesecret to being successfulat interviewsisverysimple whenyou realize:There areonly somanycore questions and variationsofthesame basicquestionsthat the interviewer can askyou.Once youmaster themyoull realizethere isnothing the interviewercan throw atyou thatyoucannot respondinstantly andconfidently to.In oure-Course tojobinterviewquestions wehave broughttogether someofthetoughest andtrickiestquestions that any interviewercanthrowatyou.With eachquestion we will provideyouwithasampleanswer andhowyou can changeit tosuit yourownrequirements.*Also wewill explainto youwhy the interviewer askedthat particularquestion andwhat heis reallytryingto findout.To checkthe fulllist of questions wewill coverclick here.The course.Instant Answers1to the most difficultinterviewquestions is ane-course thatyou candownloadonto yourputer intwo minutesafter you order.No waiting.No delays!Over the next fewdays itwill beeyour vitaltraining guideas youprepareforyourinterview.Our special24Express Service.Also whenyouorderoure-course,you cane-mail ourteam ofcareer interviewspecialists,atanytime foranypersonal helpor guidance!For exampleyoumayrequire helpwitha specific questionyouareconvinced isgoingto beasked.Ourteam willanswer allquestions within24hours.Tough InterviewQuestionsYour CareerGoals
1.If youcould startyour careeragain,what wouldyou dodifferentlyNothing...I amhappy today,so Idont want to changemy past.
2.What careeroptions doyouhaveat themomentI seethree areasof interest../Relate thosetothepositionandindustry.
3.How wouldyou describethe essenceof successAccording toyour definition of success,howsuccessful haveyou beenso farThinkcarefully aboutyouranswerand relateit toyour careeracplishments.Tough InterviewQuestionsGeneral Questions
1.Tellmeaboutyou!Keep youranswer toone ortwo minutes;dont ramble.Use yourresume summaryasabase tostart.
2.What doyou knowaboutour panyDo yourhomework beforetheinterview!Spend sometime onlineor atthelibraryresearching thepany.Find outasmuchas you can,including products,size,ine,reputation,image,management talent,people,skills,history andphilosophy.Project aninformed interest;let the interviewer tellyouaboutthepany.
3.Why doyou want to work for usDon*t talkabout whatyou want;first,talkabouttheir needs:You wouldlike to be partofaspecific panyproject;youwouldlike tosolve a pany problem;you canmakeadefinite contribution to specificpanygoals.
4.What wouldyoudofor usWhat canyoudofor usthat someoneelse cantRelatepast experiencesthat showyouve hadsuccess insolving previousemployer problemsthat maybesimilar tothose ofthe prospectiveemployer.
5.What aboutthejoboffered doyou find the mostattractive LeastattractiveList threeormoreattractive factorsand onlyone minorunattractive factor.
6.Why shouldwe hireyouBecause ofyour knowledge,experience,abilities andskills.
7.What doyoulook for ina jobAnopportunityto use yourskills,toperformand berecognized.
8.Please give me yourdefinitionofa....The positionfor whichyouare being interviewed.Keep itbrief—give anaction-and results-oriented definition.
9.How longwould ittake youto makea meaningfulcontribution to our firmNotlong atall—youexpectonlya brief periodof adjustmenttothelearning curve.
