2004-2005 penn wharton undergraduate cc

8/7/2019 2004-2005 Penn Wharton Undergraduate CC

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IntroductionThe mission of the Wharton Undergraduate Consulting Club is two-fold. We hope to provid

the students of the University of Pennsylvania with an understanding of the consulting indust

so they can make informed career choices in the future. Our second goal is help those who hidentified themselves as potential consultants with the job search so they have the best possib

chance to obtain the career they desire.

If you have access to this book, it means you are an official paid member of WUCC who is

strongly considering a career in consulting. This guide is meant to be used in conjunction wi

your WUCC Consulting Interview Pod to supply you with a stepping stone for basic interview

practice, although you are free to use it in other contexts. Pod Directions at the beginning

each section will explain the ideal way for your pod to use the following section. Each perso

the pod will have a rotating role in the group, so for simplicity this guide will use the followin

terminology:

Pod(A): Paw-da; the member of the pod who is administering the interview

Pod(R): Paw-der; the member of the pod who is receiving the interview

Pod(O): Paw-doh; the member of the pod who is observing the interview

When you get together with your pod, each of you should plan to be a Pod(A), Pod(R) and Po

(O) at least once per session.

Finally, many of the cases we recommend using are protected through copyright law and

therefore cannot be reprinted or modified by our organization. In these instances, we have

provided the direct URLs to the cases with an explanation for how best to utilize the particula

case. Simply print out the page the URL directs you to and keep it along with this guide. Th

should be no need to print out any additional materials except the URLs specified herein.

If, during the course of your practice you come across more cases you believe will be helpful

please email us at [email protected] and we will review it for future editions.

Best of luck!

- WUCC Board


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Fit QuestionsAlthough this guide is geared to case interview, it is important to recognize that fit questions

also very important during the interview process. This is your chance to show the firm that y

are a unique individual who is able to bring value to the organization. You should be able toanswer a basic set of questions about you, your experience, your plans, your reason for wanti

to work in the industry and your reason for wanting to work for this company in particular. T

key to the fit interview is to be engaging and interesting while making sure not to ramble.

Pod Directions

Devote at least one of your pod sessions to going over a random assortment of fit questions.

Pod(R) should envision herself interviewing for her favorite consulting firm. The Pod(A) sho

ask one to two questions from each relevant category and makes notes on the content of the P

(R)s answers. The Pod(O) should make notes about the style and flow of the Pod(R)s

responses, particularly marking down the number of times the Pod(R) says the word Um. F

interviews should last from 20 to 30 minutes, followed by a quick debriefing.


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Fit Question SetsPersonal

Tell me about yourself.

Walk me through your resume. What are you most proud of on your resume?

What are your career and educational goals?

Tell me what you have learned from your previous jobs?

What did you dislike most about your last job?

How would your friends describe you?

What would other members of your learning team say about you?

Explain to me why you made your previous job changes.

Where do you see yourself in 5/10 years?

What are the three most important events in your life?

Give me three words to describe yourself.

What new goals have you established for yourself recently?

If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?

What were you doing during this gap of time I see here on your resume?

Tell me about a decision you have made that you later regretted.

What are the three best ideas youve had in the past five years?

In what kind of work environment do you do your best work?

With what kind of people do you like to work?

What types of tasks and responsibilities motivates you the most?

What are the attributes of an ideal job for you?

Did you get an offer from the firm you worked for this summer?

Do you have other offers? Why would/wouldnt you take our offer over one of the othe

What do you enjoy doing outside of work in your free time?

If you had six months ahead with no obligations and no financial constraints, what wou

you do?

If you could invite anyone you would like to a dinner party (famous or historical figures

or alive), which ten people would you invite?

If you could trade places with someone for a week, who would it be?

What is your favorite book/movie/song/painting or author/actor/singer/artist?

Which magazines/newspapers do you read regularly? Which books have you read recently?


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Management/Leadership Style

What is your management philosophy?

Define leadership. Tell me about a time when you successfully resolved a conflict.

