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Case QuestionsCasequestions aremost commonlyused in consulting interviews,but theycan beused in other situations,such asin interviewsfor marketingpositions withconsumer goodscompanies.Simply put,a caseinterviewis theanalysis of a businessquestion.Unlike mostother interview questions,it is an interactiveprocess.Your interviewer will present you with a businessproblem and ask you for youropinion.Your jobis to ask the interviewerlogical questions that willpermit you to make a detailedrecommendation.Themajority ofcase interviewersdon*t have a specificanswer that you,the candidate,are expected to give.What the interviewer is looking foris athought processthat is at onceanalytical andcreative.Heres asamplecase question:You are advising acredit cardcompany thatwants tomarket aprepaid phonecard toits customers.Is thisa good ideaYou:What is the roleof our company Dowe simplymarket the card ormust wecreate themourselvesInterviewer:This cardwill beco-marketed with an outsidephone company.We don*t need to performtelecommunicationsfunctions.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 aminute.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 manygolfballs wouldfit into a
7473.How manygrocery storesare there in theU.S.BrainteasersHigh-tech companies,investment banksand consultingfirms arefamous for their brainteasers.Anyone,after all,can come up with a cannedanswer todisplay theirleadership andmanagement skills-but fewerpeoplecan quicklycome up with threesolid reasonswhy amanhole coveris round.Whether youreapplyingfor atechnical,corporate financeor marketingposition,expect to get afew of these beauties.Creativity andmental flexibilityand speedare ofparamount importanceto high-tech firms,and onesurefireway to test thesequalities isthrough theseslightly offbeatquestions.If youfield one of thesebrainteasers,your interviewer may give you a time limit.Dont becomeflustered.Simply tryto think through the question fromevery angleyou can.Most questionsrequire eitherlogic,thatever-popular out of the box1thinking,or both.
1.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 company has tenmachines thatproduce goldcoins.One of the machinesis producingcoinsthat area gramlight.How do you tellwhich machineis making the defectivecoins withonly oneweighingThinkthis through-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 toget 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 cantcome backby himselfwith theflashlight.Adam takesonly aminute toget across,Larry takestwo minutes,theEdge takesfive minutes,and slowpokeBono takesten minutes.A paircan onlygo asfast as theslowest member.They have17minutes toget across.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 theEdge mustgo acrosstogether.But theycan notbe the first pairorone of them willhave totransport theflashlight back.Instead,you sendLarry andAdam overfirst,takingtwo minutes.Adam comesback,taking anotherminute,for atotal ofthree minutes.Bonoand the Edgethengo over,taking tenminutes,and bringing the totalto
13.Larry comesback,taking anothertwominutes,for atotal of
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 intentionsand whether or not you want to answer it.In somecases,the question might beinnocuous enoughthatyoull feel comfortable answeringit.If you dont wish to discusssomething that you fearmight wrongfullybeused againstyou,then you should tactfullysay thatquestion doesnotrelate to your abilities to performthe 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 EssentialsCommonInterview QuestionsQuestionsasked byskilled andwell-prepared interviewersalways have a purposeregardless ofhowirrelevant to the position they mayseem.It is important torealize that the purposeof many questions isto 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 you go aboutbuying acarIn thissituation the interviewer is 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 competenciese.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 interms 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 this after 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 toenhanceand developskills and abilities necessaryfor the position.Question3“What do you wantfrom usnGuidelines-This isa goodtime totalk 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 theend 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 completed,but how yougoabout planningand assessingyour ownperformance.Arethere anypractical waysyou currentlymeasureyoursuccess inpart-time workor studye.g.sales figures,grades,and feedbackfrom yoursupervisor orlecturerQuestion5What appealsto you about thisjob”Guidelines-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 commit yourself toalong-term periodwith an employer if you donot honestlyfeel that you cando so.At thisstage you may notbein a position to know howlong you would seeyourself staying in anyone job.On the other hand,you arekeento putto workthe skillsthat you have developed.Avoid Tdon*t know*andashrug of the shoulders,as anemployer isusually trying to assesshow motivatedand interestedyou 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 employeesto make alife-long careerin theirorganization.You may want toexpress adesire toprogress asrapidly as ability andopportunitiesallow within the organization,or what you would like todo on a broaderscale.Question8“How longdoyou expect tostay withusnGuidelines-Do notcommityourselftoa specific timeunless you are quiteclear onthis.Indicate youanticipatestayingin the positionfor aslong asit takesto learnthe job and togain experiencein it,and thatyou then hope tomoveon within the organization.After makinga commentyourself,you