10.How longwouldyoustay withusAs longasweboth feelIm contributing,achieving,growing,etc.Silly InterviewQuestions NotReally!Solid interviewingskills arecrucial tolanding agood job.Many peoplework verydiligently on theirresume andcover letter,but dontthink aboutpreparing fortheinterview.This isa stepthatyou shouldnlignore duringyourjobsearch.Most ofus havebeen oninterviews duringwhichwewere askedseemingly sillyquestions.Its nearlyimpossibleto prepareyourself forsuch questions.However,many interviewersuse amethod calledbehavioralscreening,and thisis somethingfor whichyoucanprepareyourself.Behavioral screeningmeans that theinterviewer will askquestions directedtoward actualpast experiencesyouhave hadin relationtoasituation.One suchquestionmightbe:Give mean exampleofatime whenyouneeded toadjust quickly.What didyoudoandhow did itturn outBeforeyou begintoanswerthis typeofquestion,keep inmind that theinterviewer doesnt want to hearyouropinion orthewayyou tendto act.They wouldlikeyouto thinkofaspecific instancefromyoupastwhich fitsthequestionstated.Therefore responsesthat beginwith nIthink”,nI believe“,“1am orI willarenot appropriate.When yourespond tointerviewquestionsphrased likethe exampleabove,theinterviewerwillbelookingfor thefollowing information:1abriefdescriptionofthe problem or situation,2your actions,and3results ofyour actions.Many times,people whoarebeinginterviewed feelthat theymust haveananswerimmediately uponbeingasked aquestion.This isnot the case forbehavioral interviews.The interviewerexpects thatyou willneedtime tothink inordertoremember aspecific pastexperience.Relax andtelltheinterviewer youneed aminute-and takethat timeto formulatethe bestpossible example.Dont worry aboutaminute ortwo ofsilence.Pausing tothink ismuch betterthan givinga poorexample.Behavioral typeanswers area greatwaytomunicate whatyoucandofora potentialemployer.It maybe inyourbest interestto taketime beforetheinterviewtoeupwithsome examplesof situationswhich youwant to includeif askedsuchquestions.Even ifyouarenot askedbehavioral questions,working theseexamplesinto theconversation willhelp toimpress theinterviewer.Some examplesof characteristicsyoumaywanttoprepare behavioralexamples forare;teamwork,abilityto dealwith stress,initiative,tenacity,attention todetail,follow-through,customer serviceorientation,technical skills,and municationskills.The keyistothink aboutthe types of characteristicsthat areimportanttoyour career fieldand prepare a coupleof behavioralexamples foreach.In general,you shouldbe relievedwhenyouareaskedthese sortsof questionsduring theinterview.Behavioral interviewingisanexcellent wayto assurethattheinterviewer reallygets toknow youduringyour meeting.Another benefit-there areno trickquestions whensomeone issimply askingyoutorecallwhat youvedone inthe past!This articlepreviously appearedin NowHiring.Traditional EmploymentInterview QuestionsHereisalist ofsample interviewquestions job-seekers canexpect,especially atfirst,more traditionalinterviews.Prepare answersto thesequestions,but dontmemorize your answerssothatyoueoffsoundinglike arobot;inotherwords,he prepared for thesequestions andhaveanoutline orscript ready,hut dontworryabout rememberingyouranswersyvord-for-yvord.
1.What areyour longrange andshort-range goalsandobjectives
2.What specificgoals otherthan thoserelated toyour occupation,haveyouestablished foryourselffor thenext tenyears
3.What doyouseeyourself doingfiveyearsfromnowTen yearsfromnow
4.What doyou reallywanttodoinlife
5.What areyourlong-range careerobjectives
6.How doyouplanto achieveyourcareergoals
7.What arethemostimportant rewardsyouexpectinyourbusiness career
8.What doyouexpectto beearning infiveyears
9.What didyouchoosethe careerfor whichyouarepreparing
10.Which ismoreimportanttoyou,the moneyorthetypeofjob
11.What doyou considertobeyourgreateststrengthsandweaknesses
12.How wouldyou describeyourself
13.How doyou thinkafriendor professorwho knowsyou wellwould describeyou
14.What motivatesyoutoput forthyou greatesteffort
15.How hasyour college experience preparedyoufora businesscareer
16.Why shouldI hireyou
17.What qualificationsdoyouhave thatmakeyou think thatyouwillbe successful in business
18.How doyou determineor evaluatesuccess
19.What doyou thinkit takestobesuccessfulina panylike ours
