Interview Preparation

1. Best practice of interview preparation
An IIMB NSRCEL & Goldman Sachs Supported Firm

2. About Us

3. Some success stories – Accenture Strategy & PwC India

4. Some success stories – Accenture Strategy

5. Some success stories – Product Management

6. Some success stories – VC

7. Some success stories – Amazon

8. Some success stories – Accenture Strategy

9. Some success stories – Infosys Consulting

10. Some success stories – Multiple

11. Some success stories – Multiple

12. Some success stories – Multiple

13. Agenda
1. What do recruiters look for in candidate during interviews
2. Different type of interviews
• Common questions
• Behavioural
• Situational
• Resume based
• Industry/ functions/ Technical based
• Case interviews
• Guesstimates

14. What do recruiters look for in candidate during interviews?
Talent | Potential
Competence for
the job

15. What do recruiters look for in candidate during interviews?
Talent | Potential
Achievements |
Projects | Spikes
Competence for
the job
JD | PPTs |
Websites | Mentors
from that company/
industry

16. Some common questions - TMAY
• One line of basic detail about you/ broad profile (years of exp, company
you worked in, graduation etc.)
• Don’t take too much time here
• Talk about your accomplishments (Academic, Professionals & Personal)
• Try to prioritize the relevant accomplishments for the company and bring
out some relevant knowledge, skills as required for the job
• Why you are interested in the job/ role
• Optional: Close with something which you want recruiter to ask questions
on

17. Example- TMAY
• I am Alok having 14 years of experience in Consulting, Start Ups and Power
industries in companies such as PwC, NTPC and my own Ed-Tech start up
GoCrackIt.
• I have helped my previous organization in saving USD 150 mn in purchase of
imported coal worth Usd 2 bn by doing an innovative contract packaging.
• I have managed, led and successfully delivered two large Digital Transformation
projects for 2 large clients in Automotive and Real Estate, not only ensured end to
end system driven automation but also achieved millions of dollars for my firm
while leading 20+ consultants
• I am really excited to apply for this job because….

18. Some common questions
• What is your weakness
• Don’t be evasive
• Understand which trait has ‘consistently’ impacted your work performance
• What are you doing to improve and what’s the status
• Use examples/ stories
• Why do you want to join this role
• Tell genuinely how it aligns with your short term/ long term objective
• Talk about learning opportunities, quality peers etc.
• You can reuse some relevant facts/ examples mentioned by them in PPT/
website

19. Behavioral interviews
• In behavioral interviews, you need to showcase your knowledge,
skills and competencies by giving specific examples from past
experiences
• Expect questions like "Tell me a time when..." or "Give me an
example of when..."
• Which types of companies are famous for behavioral interviews?

20. Behavioral questions examples
• Tell me about a time when you had to analyze large amount of data
to solve a problem ?
• Tell me a time when you have to take calculated risk?
• Tell me a time you have take initiative to solve a problem?
• Tell me about a time when you took a decision under pressure
• Tell me about a time when you committed to a team member but
could not live up to their expectations. How did you earn their trust
again?

21. Behavioral interviews – how to prepare?
• Create an "Behavioral preparation sheet" in excel and write one line
each of whatever you have done in the past
(Use Amazon 14 principles of leadership as reference)
https://aws.amazon.com/careers/culture/
• In next column describe each instance in detail using STAR format

22. Use a structure approach – STAR framework
• Situation
An event, project or challenged faced
• Task
Your responsibilities, assignment or objective of the project
• Action
Steps taken to relieve or rectify the situation
• Results
Results of action taken. Try to bring out not only specific impacts
but also how it helped the company in their overall business

23. STAR framework - Example
• Executive Summary
I completed a very complex SAP logistics development project within 4 days (as
opposed to 10 days) for a large FMCG clients which was entering in UK market despite
working alone as my coworker got some personal emergency.
• Situation
In my last job, we needed to develop a very complex and urgent logistics development
for a client which was launching its operations in UK. In this situation I had to work
alone as my coworker had a family emergency and needed to miss work for some days.

24. STAR framework - Example
• Task
My supervisor instructed me to take on the project alone, and with no
leniency on the deadline, I had few days to complete the project that
originally should have done with two resources.
• Actions (Bring your skills here)
I negotiated with my boss for a reduction in my weekly goals, allotting
me more time to attack the special project. As far as my weekly goals, I
was able to delegate them out evenly to some of my teammates.

25. STAR framework - Example
• Results
With the reduction in my daily goals, I was able to dedicate more time to
the special project. This allowed me to finish it 5 days before time, enable
my client to start the operation as planned and with complete accuracy.
My supervisor appreciated my attitude and drive, and I was given
several more projects after that, along with an eventual promotion and
pay raise.

