Case Interview Preparation Package

Case Interview Applied Value Linnégatan 18, Floor 8 Preparation PO Box 5047 Package SE-102 41 Stockholm, Sweden Phone: +46 (0)8 562 787 00 Fax: +46 (0)8 562 787 01 www.appliedvalue.com

Case Interview Preparation Package Introduction and Guidelines to Case Interviews Introduction and Guidelines to Case Interviews Basic Frameworks Basic Frameworks Summary Summary 1

Case Interview Preparation Package Introduction and Guidelines to Case Interviews Introduction and Interview Process: Introduction Congratulations on being selected to interview with Applied Value. Your strong academic background and work experience make you a great candidate for a position with our firm. Now that you have successfully passed our first screening process, we want to make sure you are as prepared and as comfortable as possible with our next screening process. In the pages that follow, we will describe our interview process and provide guidance for how to successfully navigate the case portion of our interviews Applied Value Interview Process The purpose of the interview is to: • Meet and get to know you • Develop an understanding for the type of work environment that is likely to make you both successful and happy • Assess your potential as a management consultant • Assess your interest in working for Applied Value Over time, we have found that the best way to accomplish all of these objectives is to conduct three 1 hour interviews. Each interview will consist of some discussion of your experience, a case for you to work through with the interviewer and some time to answer any questions you may have In each of these interviews, we will be looking for you to demonstrate: • Confidence • Creativity • Poise • Problem solving and analytic capabilities • Maturity • Teamwork • Achievement • Leadership potential • Ambition • Interest in consulting and Applied Value 2

Case Interview Preparation Package Introduction and Guidelines to Case Interviews Guidelines and pointers for case interviews: The best way to ensure that you perform well in all aspects is to follow a structured case approach. Applied Value’s main focus in every consulting engagement is to enhance client companies’ shareholder value. Please keep the overarching goal in mind as you progress through each thought process. Below are guidelines to help you prepare for your case interviews Listen to Summarize Conclusion Summarize Conclusion Clarify Case Organize – How does your solution – How does your solution Case as Explore Issues enhance companies’ Instructions Approach enhance companies’ Presented shareholder value shareholder value • Listen carefully to • Restate objective • Take a moment to • Provide the interviewer with an • As the case time comes to the interviewer as – what digest all the overview of your approach, ‘plan an end or when your each he/she presents interviewer has information of attack’ an end to the issues and the case to you just asked you to presented to you solutions you have identified, do • Begin presenting your approach summarize everything and • Take down a few • Organize your by identifying the issues at hand provide the interviewer with notes on a piece • Ask any clarifying thoughts (it is okay a ‘Key Takeaway’ in a of paper, or make questions about to ask the • Structure your presentation (one sentence or two a mental note the information interviewer to give issue at a time) to the interviewer once you hear the interviewer you a moment to • Answer the question, ‘how something you do has just think) • Listen to the interviewer’s does your not understand or presented to you responses to your answers solution/recommendation find interesting • Formulate a enhance client companies’ • Ask for any hypothesis on • If the interviewer guides you in a shareholder value’ • Try to maintain additional data issues that you different direction, you should some level of you think you plan to explore listen intently and decide to interaction with might need in reformulate your hypothesis or the interviewer deriving the best • You may want to continue down on your path possible answer draw graphs, charts, diagrams to • Explore and identify all help you structure possibilities, ‘Mutually Exclusive, your answer Collectively Exhaustive’ (MECE) 3

Case Interview Preparation Package Basic Frameworks Frameworks for addressing cases: We have picked three basic frameworks to help you prepare for you case interviews (outlined in the next 3 pages): 1. Return on Invested Capital • 2. Porter’s five forces • 3. Fundamental Profitability Model • These are examples of frameworks that you can use to help structure your evaluation of cases At Applied Value, we value ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking, hence, these frameworks are to be used to help you structure your thought process. They are not to help you to come up with ‘cookie- cutter’ answers 5

Case Interview Preparation Package Basic Frameworks Return on Invested Capital Model: This is a metric used to evaluate the financial success of a company, looking at both its return on sales and capital turnover 6

Case Interview Preparation Package Basic Frameworks Porter’s Five Forces: This is used to assess industry structure and attractiveness. It is often helpful when you are asked to decide whether to enter a market or industry 7

Case Interview Preparation Package Basic Frameworks Fundamental Profitability Model: This is helpful in diagnosing the source of profitability problems. It involves breaking down the profitability key drivers. This can be done at the overall company level or at the specific product line level 8

Case Interview Preparation Package Summary Summary: Key points to remember in both preparation and actual day of the interview • Utilize frameworks to help you structure your thought process, formulate your hypothesis, and identify key issues • Think ‘big picture’ first, then think ‘top down’ - identify the main issues first, then work your way down to other issues related to the main issue. • Explain and identify approaches and assumption in coming up with your hypothesis • Think and explore all possible options MECE, ‘mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive’ • Listen to interviewers’ feedback • Be prepared to attack cases that utilizes other frameworks outside of this package • ‘Gut check’ ask yourself, ‘does what I am saying make sense?’ • Finally, try to link your recommendation and solution to shareholder value creation! Think ‘out-of-the box’, be enthusiastic, be assertive - Applied Value welcomes you to the realm of Strategy and Management Consulting! 10

Case Interview Preparation Package

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