20.In whatways doyou thinkyoucanmakeacontributiontoourpany
21.What qualitiesshould asuccessful managerpossess
22.Describe therelationship that should existbetween thesupervisor andthose reportingto himorher
23.What twoor threeacplishments havegiven youthemostsatisfaction Why
24.Describe yourmost rewardingcollegeexperience
25.If youwere hiringa graduateforthisposition,what qualitieswouldyoulookfor
26.Why didyou selectyour collegeor university
27.What ledyoutochooseyoufield ormajor study
28.What collegesubject didyou likebest Why
29.What collegesubject didyou likeleast Why
30.If youcould doso,howwouldyouplan your studydifferently Why
31.What changeswouldyoumake inyour collegeoruniversityWhy
32.Do youhave plansfor continuedstudy Anadvanced degree
33.Doyou think that your gradesareaindication ofyouracademicachievement
34.What haveyou learnedfrom participatingin extra-curricular activities
35.In whatkindofwork environmentareyou most fortable
36.How doyouworkunder pressure
37.In whatpart-time orsummer jobshaveyoubeen mostinterested Why
38.How wouldyou describethe idealjob foryou followinggraduation
39.Why didyou decideto seekapositionin thispany
40.What doyou knowaboutourpany
41.What twoor threethings aremostimportanttoyouinyourjob
42.Are youseeking employmentina pany ofa certainsize Why
43.What criteriaareyouusing toevaluate thepany forwhichyouhopeto work
45.Will yourelocate Doesrelocation botheryou
46.Are youwilling totravel
47.Areyouwilling tospend atleast sixmonths asa trainee
48.Why doyouthinkyou mightlike tolive inthe munityinwhichourpany is located
49.What majorproblem haveyou encounteredandhowdidyoudealwithit
50.What haveyou learnedfrom yourmistakes
5.Why didyou decideto switchcareers/Why didyou decideto gobacktoschool/Why didyou taketimeoff duringcollegeBe preparedto walkthrough yourresume withyour interviewer,especially atpanies thatlike topromotefrom within.They wanttoknowthat youremitted totheindustryand willbe loyalto theirpany.
6.Where doyouseeyourself in5yearsYou dontnecessarily needtosaythatyou wanttoworkforthepanyforever,but you should expresshowyou thinkthepositionto whichyouareapplying willhelpyougrow.
7.So youjust graduated.HowdidyoulikeschoolLoved it.Learned somuch.And letme tellyoualittle bitaboutwhattypes ofactivities Iwas involvedin.
8.What lessonsdidyoulearnfromyou lastjob thatyouthinkcan betransferred tothisposition
9.What doyou consideryour biggestfaultInterviewers lovethis question,even thoughit sortof invitesdishonesty.Youre supposedto saysomethinglike:Im aperfectionist.1Or:nI tendtoworktoo hard.You maywanttoprepareamorethoughtful answer,but you should atleast anticipatethis question.
10.If youcould goanywhere for24hours,withanunlimited budgetwhere wouldyou goSometimes,interviewerswillask off-the-wall questionsjust togetabetter senseof whoyouareas aperson.Questions toAsk DuringYour SummerInternship Interviews*Can yougivemean exampleof mysummer responsibilitiesTry tomakesuretheansweryou receiveisas specificas possible.Particularly ifyoure newtotheindustry,youwantto ensurethatyouwill performworkthatisrepresentative ofa full-time associate.*How manypeoplearetypically givenpermanent joboffers Andask forpercentages too.This showsyoureinterestedinopportunities aftergraduation atthe firm,and allowsyoutoplanyourstrategic options.Some firms,like GoldmanSachs,are knownfor givingoffers toasmallproportion ofthe summerclass.You maywanttotry betterodds atanother firm.*Will Ibeableto rotatebetween departmentsAgain,themoreyouknowaboutthepany,the betteryouwill beabletodetermine whichdepartment interestsyoumost,or whetheryouwanttoworkatthefirm atall.If theresaspecificdepartment youwanttowork in,you shouldmake thisknown.*Doyouprovide anyassistance withrelocation Manyfirms willhelp locate,and evensubsidize,summer housing.If thismakes adifference inwhetheryou take theposition,ask.Strategies forAnswering BusinessCase QuestionsIf youre goinginto aninterview whereyou mightexpecta case questionabusinessquestion presentedtoyou foryour detailedanalysis,its importanttohaveafewbasic tipsdown pat.
1.Take notes.As your interviewer presentsyour case,be sure to takecareful noteson thenumbers orother factsgiven.Always bringa notepadandapen toa consultinginterview.You dontwantto ask yourinterviewer tolaterrepeat informationthat hasalready beengiven.
