MBA英文案例nyu-stern

SternManagementConsultingCaseInterviewingWorkshopPresentedbyProfessorCharlesFombrunandPeterEliopoulosSternSchoolofBusiness,NewYorkUniversityCalculationCase||ProblemCase||ProbingCaseAlsotryoutMcKinsey'sInteractiveCaseforanotherexample.WhatAreTheyLookingFor?Theinterviewerisevaluatingyouonthreedimensions:(1)DiagnosticSkills,(2)AnalyticalSkills,and(3)CommunicationSkills.DiagnosticSkillsHowwelldoyounarrowdownaproblem?Doyouaskgood,pertinentquestions?Canyouidentifyandextractthemostimportantissuesrelatedtotheproblem?Canyouprioritize?AnalyticalSkillsCanyoufollowalogicallineofreasoning?Howwelldoyoustructureyouranswer?Areyougoodatmakingquickcalculationsonyourfeet?Doyouappreciatetheimplicationsofanyrecommendationsyoumake?CommunicationSkillsDoyouexpressyourselfclearlyAreyouagoodlistener?Doyouaskgoodquestions?Doyouadapttowhateverinformationyouregiven?Howwelldoyouexplainanddefendyourideas?Howwelldoyouhandlepressure?Doyouhaveahighenergylevelandstrongsenseofselfconfidence?PackagingYourselfEvenincaseinterviews,youllbeexpectedtoanswergeneralquestions.Themostimportantandoftendamagingissueishowyoupresentyourself.Inparticular,youhavepursuedseveralacademicprograms,youhaveasetofworkexperiences,youhaveinterests,andyouhaveaspirations.Youshoulddevelopalogicalexplanationforthepaths(and,yes,thetangents)thatyouhavefollowedandlinkthisexplanationtoyourfutureplans.Whydidyoustudyhistoryincollege,workfouryearsinthehealthcareindustry,andthendecidetogotoB-school?Whatstrengthsdoesyourbackgroundintheatermanagementprovideyouwithinthebusinessworld?Howareyoufillinginthegapsinyourresume?Andhowdoesconsultingfitintoallthis?Packageyourselfcoherently.Youdon'thavetohaveaperfectlogicforabsolutelyeverythingyouveeverdone,nordoyouhavetobe100%sureaboutwhatyouwanttodointhefuture.Thekeyistogivetheinterviewerthesensethatyouhaveactivelystructuredyourownlifeandpursuitsasopposedtobeingapersonwhoslifeisrandomlystructured,andpassivelyadjustedtocircumstances.WrappingUp..Someinterviewerswillletyouknowwhenitstimetowrap-upacase.Otherswillwaittoseehowwellyousynthesizeandbuilduptoaconclusion.Inbothsituations,youshouldreviewtheinformationyougotandrecapyourapproachandrecommendations.Inmostcases,theresnosinglerightanswer.Theinterviewerwillbelookingtoseehowwellyoudealwithambiguityandincompleteinformation.Iftheanswerisclear,synthesizethefactsandpresentyouranswer,repeatingthemainfactsthatleadyoutoyourconclusions.Giventhatexistingmarketsaremature,that....andthat.....Ifeelthatthecompanyshould....Iftherearemanypossibleanswers,orifstrategiesarecontingentoncertainevents,thenconsiderpresentingyourwrap-upasacontingencyplan.Therearetwopossiblestrategiesthecompanymightpursue,XandY.If...occursandthecompanycan...,IthinktheyshouldgowithX.Otherwise,Yistheirbestoptionbecause...Finally,whenpresentingyourfinalrecommendations,demonstratethatyourareawareofbothimplementationissuesandinherenttradeoffsinvolvedinyourrecommendations.CanthecompanyaffordtoundertakeX?Doesyourplanfitwiththecompanyculture?Arethereotherorganizationalchangesyouwouldwanttoaddress?Mightcorporateimageormarketreactionsbesomethingyouwanttofactorin?Thinkaboutthesystemicrepercussionsofaction.WhyConsulting?Youwillinevitablybeaskedtoexplainwhyyouareinterestedinconsultingvsothercareers.Whilereasonsdiffer,thelistbelowprovidedsomefairlygenericrationalesfromwhichyoucoulddraw:ConsultingprovidesagoodbalancebetweenanalyticalworkandpeopleworkConsultingprovidesagoodmixbetweenindividualworkandteamworkConsultingallowsyoutoleverageonthediversesetofskillsyoulearninB-SchoolConsultinggivesyouanincredibleamountofexperienceinaveryshorttimeConsultingprovidesanopportunityforprofessionaldevelopmentandongoingbusinesseducationConsultingoffersgreatvariety;youdealwithnewclients,newproblems,andnewindustriesallthetimeTypesofCasesCASE1:TheCalculationCaseYouarevisitinganewclientwhosellsgolfballsintheUnitedStates.Havinghadnotimetodobackgroundresearch,yousitontheplanewonderingwhatistheannualmarketsizeforgolfballsintheUSandwhatfactorsdrivedemand.Yourplanelandsin15minutes,howwouldyougoaboutansweringthesequestions?Thistypeofcaseisverycommon,particularlyinstrategyfirmslikeMcKinseyandBain.Theinterviewerdoesn'tcaremuchabouttheactualnumber(althoughhowfastyoudomathinyourheadcanbeimportant),butratherwishestoseealogicalprocessforreachingsomekindofanswer.Thefollowingsstepsillustrateatypicalprocess...Golfballsalesaredrivenbyend-users.Youhavetodeterminethenumbersofend-users;thiswillbesomefractionofthetotalUSpopulation(say300mil).Ifyouassumeauniformagedistributionandanaveragelifeexpectancyof80years(youhavetomakethesetypesofassumptions),youcanthenestimatethatonlypeopleintheages20-70willbepotentialbuyers.Thusyoueliminate30of80yearsor3/8ofthe300milpopulation.So,nowyouaredowntoapotentialbuyerpoolofabout110million.Nowyoumightestimatehowmanypeopleoutof10playgolf-say4-sonow4/10of110getsyoudownto44millionpeoplewhoplaygolf.Nowyouhavetoestimatepurchasefrequency,howmanyballspermonthanaveragepersonbuys(youmaywanttotemperthisaveragepurchaseassumptionbyaleastmention