26. Behavioral questions: Common mistakes/ issues
• Choosing a story that is not impactful
• Choosing a story in which you can not explain your role
• Poor communication skill
• Telling a story with too much technicalities
• Telling a story which is too much detailed (use executive summary,
be crisp, sense check in between)

27. Situational interviews
• Like a behavioral interview, during situational interview candidates
are asked specific questions about what may happen on a job.
• The candidate is asked to assess a situation and to provide solutions
on how he or she would handle it.

28. Example
• Your team members not listening to you, what you will you?

29. Situational interviews – How to prepare
• Try to come up with a similar situation in the past and answer it
like a behavioral question

30. Situational questions – Examples
• What you will do if your team members are not listening to you?
• How do you deal with an unsatisfied customer?
• What you will do if your team is not able to take decisions?

31. Situational questions: Common mistakes/ issues
• Not using logic/ facts/ data/ examples
• Giving up too early

32. Resume based interviews
• Be very thorough about your resume
• Not knowing any point written in resume in great detail is strict no-
no
• If you have done lot of job shifts, be ready to answer that
• If you have shown poor academics, be ready to defend that
• If you have travelled across countries/ geographies etc. , be ready to
talk about the difference in culture etc.
• Be prepared with all the details in a structured format

33. Resume based questions - Example
• You have saved xyz mn in this project, this seems unbelievable can
you explain?
• You have worked in this project tell me some of the learning from
this project?
• You have worked in this algo/ model how you can use that in our
case

34. Interviews around MBA courses / Value add from MBA
• At least be ready with two subjects fully
• Know all the important frameworks 5S, 4P, BCG matrix, Porter's
etc.
• For preparing for value add from MBA type of question, use your
Behavioral preparation sheet, in which add one more column and
write how you will do it differently post MBA

35. Industry/ function/ technical knowledge based interviews
• Algorithms/ models , their use cases
• Industry structure, KSF, key players, new trends, disruptions,
future potential
• Knowledge of company/ its products etc.
• Understanding of function and its theoretical/ practical aspects
• Knowing current trends, future projections etc.

36. Questions related to emerging technology domain
• Use cases
• Benefits
• Business case (RoI)
• Risks
• What companies are doing to convince clients to adopt emerging
technology

37. Questions related to finance domain
• Significance of financial statements
• Difference between IRR, RoI, NPV
• What is WACC
• What is CAPM
• How do you value a firm
• What makes a good financial model
• What is negative working capital? Is it beneficial?
• What are the key drivers of M&A
• What is pre-money and post-money valuation?
• Questions on ratio analysis: Current ratio, Quick ratio, Cash ratio, P/E ratio, Profitability ratios
(like gross margin, net margin etc.), Risk ratios, Asset utilization ratio, inventory turn ratio, Days
receivables

38. Questions related to Marketing domain
• 5C
• 4P
• STP
• CAC/ LTV
• Solution selling, consultative selling
• Digital marketing
• Case: How will we improve sales of our XYZ product?

39. Questions related to Analytics domain
• CLT
• Probability
• Hypothesis testing
• Linear regression
• Logistic regression
• Recommendation engine
• Case: A book shop wants to open a store in your campus, what data would you need to help them
take this decision, what kind of analysis will you do, what metric will you measure

40. Questions related to HR domain
• Personalities
• Theories of motivations
• New trend sin HR
• Hire to retire cycle
• Culture
• M&A integration
• Change Management

41. What should be kept in mind for virtual interviews?
Clear
communication
skills
Engaging
conversation
Back up plan for
network issues
Keep all you
projects/ proofs
handy and in soft
copies

42. What if you are not prepared/ sure of answer
Clarify
What is the type
of question
Use your
previous
experience, if any
Be structured
and logical

43. How to negotiate
Did you able to
demonstrate that
What value you
are bringing to
the table

44. Medium term/ long term goal
Check the profile
of alumni of
company
Be realistic

45. Summary
• Explore
• Go through websites of your target companies / MBBs/Accenture and read case studies
• Read up a lot of JDs, make notes of what is the requirement of the company: Knowledge,
skills, key words etc.
• Read up emerging technologies: Use cases, benefits, RoI, Risks, how different companies
are adopting/ convincing to adopt
• Read up a lot of frameworks & reflect how you can apply in real situations (not force fit it,
not throw jargon but utilize them properly)
• Read The McKinsey Way/ Goal
• Prepare
• Prepare all behavioral answers, resume points in STAR framework
• Interview preparation sheet including what is the value add from MBA

46. Summary
• Prepare at least 2 subjects well
• Understand/create your frameworks for answering situation questions
• Practice
• Answering your stories
• Practice case studies and guesstimates with 1-2 people
• In general do a lot of practice, practice, practice