Give an example of a leadership role you have held when not everything went as planne

How would you define your leadership style?

What is an example of an experience in which you took on a leadership role?

How have you demonstrated initiative?

What are some key lessons you have learned about motivating people?

What skills does a good brand manager need? Demonstrate that you have these.

Tell me about a time you led a team/project.

Give me an example of a time you were able to change a managers opinion.

Why are you a good manager?

Tell me about a time when you changed your boss opinion.

Do you consider yourself a team player?

Tell me about your past experience working in teams?

Strengths/Weaknesses and Skills

Are you creative? Give me an example.

What is your biggest weakness?

Give an example of something you have done that shows initiative.

What makes you stand out from your fellow students?

What can you do for us that someone else cannot do?

Name one thing you learned from your previous experience/internship?

Give me an example of one of your successes.

Give me an example of one of your failures.

Have you ever failed at anything?

Describe the accomplishment of which you are most proud.

What has been your greatest challenge?

What strengths and attributes could you bring to this position?

Tell me how you overcame an especially difficult challenge?

What makes you different from the other candidates interviewing for this position? Why should we hire you?

Fit Question Sets


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Interpersonal Style/Skills

How competitive are you?

How do you work under pressure? Give me an example of a time when you successfully worked within a team.

What types of people seem to rub you the wrong way?

Define cooperation.

Education

What made you decide to major in ____?

What have you learned at Penn that will help you on this job?

What extra-curricular school activities are you involved in? Do you hold any leadership

positions?

What electives have you taken? Which did you enjoy the most?

Why didnt you attend (another school)?

How do you balance the different priorities student life presents?

What is your favorite class?

Why did you choose Penn?

How did you select your major?

Describe the course that has had the greatest impact on your thinking.

How did you become involved in your extracurricular activities?

If you could make a major policy change at Penn, what would it be?

Job/Company/Industry

Why are you pursuing this field?

Discuss what attracts you to a career in consulting/marketing/Hi-tech.

Given that you have no background in this field, why are you interested in it?

What do you predict is going to happen in this industry in the next 5 years?

What do you know about our company?

Do you know who our competitors are?

What interests you most about this position?

What parts of the job do you think you would find least satisfying?

You have 5 minutes to describe the most relevant and specific items in your backgroundshow you are uniquely qualified for this position.

Fit Question Sets


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What would you add to our firm?

What particular expertise do you have that would lend itself well to this position?

Demonstrate/illustrate skills that you can transfer from past experience. How did you learn about the industry?

By entering it, what do you hope to learn?

Where would you like to be in ten years?

How will consulting help you get there?

What do you like about our company?

Why do you want a consulting/marketing job/why do you want to work for our compan

What position are you interested in? Do you know what the responsibilities of the posit

are?

Why would you want to work for this firm?

What do you think differentiates our firm from the others?

What interests/impresses you about this company?

What do you believe are the key issues and problems in our industry today?

What do you think it takes to be successful in this field?

What other jobs/fields are you considering?

What do you think you would like least about this job/company/field?

Can you tell me who our main competitors are and why?

How would you evaluate a new market?

What from your prior jobs could you bring to the company (skill sets)?

Tell me about where our company is headed.

What company in the market do you admire most and why?

How do you value a potential acquisition?

Give me an example of a well/poorly marketed product.

Give me an example of a good/bad advertisement.

Tell me about a new product you would like to launch? How would you do that?

What product are you most loyal to? Why?

What is the target market for product x? How do you know?

If product x would be a person, how would it be?

How would you increase sales on X product?

How would you segment the computer market? What do you need to do to be a good marketing person?

Fit Question Sets


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Fit Question SetsLocations

Do you have a geographical preference?

Why do you want to relocate to _____? Are you willing to relocate every two years or so?

How do you feel about travel?

Are you familiar with how taxing travel can be?

Wrap-Up

What would you like me to know about you that is not on your resume?

What would you like your lasting impression to be?

Do you have a final statement?