2.Ask questions.Your interviewerexpects youtoaskquestions--as manyintelligent questionsasyouneedtoobtain anaccuratepicture ofthe relevantfacts inthe case.Many inexperiencedcase intervieweesmaketheerror ofnotasking theirinterviewer anyquestions,perhaps afraidthat theywill lookignorant,ornotwishing tobother”theinterviewer.On thecontrary—not askingquestionsisa fatalerror ina caseinterview.If youdont knowthe first thingaboutthehelicopter market,ask how much itcosts tomanufacture arotor.If youneed toestimate the demandforabeef-flavored potatosnack inWichita,Kansas,then feelfree toaskthe populationof Wichitaand environs.3・Be preparedto takecharge.You willoften findthatyourinterviewerwilldirect yourline ofquestioning toaspecificarea,but youmustalways beready tocontrol theconversation incase theinterviewerdoesnot directyour reasoning.If youareunsure,simply asktheinterviewer.For instance,ifyoufind theinterviewer offeringlittle directionas youmovethroughyourinitial scoopingquestions,youmaywishtoask,1findthelack ofa riskassessment tobea potentialshowstopper.Might Iask somedetailed questionsaboutthisOr youmightsay,Given whatyouhave toldmeaboutthe situation,I wouldliketodrill downfor furtherclarity regardingthe clientscurrentrelationship withits distributionpartner.Would thatbe OK*In thisway,you takecharge ofthe lineofquestioning withoutstepping on the interviewersrole.
4.Make noassumptions!As acase interviewee,youshouldnever makeany assumptions.You shouldassume thepersona ofan actualconsultanttrying tolearn aboutan assignment.It mightseem obviousthat thereisnopreexisting workplanbecause ifthere was,why wouldthis beacaseinterview butyoushouldask.You should also askif thepanyhas encountereda similarproblem,or whatother paniesinthefield havedone whenfaced bysimilarproblems.Your interviewermaynotrelease thatinformation butwillbeimpressed thatyou askedthesesensible questions.Some goodbasic professional”questionstoask,which applyto mostcases:•Who hiredus•How longwill theseengagements lastIs thereawork planHas thepanyfaced this problemoropportunity before•If so,howdidit react•What wasthe oute•What haveother paniesfacing thissituation done•Hasthefirm alreadydone anyresearch into the issue•If so,what wereits findings
5.Maintain eyecontact.Always maintaindirect eyecontact duringthe caseinterview.Eye contactis criticalwhen answeringcasequestions—it demonstratesconfidence andauthority.Remember thatin consultingyoumayfind yourselfinfront of20executives ata majorcorporation presentinga strategyyouwerebriefed ononlyahalf-hourago.And thenyouhavetoanswerquestions!So youcan seewhy businesscase interviewingis soimportantto consulting-it isadirectparallel tothe environmentconsultants mustface everyday.Finance InterviewQuestionsWith Wall Street salariesskyrocketing,investment-banking jobsareashot asever.This meansits especiallyimportanttobepreparedforbanking andfinance interviews.These financeinterviewquestionsshould help.For morequestionsandinterview advice,read theVault.Guide toFinance Interviews.
1.How wouldyou value apanyyoure consideringbuyingOne ofthemostmon questionsWallStreetinterviewersask.Other variationsofthisquestion are:howwould youvalueastock youwere consideringbuying,taking public,etc.Wall Streetersuse thisquestion toseparatethe financejocks fromthe neophytes.Heres abasic answer thatshouldimpress yourinterviewer:One answertothisquestionisto discount the panysprojected cash flows bya risk-adjusted discount rate.After projectingthefirstfive or10years,you addinaTerminal Value/which representsthepresentvalueof allthe futurecashflowsthataretoo farinto thefuture toproject.You cancalculate theTerminal Valueinone oftwo ways:1you takethe earningsofthelast yearyou projected,say year10,and multiplyit bysomemarket multiplelike20times earnings,and thatsthe terminalvalue;or2youtakethelastyear,say year10,and assumesome constantgrowth rateafter that,perhaps10%.The presentvalue ofthis growingstream ofpaymentsafter year10is theTerminal Value.Note:To figureoutwhatdiscount rate1youwould use todiscountthepany*s cashflows,tell yourintervieweryouwoulduse theCapital AssetPricing Modelor CAP-M.In anutshell,CAPM saysthatthe properdiscountratetouseistherisk-free interestrate adjustedupwards toreflect thisparticular panysmarketrisk orbeta.nFinally,youshouldalso mentionother methodsof valuingapany,including lookingat parables,thatis,how othersimilar panieswere valuedrecently asa multipleoftheirsales,net ine,or someother measure.
