Kick Off and Interview preparation

1. Daksh 2020 - Placement Excellence Program
Best practice of interview preparation
An IIMB NSRCEL & Goldman Sachs Supported Firm

2. 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
• Case analysis & presentation
• Guesstimates

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

4. 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

5. Director (Analytics) in a large US based MNC

6. VP (Analytics) in multiple US based Banks + Indian E Commerce
company

7. Data Scientist in a large logistics firm

8. Data Scientist in a large consulting firm

9. What do recruiters look for in candidate during interviews?
Data driven story
telling
Analytics skills
Visualization
skills
Case studies and
guesstimates
Technical skills &
understanding of
algorithms

10. 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

11. 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….

12. 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

13. 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?

14. 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?

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. How to reflect for behavioral points
Dive Deep
Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details, audit frequently, and are skeptical when
metrics and anecdote differ. No task is beneath them.
1. Identify
• When you
used data
and detailed
analysis to
get to the
root of
problem/
project issue
2. Approach
• How did you
identify key
metrics for
the given
problem/
project issue
3 Analyze
• What was
the analysis
done by you
• What was
the
conclusion
4. Action
• Based on
insights
what actions
you have
taken to
rectify the
problem/
project issue

21. 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)

22. 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.

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

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

25. 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?

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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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.

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

31. 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

32. What is a case
Source: McKinsey Deck

33. An approach to solve case
Source: McKinsey Deck

34. Example
• A book store wants to start its operation in your college, it wants to
derive the price range for its books, how would you approach it?
• What numbers you require
• What approach you will follow
• What kind of analysis you will do
• Conclusions

35. Case interview: Common mistakes/ issues
• Not listening the question properly
• Not clarifying
• Directly jumping to the solution
• Not laying down your approach
• Not asking key questions or asking irrelevant questions
• Not thinking aloud
• Not taking interviewers’ hint
• Not doing data driven analysis
• Not concluding properly (or concluding without confidence)

36. Guesstimates
• How many 4 wheelers are their in Ahmedabad?

37. Guesstimate
Logical
Thinking
Calculations
Educated
approximati
-ons
Problem solving
Logical, Structural Thinking
Approach more important

38. Basic steps
 Understand the question. Ask Questions (Clarify)
 Take time to think (Ask for time)
 Devise an approach. Structure you solution
 Ideally think two steps ahead
 State you assumptions/approximations
 Put pen to paper, show the calculations
 Conclude

39. 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

40. 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

41. What are the themes under Covid-19
Ed-TechFin Tech Insurance
Pharma
E-Commerce in
general

42. What are the themes under Covid-19
Operations/
Automation
Digital sales &
marketing
Cyber security
Cloud
E-Commerce in
general

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
• Read up a lot of JDs, make notes of what is the requirement of the
company: Knowledge, skills, key words etc.
• Understand how you can uniquely bring the impact
• Prepare all behavioral answers, resume points in STAR framework
• Read up all the famous algorithms, model, concepts
• Read up emerging technologies: Use cases, benefits, RoI, Risks, how
different companies are adopting/ convincing to adopt
• Practice case studies and guesstimates
• In general do a lot of practice, practice, practice

47. Clarify
Source: McKinsey Deck

48. Case example - clarify
Source: McKinsey Deck

49. Structure
Source: McKinsey Deck

50. Use hypotheses & structure the problem – IH
• Initial Hypotheses
Figuring out solution even before starting the solution
Using whatever you understood from problem discussion
You do not want to dig a lot before knowing where to dig
It is just a theory to be approved or disapproved
If it is disapproved, you will have facts to move toward right direction
• Example in our case
The issue could be due to inefficiencies in customer ordering
process to delivery cycle

51. MECE
• MECE
Issue list is mutually exclusive i.e All parts of this list do not overlap with
each other
Your issue list is exhaustive
Maximum clarity & completeness
• Example* : Lets say problem is “We need to sell more”, a very basic
MECE issue list could be:
Changing the way we sell our products to retail outlets.
Improving the way we market our products to consumers.
Reducing the unit cost of our products.
*The McKinsey Way

52. Use hypotheses & structure the problem – IH
• IH
The issue could be due to inefficiencies in customer ordering
process to delivery cycle
• Structure issue list using MECE
I will analyze time taken and inventory level in end to end value chain of
car order in dealership to final delivery of car to customers
Car purchase by customer >> Locate car by us >> Manufacture>>
Transport >> Final Delivery

53. Analyse
Source: McKinsey Deck

54. Analyse
Source: McKinsey Deck

55. Conclude
Source: McKinsey Deck

56. Conclude

57. How to reflect for behavioral points
Customer obsession:
Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. They work vigorously to earn and keep
customer trust. Although leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over customers.
1. Define
• Who was/ is
your customer
2. Understand
• What were
customers’
need
3. Met just
expectation
• What
product/
services you
provided
which just
met their
expectations?
4. Created trust
• What wowed
them, created
trust

58. Case : Car manufacturer’s case
Source: McKinsey Deck