canalways turnthis question back to the employer andask 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 notcompare yourselfwith otherapplicantseven if you knowsomeof them.If you are invitedby the interviewers tocompare yourselfwithother applicants,politely statethat you are notin aposition tojudge others,and leavethat sideof theinterviewingto them!Question11Have you applied for other jobsnGuidelines-Be honest.This question is oftenused duringgraduate recruitment.Your approachto jobhuntingindicates how you approachchallenges.Employers areaware of the competitivenessofthejobmarket.They would be mostsurprised if you indicatedthat youhave not applied for other 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 moreinterested inwhether youhave developedstrategies forcoping underpressurerather thaninwhat these strategiesare.Question13“Arent youover qualifiedfor this positionMGuidelines-This isa leadingquestion.If youhave beencalled for an interviewit isunlikely theemployerconsiders 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一sense!Question14nWhat are your majorstrengths and weaknessesnGuidelines-Once again theemployeris seekingtoascertainhow matureyou areand yourawareness of一To furtheroutline achievementsand skillsnot coveredso farin the interview.This isa goodtimeto askthe employerwhat skillsthey considerto be the mostcritical for the position,andwhetherthey seea gapinthe skills youhaveto offer.This willgive youan opportunityyourselfasaperson.If youhave a jobdescription,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 may havetoadmit that you donot havea particulartype ofexperiencecalled forhowever you may be able to give evidence of yourability todetermine theskillsrequired.Dont bring up toomany weaknesses-one ortwo willsuffice!Question15nHow muchdoyou knowabout our organizationnGuidelines-Your answerwill revealthe amountof homeworkyouhavedone beforetheinterview.Forexample,ifthe companyhasproducts in the marketplace looksfor theseat pointsof sale.Use yourinitiativeto findout as much as you canabout theorganization andduring theinterview citewaysin whichyou havegone aboutfinding outthis information.Question16nHow muchdoyou expect to be paid**Guidelines-This question is generallymore commonintheprivate sectorwhen youhave applied for aposition with noidentified salaryscale.Where thesalary range is unknownit is very important toinvestigate comparablerates elsewherebefore youattend theinterview.Never discusssalary untilthe endofthe interviewingprocedure,when theyhave actuallyoffered youthe position.If thequestion is askedbefore theoffer,reply alongthe linesthat untilan offer is made,you feelany discussionof salaryispremature.You mightalso addthat asa reputableorganization,you expectthat they will bepaying afairand competitivesalary for the position.When an offerismade talk about arange ratherthan afixed figure.Since theemployer createdtheposition,theywillalready havesome figurein mind.Find out what that is,二use yoursalary research,and dontundersell yourself.•to identifyskills and/or experiences,which havenot yetcomeupduring theinterview.Question18nWhy did you choose to major in...nGuidelines-Avoid theimpression of aimlessness oruncertainty.It isfine tomajorin a subjectbecause ofyourinterests.However bewilling totalk aboutthis interest.Show evidenceof knowledge,positiveattitude towardsstudy,and anunderstanding ofskills andknowledge youhave gained.Question19Question17“Have youanyquestionsfor usnGuidelines-It isimportant that you dohave questionsfor the following reasons:•In order to make your ownassessment ofthejobyou need to findout asmuch as possible about whatthe job is reallylike,or moreinformation about theorganization;•To show your seriousinterests intheposition and preparationfor theinterview;“What doyou do in yourspare timeGuidelines-employers seekinga fullerpicture ofyou orto help you relaxduring theinterview generallyaskthis.Finding outabout yourother interestsand leisureactivities givesemployers anotheropportunity touncoverskillsandabilities whichmay nothave beendiscussed.Other activitiesalso giveemployers achanceto assessyour enthusiasm,curiosity andquality oflife.Question20nWhat are the most important considerationsfor you in choosingajob”Guidelines-Answer interms ofjob objectives,training,experience availableor futureprospects.Do notanswer interms ofpay oroverseas travelorotherindications ofself ratherthan jobinterest.Question21“How doyou get onwithother people11Guidelines-This questionisaskedto findout moreabout yoursocial and interpersonal skills.Quoteexamples ofpast participationin teams,committees orcommunity organizations.Avoid discussingreasonswhy you donotgetonwith certainpeople.This isagoodopportunity togive evidenceof anysituations,whichyoumayhave had to use skillsof negotiation,motivation orconflict resolution.Question22nTell usabout aproject orpiece ofresearch youhave workedon whileat university”.This isaquestioncommonly askedat graduaterecruitment interviews.The interviewers are notparticularlyconcerned aboutwhich research/project you choosetogive as an example,but are moreinterested infindingoutthe stepsyou tookin completingthe project/research.By examiningwhy andhowthese stepswere taken,the interviewerscan getan ideaof someoftheskillsyoupossess,and assessyourabilitytosolve problems.Skills identifiedin your answer mayinclude:preparation andplanning,team work,time management,organizing andresearching.Interviewers may also ask you toelaboratefurther onthis issueby askingquestions suchas whatdid youlearn from this project*and whydo youconsiderthis projectto bean achievement,.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 competently.