Do you have any questions youd like to ask?


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The goal of brain teasers and market sizing questions is to see that you can take an ambiguou

problem figure out a logical solution. Undergraduates tend to get a disproportionate number

market sizing questions versus business questions, since many undergraduates lack a lot of rebusiness experience. The answer to a market sizing/brain teaser is not important. The structu

you use to arrive at the answer is what is what interviewers are more concerned with. Since

structure is key, it is crucial that you speak out loud so the interviewer can follow your thoug

path and help you out if you get stuck. Try not to become too focused on your paper and inst

try to engage the interviewer, ask clarifying questions and show your confidence in your

reasoning.

Math will most likely be involved, and calculators are usually not an option. Do not get flust

by the math because it is really all just arithmetic. Use round numbers that can easily be

multiplied and divided. Remember you are estimating something that usually no one has the

answer to anyway, so moving up the population of the United States from 270 million people

300 million people is perfectly acceptable. If you do run across a glaring math error, dont b

afraid to admit that to your interviewer, go back and then fix the problem.

Pod Directions

Devote at least one of your pod sessions to going over a market sizing questions. The Pod(R

should have a sheet of paper and a pen and work through the problem out loud in front of the

(A) and Pod(O). The Pod(A) should ask the question and follow the Pod(R)s logic. If the lo

is unclear or the math is faulty, the Pod(A) should ask for clarification as to why the Pod(R) d

that last step. The Pod(O) should make notes about the style and flow of the Pod(R)s respon

particularly marking down the number of times the Pod(R) says the word Um or fidgets wi

the pen. Market Sizing and brain teasers should last from 15 to 20 minutes, followed by a qu

debriefing.

Question set 1 provides your group with answers to market sizing and brain teaser questions.

Once you have gone through those cases, you will see how the answers to these questions sho

be structured. Question set 2 provides your group with possible questions without answers. this point you should realize the answers are irrelevant to the interview process and be able to

proceed with a question only.

Market Sizing / Teasers


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Market Sizing / TeasersMarket Sizing/Brain Teasers - Set 1 (Courtesy of The Boston Consulting Group)

http://www.bcg.com/careers/interview_prep/market_sizing.jsp

BCG lists three questions along with suggested answers. Your answers and logic flow do no

need to be the same. After the Pod(R) finishes answering the question, discuss BCGs solutio

aying attention to the structure of the logic.

Market Sizing/Brain Teasers - Set 2

How many gas stations are there in Chicago?

How many sheep are there in New Zealand?

How much does a fully loaded Concorde weigh on take-off?

Why are manhole covers round?

How many car batteries are sold in the US each year?

How many diapers are sold in China each year?

How many DVDs are rented in the US each year?

How would you explain a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to a space alien?

How many green cars exist in the US?


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The Business CaseBusiness cases can test you on a variety of areas, from general business acumen, creativity, lo

and math skills. You should be able to break down a complex problem and solve each piece

guide you toward a solution. Much like the market sizing and brain teaser questions, yourstructure and analysis are the most important aspect, not necessarily your business knowledge

The answer is not necessarily important if you have a good logical foundation, however in a

business case there is usually a specific answer the interviewer is trying to drive you toward.

The general format you should taken when doing a business case is:

1) Clarify the question, make sure you know what you are being asked

2) Structure your response by identifying key issues

3) Develop a logical framework that will answer the question. Try not to focus on canned

responses and frameworks like I will use Porters five forces.

4) Analyze issues and test your hypotheses by walking through your framework and discussin

your findings.

5) Summarize case and give a recommendation. Do not be afraid of closing the case.

