Interview Question Bank: Konquest Committee

Interview Question Bank Konquest Committee Vertical: Consulting and Strategy

Brief Guidelines about Consulting/ Strategy domain and questions which a candidate might face in such interviews: Consulting/ Strategy interview in a nutshell: -

-

-

Strategy is not always a specific domain in companies rather it involves high level business decisions which are a part of various verticals in the company like Marketing, Sales, and Finance etc. and aim towards beating the competition with profits in mind Unlike other domains where one might expect vertical specific questions, in a consulting diverse questions will be asked Mainly the interviewer checks the overall understanding and the dynamism in the candidate to adapt to various business functions Have a good understanding of whatever is mentioned in the CV. Questions may take the form of the business implications of the prior work experience rather than sticking to the technicality of the context Strategy/ Consulting involves plethora of frameworks but most of them except few basic frameworks are not required at this point as 1st year students have not been taught any Strategy course till now

Few Frameworks, students must be aware of: a) SWOT analysis/ matrix (use and application) b) Porters’ five forces framework (use and application) Few Pointers: -

Listen to the question very carefully Take some time to answer the question and don’t be in a hurry In a consulting interview, analytical and problem solving skills are taken into consideration

-

Answers should be crisp and clear and it’s not advisable to give long answers to which interviewer lose interest

Few questions: Q1. Q2. Q3. Q4. Q5.

Q6.

Q7. Q8.

Q9. Q10.

Q11.

What according to you is Deloitte/ Mahindra/ Cognizant etc.? How will you define Strategy? If a company is planning to hire a CEO, will it come under a strategic decision Our company is planning to enter retail business and wants to know the attractiveness in retail market, which Strategy framework will be suitable in this aspect? Tell us a problem which our firm is facing, if any and what should be your approach in dealing with it [Note: We strongly urge to have a good understanding of the organization’s business and current happenings related to that organization] What is the difference between Merger and Joint venture? Any recent example of involving merger and Joint ventures? [Note: Be thorough with the current business happenings] How does Strategic Alliance helps the companies involved in partnerships Which industry you are interested in? What do you predict is going to happen in this industry in another 5 years [Note: It is advisable to follow at least one industry of interest to the depth] Can you summarize the current monetary policy for India? How it will affect you as a citizen of India. Are you aware of the problems Volkswagen is currently facing? What should be your road map to deal with such crisis? [Note: Any such business problem can be given and candidate will be asked to give the solution to the problem] One might face Guesstimates questions like: a) Estimate the bicycle market in India b) Estimate the number of bakeries in Kozhikode district c) A situation: Mr. XYZ wants to open a cricket academy in a district which experiences heavy rainfall. This cricket academy will have many practice pitches. According to you, how many cricket balls are required in a month for this cricket academy? d) What is the size of the market for disposable diapers in China/ India? [Note: In guesstimates, accurate answer is never expected but interviewer is looking for the approach followed by the candidate. It is advisable for the candidate that he/she should ask relevant questions to arrive at the final answer and take sufficient time to answer the questions]

ALL THE BEST!