2.Keep inmind thatanswering interview questions withgeneral responsesisnotmakingthe most ofyouropportunity.Interviewers want to hearevidenceofyourabilities.By beingfactual in your三四approach you can revealyour skillswithout appearingto beboastful.Illustrate yourCommonJob InterviewQuestionsBy rehearsinginterview questions,youll becomemore familiarwith your own qualificationsand will bewell preparedto demonstratehow you can benefitanemployer.Some examples:•Tell me about yourself.HMake ashort,organized statementofyour education andprofessional achievementsandanswers withconcrete examples wherever possible.Graduates withno full-time work experiencewill be able to use astheir examplestheir participationin sports,voluntary committeework,casual employmentor universitystudies togiveevidenceof initiative,administrative,research orcommunicationskills.Get a friend orfamily memberto askyou someofthequestions listedin thishandout andpracticeyour answersuntil youfeelcomfortablewith yourresponse.However,be aware of developingpatanswers andlisten carefullyto thequestions.
3.If youfeel youwouldlikemore assistance,a CareersAdviser isavailable to discussinformally/confidentially withyou waysin whichyou canimproveyourskills inhandling theseandother interview questions.Also,you cansign upfor one of ourmany workshopsrunthroughout theyear inorder togain morepractice ininterview skills.from yourmistakes.You shouldexplain anyproblems you had orstill havewith anemployer,but dontdescribe thatemployer innegative terms.Demonstrate thatit wasa learningexperiencethat willnot affect your futurework.•What are your bestskills**If youhave sufficientlyresearched theorganization,you should beableto imaginewhat skillsthecompany values.List them,then giveexampleswhere youhavedemonstrated theseskills.•What isyour majorweakness**Be positive;turn aweakness intoa strength.For example,you might say:I oftenworry toomuchover mywork.Sometimes Iwork lateto make sure thejobisdone well.,•Do youprefer to work byyourself orwith othersHTheideal answeris one of flexibility.However,be honest.Give examplesdescribing howyouhave workedin bothsituations.professional goals.Then,briefly describeyour qualificationsforthejoband the contributionsyoucould maketo theorganization.•Why doyou want to workheren orHWhat about our companyinterests you”Few questionsaremore important thanthese,so it isimportantto answerthem clearlyand withenthusiasm.Show the interviewer yourinterestinthe company.Share whatyou learnedabout thejob,the companyandthe industry through yourownresearch.Talk abouthowyourprofessionalskills will benefit thecompany.Unless you work insales,your answershould neverbe simply:money.”The interviewerwill wonderif you really care aboutthejob.四Why did you leaveyour lastjob”The interviewermaywant to know if youhad anyproblems onyour lastjob.If youdid nothaveany problems,simply givea reason,suchas:relocated awayfrom job;company 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•What are your careergoalsH orWhat areyour futureplans”The interviewerwants to knowifyour plansandthe companys goalsare compatible.Let himknowthat you are ambitiousenough toplan ahead.Talk aboutyour desireto learnmore andimproveyour performance,and bespecific as possible abouthowyou will meetthe goalsyou havesetfor yourself.•What areyour hobbies”and nDo 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 you are comfortableworking 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 expecting”You probablydont want toanswer this onedirectly.Instead,deflect thequestion backto theinterviewerby sayingsomething like:I 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 comparablejobsin yourarea arepaying.This informationcan helpyou negotiatecompensation oncetheemployer makes anoffer.