2.Walk methrough themajor lineitems ona CashFlow statement.A questionto testyour accountingskills.Theanswer:First theBeginning CashBalance,then CashfromOperations,then Cashfrom InvestingActivities,then Cashfrom FinancingActivities,and finallytheEnding CashBalance.
3.What isEBITDAAlso known as cashflow,EBITDA isEarnings BeforeInterest,Taxes,Depreciation,and Amortization.
4.Say youknew apanys netine.How wouldyou figureout its cashflowA basicanswer:You start withthe panys netine.Then youadd backdepreciation andamortization.Thenyou subtractthepanysCapital Expenditurescalled CapEx”for short,thisishowmuchmoney thepanymust investeach yearon plantsand equipment.The numberyou getisthepany*scashflow:
5.pany Ais consideringacquiring pany B.pany AsP/E ratiois55times earnings,whereas panyBs P/Eratio is30times earnings.After panyA acquirespanyB,will panyAs earningsper sharerise,fall,or staythesamepany A*s earnings-per-share willrise,because ofthefollowingrule:when ahigher P/E panybuys alowerP/E pany,the acquirers earnings-per-share willrise.The dealis saidtobeaccretive,as opposedtodilutive,totheacquirersearnings.Defeating the12-Ball QuestionSomeinterviewquestionsare notoriouslydifficult.This particularlogic problemhas madeits appearanceatvarious consulting,investment bankingand techfirms includingMcKinsey andMicrosoft.Will youbeprepared ifyourinterviewersprings uponyoutheknotty12ball1dilemma Thanksto VaultReports,youcan answerin safety!Heres thequestion:You have12balls.All of them areidentical exceptone,which iseither heavieror lighterthanthe rest-it iseitherhollows while therest are solid,or solidwhiletherestarehollow.You havea simpletwo-armed scale,and arepermitted threeweightings.Can youidentify the odd ball,and determinewhether itis holloworsolidThis logicproblem issuretoput youranalytical abilityon display!First,well examinewhat thoughtprocessesan intervieweris lookingfor,and thenwell discussone solution.Start withthe simplestof observations.The number of ballsyou weighagainst each other mustbe equal.Yeah,its obvious,but whyBecause ifyou weigh,say threeballs againstfive,youarenot receivinganyinformation.In aproblem likethis,youaretrying toreceive asmuch informationaspossiblewith eachweighing.For example,oneofthefirstmistakes peoplemake whenexamining thisproblem isthat theybelieve thefirstweighing should involve allofthe balls6against
6.This weighinginvolves alloftheballs,but whattypeof informationdoesthisgiveyouIt actuallygives youno newinformation.You alreadyknowthat one ofthesides willbe heavier,and byweighing6against6,youwillsimply confirmthis knowledge.Still,youwanttogain informationabout asmany ballsaspossibleso weighing1against1is obviouslynotagoodidea.Thus thebest first weighing is4against
4.That way,you reserve4balls,and canobtain someinformationabout eachsubset of
4.Secondly,ifyouthinkthrough thisproblemlong enough,youwillrealize howprecious theinformationgained froma weighingis:You needto transfervirtually everypiece ofinformation youhave gainedfromone weighingtothenext.Say youweigh4against4,andthe scale balances.Lucky you!Now youknow thatthe odd ball isoneoftheunweighed
4.But don*t giveintotheimpulse tosimply work with thoseballs.Inthis weighing,youve alsolearned thatthe eightballs onthe scaleare normal.Try touse this information.You mustbe bothcreative andanalytical.Most peoplewhoworkthroughthisproblem consideronlyweighing a numberofballs againsteachother,and thentaking anotherset andweighing them,etc.Thiswont do.There areanumberof othertypesofmoves youcanmake-youcanrotate theballs,from onescaleto another,youcanswitch theballs,etc.Lets look atonesolution.For simplicityssake,wewillrefertoone sideofthe scale asSide A,andtheother asSide B.Step1:Weigh4balls against4othersCase A:If,onthefirstweighing,theballsbalanceIf theballs inour firstweighing balancewe knowthe odd ball isoneof those notweighed,but wedont knowwhetheritis heavy orlight.How canwe gainthisinformationeasily Wecan weighthem againstthe ballswe know tobe normal.So:Step2:Put threeoftheunweighed ballsontheSide A;put threeballs thatare knowntobenormal onSide B.