Pod Directions

Devote at least one of your pod sessions to going over business case questions. The Pod(R)

should have a sheet of paper and a pen and work through the problem out loud in front of the

(A) and Pod(O). Pod(A) preparation is critical for the success of these practice sessions as th

will have to know the outcome of the case and help guide the interviewer. The Pod(A) shoul

ask the question and follow the Pod(R)s logic. If the logic is unclear or the math is faulty, th

Pod(A) should ask for clarification as to why the Pod(R) did that last step the way they did. T

Pod(O) should also watch for structure and logic but should also make notes about the style a

flow of the Pod(R)s response, particularly marking down the number of times the Pod(R) sa

the word Um or fidgets with the pen. Business cases are time consuming and should last fr

20 to 30 minutes, followed by a quick debriefing.

All the question sets provide your pod with a lot of case detail, with possible clarification

questions and answers to those questions. It is important the Pod(A) take ten minutes before

interview to understand the facts and the direction of the case. If the Pod(R) asks a question Pod(A) does not have an answer to, guide the Pod(R) in the right direction by saying that is

good question, but Im more interested in costs for this question.


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Business Case SetsBusiness Case Question - Set 1 (Courtesy of The Boston Consulting Group)

http://www.bcg.com/careers/interview_prep/practice_caseOL_print.html

Business Case Question - Set 2 (Courtesy of The Boston Consulting Group)http://www.bcg.com/careers/interview_prep/practice_caseOL2_print.html

Business Case Question - Set 3 (Courtesy of The Boston Consulting Group)

http://www.bcg.com/careers/interview_prep/practice_caseOL3_print.html

Business Case Question - Set 4 (Courtesy of The Boston Consulting Group)

http://www.bcg.com/careers/interview_prep/practice_caseOL4_print.html

BCG practice cases flow like a conversation. The Pod(A) should become familiar with the c

themselves before interviewing the Pod(R). The Pod(A) should start administering the case b

reading Step 1 aloud to the Pod(R). At this point the Pod(R) is free to solve the case as the

like and ask the Pod(A) for more information. The Pod(A) can show charts and graphs for

clarification, but nothing else. The case does not necessarily need to follow the same structur

the BCG conversation.

Business Case Question - Set 5 (Courtesy of Mercer Management Consulting)

http://www.mercermc.com/Join/Interview/HammerJack/p02.asp

http://www.mercermc.com/Join/Interview/HammerJack/p50.asp

Print out both URLs. The Pod(A) should become familiar with the case themselves before

interviewing the Pod(R). The Pod(A) should start administering the case by reading the

information from the first URL aloud to the Pod(R). At this point the Pod(R) is free to solve

case as they like and ask the Pod(A) for more information. The Pod(R)s final recommendatwill involve some brainstorming and possibly some market sizing to prove it is the best choic

therefore the Pod(R)s recommendation may not be the same as the Mercer MCs.

Business Case Question - Set 6 (Courtesy of Bain & Company)

http://www.bain.com/bainweb/Join_Bain/interview/case_interview_fast_food_print.asp

This case is a narrative which involves multiple questions. Do not feel pressured to finish thi

entire case because cases this long are not expected to be finished in the time allotted. The P

(A) should become familiar with the case themselves before interviewing the Pod(R). The Po

(A) should start administering the case by reading the client information and first question

aloud to the Pod(R). After the first question has been answered, the Pod(A) should move on the next question and so and so forth until the is reached or the time is up. Answers to each o

the questions do not necessarily have to match Bains recommended answers.


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dditional ResourcesThe WUCC Consulting Interview Pod Guide is meant as a starting point for your adventures

consulting interviews. If you and your pod would like to practice more cases, we suggest you

check the Career Services library for more resources or consider purchasing the following finbooks:

Vault Guide to the Case Interview. 5th edition (November 1, 2002)

ISBN: 1581311672

List Price: $29.95

Ace Your Case! The WetFeet Insider Guide to Consulting Interviews. Reissue edition (Aug

15, 2003)

ISBN: 1582072477

List Price: $24.95

Ace Your Case II: Fifteen More Consulting Cases. Reissue edition (August 15, 2003)

ISBN: 1582072469

List Price: $24.95

Case in Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation. 3rd edition (January 13, 2004)

ISBN: 0970431708

List Price: $20.00

2004-2005 penn wharton undergraduate cc

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