•What haveI forgottento asknUsethis asa chanceto summarizeyour goodcharacteristics andattributes and how theymay beusedto benefittheorganization.Convince the interviewer thatyou understandthe jobrequirementsand thatyou cansucceed.Here aresome otherjob interview questions 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 accomplishmentsrecently•What isimportantto you in ajob•What motivatesyouin your work•What have you beendoing sinceyour lastjob•What qualitiesdoyou find importantin acoworkerYour CareerGoals•What would you like to beingdoing five years from now•How willyou judgeyourself successfulHow willyou achievesuccess•What type of positionareyouinterested in•How willthisjobfit in your careerplans•What doyou expectfromthisjob•Do youhavealocation preference•Can youtravel•What hourscanyouwork•When couldyou startYourWork Experience•What have you learnedfrom yourpast jobs•What wereyour biggestresponsibilitiesWhat specificskills acquiredor usedin previousjobs relateto thispositionYou:Okay,lets figurethis out.To sell1,000cards throughtelemarketing,we wouldneedto 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.Commonly-asked QuestionsCompaniesthese dayslook for more thanwhether yourea wittyor especiallycool individualwhen itcomes to personality.Among thecharacteristics higheston theirlist areteamwork andinnovation.Theymay notask whetheryouarea teamplayer,or creative—doesnt meanyou shouldntgo aheadand tellthem.But thenagain,alotof interviewers will askyou outright:tell mewhy yourpersonal traitswill workhere.
1.Why areyou applyingfor thispositionProbably the most commonly asked questionat job interviews.You needto convinceyour interviewerthatyou areenthusiastic aboutthejob.
2.Tell meabout atime when you usedinitiative/Give mean exampleof whenyou cameup with aninnovative solution/Give mean exampleof atime youexceeded expectations.In thisever-changing worldin which we work,employees aresupposed to be innovative,to beable tothinkoutsideofthebox.Questions likethese suchasthe way theinitiative question and“exceededexpectations questionsare wordedcan beused asopportunities totalk aboutcreative faculties--pick aninstancewhen showinginitiative meantcoming upwithanout-of-the-ordinary solution.
3.1see onyour resumethatyouserved aschairperson ofsuch-and-such committee.What wasthatexperience likeAlongwith innovation,employers oftenlook forleadership ability.In general,interviewers arelooking forevidenceofa willingnesstolisten,an abilitytogivefeedback,andafirmness when it comesto gettingthingsdone.
4.What wouldmembersofyour basketballteam/business schoolcohort/butterfly catchingexpeditionsay aboutyou Tellusabout atimeyouhadto deal withadifficult teammember.Teamwork is another highlyvalued traitthese days,companies arelooking foremployees who work wellingroups.If your interviewer doesntbringupteamwork,doityourself.These questionsare similarto theleadershipquestions-interviewersarelookingforboth anopenness toideas andawillingnessto nudgeteammembers towarda goal.How doesyour previousexperience relateto thisposition•What didyou likemost/least aboutyour lastjob•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 mostcommonly askedare:•Tell meabout yourself•What areyour strengthsand weaknesses•What experiencehaveyouhad thatqualifies youforthisposition•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 isinthepresentation.For example,nI workwell independently.makes astrengthoutofbeing 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 committed,that youarenot goingto bea disruptiveinfluence and thatyou will fitinto thecompany culture.To helpyou preparefor yourinterview seehow manyofthefollowing questionsyou can answercomfortably andwork onthose areaswhereyouare lessconfident.The momentofthejob interviewhas come.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 variationsofthe same 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 provideyou witha sampleanswer and howyou can changeit tosuit yourownrequirements.*Also wewill explainto youwhy the interviewer askedthat particularquestionandwhat heis reallytryingto findout.To checkthe fulllist of questions wewill coverclick here.The course.Instant Answers*to the most difficultinterviewquestions is ane-course thatyou candownloadonto yourcomputer intwo minutesafter you order.No waiting.No delays!Over the next fewdays itwill become your vitaltraining guideas youprepare foryourinterview.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 doyouhaveatthemomentI seethree areasof interest../Relate thoseto thepositionandindustry.3・How wouldyou describethe essenceof successAccording toyour deHnitionof success,howsuccessful haveyou beenso farThinkcarefully aboutyouranswerand relateit toyour careeraccomplishments.Tough InterviewQuestionsGeneral QuestionsX.Tellmeaboutyou!Keep youranswer toone ortwo minutes;dont ramble.Use yourresume summaryasabase tostart.