1.If onthis second weighing,thescalebalances again,we knowthatthefinal unweighedball istheodd one.a.Step
3.Weigh thefinal unweighedball theoddoneagainst oneofthenormal balls.With thisweighing,we determinewhethertheodd ballisheavyor lightILIf,ontheotherhand,with thissecondweighing,thescaletips toSide A,we knowthattheoddballisheavy.If ittips toSide B,weknowtheoddballislight,but letsproceed withthe assBrandManagement CaseQuestion:The BrandLaunchWhile WallStreet may control ourpurse strings,and Hollywoodmaycontrolour dreamsand imaginations,itisthe brandmanagers1whose guidinghands shapeeverything weeat andwear,andinfact,shape thewaywe thinkabout thesethings.The mostsought-after brandmanagement positionsare withleading consumerproductspanies suchas ProcterGamble andGeneral Mills.To climbtosuchlofty heights,brandmanagers sometimesknownasmarketing managers1undergo rigorousinterviews thatoften involvecasequestions.Brand casesvary inbreadth andspecificity-some maybe aboutpromotions,some aboutpricing,others aboutlong-term strategy.Vault.takes a lookatone typeof brandcase:the BrandLaunch/*SAMPLE QUESTION:If ourpany werelooking tointroduce acarpet cleanertoourline ofproducts,howwould yougoaboutdeveloping abusiness planIngeneral,interviewersareinterestedinwhat kindsof questionsyou ask,andyourunderstandingofmarketforces.Here,theintervieweris lookingforananswerthatdescribes theprocess youwoulduseindeveloping abusiness plan,not askingforabusiness planitself.Theinterviewermaybepleasantly surprisedifyou happentoknowthe size ofthecarpet cleanermarket-but theycertainly dontexpect it.Heres oneapproachto attackingthis case:STEP1:ANALYZE THEMARKET:The firstthing the marketing managershould dois gatherallavailable informationaboutthemarket.The logicalplace tostart wouldbethecarpet cleanermarket anditsfuture.How largeisthecarpet cleanermarket currentlyIs itexpectedtogrow inthenextseveral yearsWhatarethemain paniesinvolved Finally,how oftenis carpetcleaner sold,andinwhat channels*-ingrocery stores,in hardwarestores,in conveniencestores,asanimpulse buy,asanemergency buy,etcSTEP2:ASSESS YOURPANY SSTRENGTHS ANDWEAKNESSES:The nextissues amarketershould beawareofare hisor herpanys strengthsandweaknesseswhenitestothis market.Does thepanyproduce similarproducts,and thereforehaveabase ofRD expertiseDoes thepany havea distributionnetworkin placeIsthepany sittingon extracapital itis lookingto investintoaproduct launchMake suretoidentifythepanys weaknessesas well.Perhaps thepanyisbest knownamong homeowners forits easy touse anddisposable cleaningproducts-this demographic group maynot overlapmuch withthemarketforcarpet cleaner.STEP3:ASSESS CONSUMERPREFERENCES:A diligentbrand willalso considerbroader issuesindeveloping abusiness plan.One majorcategory ofthese isconsumer preferences.Are homeownersoptingfor hardwoodfloors andthrow downrugs ratherthan carpetingSTEP4:CONSIDER MACROTRENDS andOTHER ISSUES:Another majorconcern formarketers ismajormacro trends,suchasdemographic trends.Whatisthe keydemographicgroupthat usesthis productIsthis groupbeing largerover time,or shrinkingAre foreignmarkets beginningto consumemore carpetcleanerLegal andregulatory issuesshouldalsobe considered.Are aerosolcarpet cleanersbeing lessfeasiblebecause ofenvironmental regulationsSTEP5:DETERMINE OURPANYS OBJECTIVES:Finally,youmustdetermine yourpanysobjectives.Because