2.What doyou knowaboutour companyDo yourhomework beforetheinterview!Spend sometime onlineor atthelibraryresearching thecompany.Find outasmuchas you can,including products,size,income,reputation,image,management talent,people,skills,history andphilosophy.Project aninformed interest;let theinterviewer tellyouaboutthecompany.
3.Why doyou want to work for usDonttalk aboutwhatyou want;first,talkabouttheir needs:You wouldlike to be partofaspecificcompany project;youwouldlike tosolve a company problem;you canmakeadefinite contribution tospecific companygoals.
4.What wouldyou dofor 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 jobAnopportunity touse yourskills,toperformand berecognized.
8.Please give meyourdeflnition ofa....The positionfor whichyouare being interviewed.Keep itbrief—give anaction-and results-oriented definition.
9.How longwould ittake youto makea meaningfulcontribution to our firmNotlong at all—youexpectonly a 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 shouldn11ignore duringyourjobsearch.Most ofus havebeen oninterviews duringwhichwewere askedseemingly sillyquestions.Its nearlyimpossibleto prepareyourself forsuch questions.However,many interviewersuse amethod calledbehavioralscreening,and thisis somethingfor whichyou canprepareyourself.Behavioral screeningmeans that theinterviewerwill askquestions directedtoward actualpast experiencesyouhavehadin relationtoasituation.One suchquestionmightbe:Give mean exampleofatime whenyouneeded toadjust quickly.What didyoudoandhow did itturn out*Before youbegin toanswerthistype ofquestion,keep inmind that theinterviewer doesnt want to hearyouropinion orthewayyou tendto act.They wouldlikeyouto thinkofaspecific instancefrom youpastwhich fitsthequestionstated.Therefore responsesthat beginwith nIthink,“I believe,I amor nIwill”arenotappropriate.When yourespond tointerviewquestionsphrased likethe exampleabove,theinterviewerwillbelookingfor thefollowing information:1abriefdescriptionofthe problemor 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 andtell theinterviewer youneed aminute-and takethat timeto formulatethe bestpossible example.Dont worry aboutaminute ortwo ofsilence.Pausing tothink ismuch betterthan givinga poorexample.Behavioral typeanswers area greatway tocommunicate whatyoucandofor a potentialemployer.It maybeinyourbest interestto taketime beforetheinterviewto comeupwithsome examplesof situationswhichyou wantto includeif askedsuchquestions.Even ifyouarenot askedbehavioral questions,workingthese examplesinto theconversation willhelp toimpress theinterviewer.Some examplesof characteristicsyoumaywanttoprepare behavioralexamples forare;teamwork,abilityto dealwith stress,initiative,tenacity,attention todetail,follow-through,customer serviceorientation,technical skills,and communicationskills.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 don7memorize youranswerssothatyoucome offsoundinglike arobot;inotherwords,be prepared for thesequestions andhaveanoutline orscript ready,but dontworry aboutremembering youranswers word-for-word.
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 doyoureallywanttodoinlife
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 moneyorthetype ofjob
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 companylike ours
20.In whatways doyou thinkyoucanmakeacontributiontoourcompany
21.What qualitiesshould asuccessful managerpossess
22.Describe therelationship that should existbetween thesupervisor andthose reportingto himorher
23.What twoor threeaccomplishments 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,how wouldyouplan your studydifferently Why
31.What changeswouldyoumake inyour collegeor universityWhy
32.Do youhave plansfor continuedstudy Anadvanced degree
33.Do you think that your gradesareaindication ofyouracademicachievement
34.What haveyou learnedfrom participatingin extra-curricular activities
35.In whatkindofwork environmentareyou most comfortable
36.How doyouworkunder pressure
37.In whatpart-time orsummer jobshaveyoubeen mostinterested Why
38.How wouldyou describethe idealjob foryou followinggraduation
39.Why didyou decideto seekapositionin thiscompany
40.What doyou knowaboutourcompany
41.What twoor threethings aremostimportanttoyouinyourjob
42.Are youseeking employmentina company ofa certainsize Why
43.What criteriaareyouusing toevaluate thecompany forwhichyouhopeto work
44.Doyouhaveageographic preferenceWhy
45.Will yourelocate Doesrelocation botheryou
46.Are youwilling totravel
47.Areyouwilling tospend atleast sixmonths asa trainee
48.Why doyou thinkyou mightlike tolive inthe communityinwhichourcompany 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 atcompanies thatlike topromotefrom within.They wanttoknowthat yourecommitted totheindustryand willbe loyalto theircompany.
6.Where doyouseeyourself in5yearsYou dontnecessarily needtosaythatyouwanttoworkforthecompanyforever,but you should expresshowyouthinkthepositionto whichyouareapplying willhelpyougrow.
7.So youjust graduated.HowdidyoulikeschoolLoved it.Learned somuch.And letme tellyoualittle bitaboutwhattypes ofactivities Iwas involvedin.
8.What lessonsdidyoulearn fromyou 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 anticipatethisquestion.
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 performworkthat isrepresentative ofa full-time associate.*How manypeoplearetypically givenpermanent joboffers Andask forpercentages too.This showsyoureinterested inopportunities 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,themoreyouknowaboutthecompany,the betteryouwillbeabletodetermine whichdepartment interestsyoumost,or whetheryouwanttoworkat thefirmatall.If theresaspecificdepartment youwanttowork in,you shouldmake thisknown.*Doyouprovide anyassistance withrelocation Manyfirms willhelp locate,and evensubsidize,summer housing.If thismakesadifference inwhetheryou take theposition,ask.Strategies forAnswering BusinessCase QuestionsIf youre goinginto aninterview whereyou mightexpecta case questiona businessquestion 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 dontwanttoask 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 tobotherthe interviewer.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,ifyoufindtheinterviewer offeringlittle directionas youmovethroughyourinitial scoopingquestions,youmaywishtoask,“I findthe lackofarisk assessmentto beapotential showstopper.Might Iask somedetailed questionsabout thisnOr 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 thecompanyhas encountereda similarproblem,or whatother companiesinthefield havedone whenfaced bysimilarproblems.Your interviewermay notrelease thatinformation butwillbeimpressed thatyou askedthesesensible questions.Some goodbasic professionalquestionstoask,which applyto mostcases:•Who hiredusHow longwill theseengagements last•Is therea workplan•Has thecompany facedthis problemor opportunitybefore•If so,howdidit react•What wasthe outcome•What haveother companiesfacing thissituation done•Has thefirm 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 theVaultXXX Guideto FinanceInterviews.
1.How wouldyou value acompanyyoure consideringbuyingOne ofthemostcommon 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 thecompanysprojected cash flows bya nrisk-adjusted discountrate/After projectingthefirstfive or10years,you addinaTerminal Value/which representsthe presentvalue of allthe futurecashflowsthat aretoo farinto thefuture toproject.You cancalculate theTerminalValue inoneoftwo ways:1you takethe earningsofthelast yearyou projected,say year10,and multiplyitby somemarket multiplelike20times earnings,and thatsthe terminalvalue;or2youtakethelastyear,say year10,and assumesome constantgrowth rateafter that,perhaps10%.The presentvalueofthisgrowing streamof paymentsafter year10is theTerminal Value.Note:To figureoutwhatdiscount rateyouwould use todiscountthecompanys cashflows,tell yourintervieweryouwoulduse theCapital AssetPricing Modelor CAP-M.In anutshell,CAPM saysthatthe properdiscount ratetouseis therisk-free interestrate adjustedupwards toreflect thisparticularcompanys marketrisk orbeta.”Finally,youshouldalso mentionother methodsof valuingacompany,including lookingat“comparables,-thatis,how othersimilar companieswere valuedrecently asa multipleoftheirsales,net income,or someothermeasure.
2.Walk methrough themajor lineitems ona CashFlow statement.A questiontotestyour accountingskills.Theanswer:First theBeginning CashBalance,then CashfromOperations,then Cashfrom InvestingActivities,then Cashfrom FinancingActivities,and finallytheEnding CashBalance.
3.What isEBITDAAlso knownas cashflow,EBITDA isEarnings BeforeInterest,Taxes,Depreciation,and Amortization.