consumertrends arefickle,and technologicalinnovation canquickly transformanindustry,brand strategyshouldingeneral notbe toofar-sighted.A five-year planisagood,safe waytopromise theneed forlong-term strategywiththepitfalls predictingfuture strategyinevitably brings.Interviewers maypresent youwith objectivesatthestart ofthecase.If theydont,ask.If noobjectives areproffered,funnel yourthinking intothree mainareas:market sharegrowth,financial performance,and brandidentity.GuesstimatesGuesstimates aremonly askedinconsultingand investmentbanking interviews.Generally,your interviewerasksyoutoestimatethenumber orsizeofsomething,and observesyour reasoningprocess.Mostinterviewers dontcare ifyou actuallyget thecorrect number-what theywanttosee isthatyouare abletologically thinkthrough aprocess,creatively thinkthrough anypossible exceptionsor shortcuts,andcalculate basicsums inyour head.You wontbe givenany realdata thoughyou wontneedtoknow muchmorebeyond thefact thatthe United States hasabout270million inhabitantsand25million businesses,andyou shouldntrequest any;its irrelevanttotheproblem athand.Make reasonableassumptions,witheasy-to-work-with numbers,and gofrom thereremember thatyoure expectedtouseapenand notepadtowork throughyour calculations.These guesstimatesmayalsoinvolve elementsof creativityand problemsolving.For example,when posedthequestion,How muchchange wouldyoufindonthefloor ofa mallyoumightwanttoask Isthere afountaininthemall”Lets takealookatasample guesstimate:X.How manygallons of white housepaint are soldintheU.S.each yearTHE START BIGnAPPROACH:If yourenot surewhere tobegin,startwiththe basicassumption thatthereare270million peopleintheU.S.or25million businesses,depending onthequestion.If thereare270million peopleintheUnited States,perhaps halfofthemlive inhouses or135million people.The averagefamilysize isabout3,so therewouldbe45million houses intheUnitedStates.Lets addanother10percentto thatfor secondhouses andhouses usedforotherpurposes besidesresidential.So thereare about50million houses.If houses are painted every10years onaverage noticehow wedeftly makethat numbereasytoworkwith,then thereare5million housespaintedeveryyear.Assuming thatone gallon of paint covers100square feetof wall,andthatthe averagehouse has2000square feetofwallto cover,then eachhouse needs20gallons ofpaint.So100million gallons of paintare soldper year5million housesx20gallons.Note:If youwant tobefancy,youcanask yourinterviewer whetheryoushouldinclude innerwalls aswell!If80percent ofallhouses are white,then80million gallonsofwhitehousepaint aresold eachyear.Donft forget that laststep!THESTARTSMALL APPROACH:You couldalso startsmall,and takea townof27,000about onetenthousandth ofthepopulation.Ifyouuse thesame assumptionthat halfthe townlives inhousesingroups ofthree,then thereare4,500houses,plus another10percent,then thereare really5,000houses toworryabout.Painted every10years,500housesarebeing paintedin anygiven year.If eachhouse has2,000square feetofwall,and eachgallonofpaintcovers100square feet,then eachhouse needs20gallons-and so10,000gallonsofhousepaintaresold eachyear inyour typicaltown.Perhaps8,000ofthosearewhite.Multiply by10,000-youhave80million gallons.Your interviewermay thenaskyouhowyouwould actuallygetthatnumber,onthejob,if necessary.Useyour creativity-contacting majorpaint producerswouldbesmart,putting ina callto。