4.Say youknew acompanys netincome.How wouldyou figureout itscash flowAbasic answer:You start with thecompanys netincome.Then youadd backdepreciation andamortization.Then yousubtract thecompanys CapitalExpenditures called“CapEx“for short,thisishowmuchmoneythe companymust investeach yearon plantsand equipment.The numberyou getisthecompanys cashflow:
5.Company Ais consideringacquiring Company B.Company AsP/E ratiois55times earnings,whereasCompany BsP/E ratiois30times earnings.After Company A acquiresCompanyB,will CompanyAsearnings pershare rise,fall,or staythesameCompanyA*s earnings-per-share willrise,because ofthefollowingrule:when ahigher P/E companybuysa lowerP/E company,the acquirers earnings-per-share willrise.The dealis saidtobeaccretive,“asopposed todilutive,“totheacquirersearnings.Defeating the12-Ball QuestionSomeinterviewquestionsare notoriouslydifficult.This particularlogic problemhas madeits appearanceatvarious consulting,investment bankingand techfirms includingMcKinsey andMicrosoft.Will youbeprepared ifyourinterviewersprings uponyoutheknotty12ball dilemmaThanks toVault Reports,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 issure toput 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,youaretryingtoreceive asmuch informationaspossiblewith eachweighing.For example,oneofthefirstmistakes peoplemake whenexamining this problem 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,youwant togain 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 is oneoftheunweighed
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 lookat onesolution.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.I.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 brand managers*whose guidinghands shapeeverything weeat andwear,andinfact,shape thewaywe thinkabout thesethings.The mostsought-after brandmanagement positionsare withleadingconsumer productscompanies suchas ProcterGamble andGeneral Mills.To climbtosuchlofty heights,brandmanagerssometimes knownas marketing managersH undergorigorous interviewsthat ofteninvolvecase questions.Brand casesvary inbreadth andspecificity-some maybe aboutpromotions,someabout pricing,others aboutlong-term strategy.VaultXXX takesa lookatonetypeofbrand case:the nBrandLaunch.1SAMPLE QUESTION:If ourcompany werelooking tointroduce acarpet cleanertoourline ofproducts,howwouldyougoabout developinga business planIn general,interviewersareinterestedinwhat kindsofquestionsyou 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 themarketingmanagershould dois gatherallavailable informationaboutthemarket.The logicalplace tostart wouldbethecarpet cleanermarket anditsfuture.How largeisthecarpet cleanermarket currentlyIs itexpectedtogrow inthenextseveral yearsWhatarethemain companiesinvolved Finally,how oftenis carpet cleaner sold,andinwhat channels1-ingrocery stores,in hardwarestores,in conveniencestores,asanimpulse buy,asanemergency buy,etcSTEP2:ASSESS YOURCOMPANY SSTRENGTHS ANDWEAKNESSES:The nextissues amarketershouldbeawareofare hisor hercompanys strengthsandweaknesseswhenitcomestothis market.Does thecompany producesimilar products,and thereforehaveabase ofRD expertiseDoes thecompanyhaveadistribution networkin placeIs thecompany sittingon extracapital itislookingto investintoa productlaunch Makesuretoidentifythecompanys weaknessesas well.Perhaps thecompanyisbestknown amonghome ownersfor itseasy touse anddisposable cleaningproducts-this demographic groupmay notoverlap muchwiththemarket forcarpetcleaner.STEP3:ASSESS CONSUMERPREFERENCES:A diligentbrand willalso considerbroader issuesindeveloping abusinessplan.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 groupbecoming largerover time,or shrinkingAre foreignmarkets beginningto consumemorecarpet cleanerLegal andregulatory issuesshouldalsobe considered.Are aerosolcarpet cleanersbecomingless feasiblebecause ofenvironmental regulationsSTEP5:DETERMINE OURCOMPANYS OBJECTIVES:Finally,youmustdetermine yourcompanysobjectives.Because consumertrends arefickle,and technologicalinnovation canquicklytransform anindustry,brand strategyshouldingeneral notbe toofar-sighted.A five-year planisagood,safeway tocompromise theneed forlong-term strategywiththepitfalls predictingfuture strategyinevitablybrings.Interviewers maypresentyouwith objectivesatthestart ofthecase.If theydont,ask.If noobjectives areproffered,funnel yourthinking intothree mainareas:market sharegrowth,financial performance,and brandidentity.GuesstimatesGuesstimates arecommonly askedinconsultingand investmentbanking interviews.Generally,yourinterviewer asksyoutoestimatethenumber orsizeofsomething,and observesyour reasoningprocess.Most interviewersdont careifyouactually getthe correctnumber-what theywanttosee isthatyouareable tologically 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 mail1youmightwanttoask Isthere afountaininthemall”Lets takea lookatasample 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 thereareabout50million houses.If houses are painted every10years onaverage noticehow wedeftly makethat numbereasy toworkwith,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。