Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Telangana
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Filter interviews byIndian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad Placement Interview Questions
Updated
22 Sep 2024
12 interviews found
Interview experience
Excellent
Difficulty level
Moderate
Duration
Less than 2 weeks
Result
Yes, I joined the company
I applied via Campus Placement and was interviewed before Jun 2023.
2 Interview Rounds
1
Case Study Round
On the call case study - data interpretation etc
2
Assignment Round
To read through a long case (20 pages) with data and answer questions via a presentation
Interview Preparation Tips
Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Case study debrief
I applied via Walk-in
1 Interview Round
Interview Questions
- Q1. The interview started with the case. The case was primarily around understanding and making inferences from exhibits
- Q2. I was required to make a presentation with recommendations based on case that was given.
Interview Preparation Tips
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: So the case started with an exhibit that showed compensation figures for salesmen by geography for a Logistics company (My core domain pre-ISB) and He asked me to draw inferences. First of all he asked me if I see any issue by just looking at the data. I gave a warning that I’m going to make some statements which ideally need to be by further supporting data. I noticed that the compensation was good in states like Massachusetts and New York but not so good in states like Pennsylvania. So he asked me to give probable reasons. I said things like targets vs. geography misalignment, motivation issues, training issues and few other issues that I don’t think I can ever recollect. So he asked me what other data I want. I asked for targets vs. geography data. He showed me some data and I noticed that it was pretty much same everywhere. I said that I can make a broad inference that sales targets were not set properly. To confirm I asked for employee satisfaction data. He didn’t have it. He then gave me a non-standardized balance sheet which had all the information messed up or as ratios etc and asked me to calculate the Net Profit. I very quickly calculated the answer and spurted out a number. The moment I told it I realized that I had messed up the numbers. I announced this myself and asked that I be allowed to do it again. He just smiled and I redid it. At this point I thought that I'm out of the process but I sure did come up with the right answer☺.
Frankly I didn’t get any feeling like I cracked the case etc. But I went with an attitude that ZS would not find me the consulting types (Based on a previously unsuccessful consulting interview). So I was totally chill and nonchalant about the whole thing.
I was trying to do everything fast because somehow I wanted to get done with this. That is not the right way to go about things.
Tips: They were not silly enough to reject me just because I made a calculation error. So the idea is to chill and be aware of what’s going on.
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: They actually used a timer and ensured that I get just exactly 45 minutes☺. I used the SWOT, 4P’s, 3C’s and some fundae I learnt in the Advertising and Consumer Behavior courses and peppered in some prior knowledge I had on cable TV services in the US.
I was given a white sheet and markers. I drew up a SWOT on one side and then put up a set of recommendations on the other in crisp points. Then I explained how I analyzed the case in a structured fashion. There were lots of questions once I presented but I always went back to the structure used and so it went well.
Tips: After a not so stellar first round I went to the quad and slept. So I was really fresh for this interview. I think a fresh mind really helps. So as far as possible try to get enough rest between interviews.
Skills: Case Solving Ability, Case Analysis
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
Experience: So the case started with an exhibit that showed compensation figures for salesmen by geography for a Logistics company (My core domain pre-ISB) and He asked me to draw inferences. First of all he asked me if I see any issue by just looking at the data. I gave a warning that I’m going to make some statements which ideally need to be by further supporting data. I noticed that the compensation was good in states like Massachusetts and New York but not so good in states like Pennsylvania. So he asked me to give probable reasons. I said things like targets vs. geography misalignment, motivation issues, training issues and few other issues that I don’t think I can ever recollect. So he asked me what other data I want. I asked for targets vs. geography data. He showed me some data and I noticed that it was pretty much same everywhere. I said that I can make a broad inference that sales targets were not set properly. To confirm I asked for employee satisfaction data. He didn’t have it. He then gave me a non-standardized balance sheet which had all the information messed up or as ratios etc and asked me to calculate the Net Profit. I very quickly calculated the answer and spurted out a number. The moment I told it I realized that I had messed up the numbers. I announced this myself and asked that I be allowed to do it again. He just smiled and I redid it. At this point I thought that I'm out of the process but I sure did come up with the right answer☺.
Frankly I didn’t get any feeling like I cracked the case etc. But I went with an attitude that ZS would not find me the consulting types (Based on a previously unsuccessful consulting interview). So I was totally chill and nonchalant about the whole thing.
I was trying to do everything fast because somehow I wanted to get done with this. That is not the right way to go about things.
Tips: They were not silly enough to reject me just because I made a calculation error. So the idea is to chill and be aware of what’s going on.
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: They actually used a timer and ensured that I get just exactly 45 minutes☺. I used the SWOT, 4P’s, 3C’s and some fundae I learnt in the Advertising and Consumer Behavior courses and peppered in some prior knowledge I had on cable TV services in the US.
I was given a white sheet and markers. I drew up a SWOT on one side and then put up a set of recommendations on the other in crisp points. Then I explained how I analyzed the case in a structured fashion. There were lots of questions once I presented but I always went back to the structure used and so it went well.
Tips: After a not so stellar first round I went to the quad and slept. So I was really fresh for this interview. I think a fresh mind really helps. So as far as possible try to get enough rest between interviews.
Skills: Case Solving Ability, Case Analysis
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
I applied via Walk-in
1 Interview Round
Interview Questions
- Q1. I was given some actual Sales data and corresponding incentive plan for 4 different geographies in US. The question was quite open-ended as I was asked to draw ...read more
- Q2. The second question was on a new set of data. This was about an Air Mail company which has carried out some research to estimate various segment of customers th...read more
Interview Preparation Tips
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: First Case: I said there are three sets of observations that can be made from the data – by looking at the Sales data in isolation, by looking at Incentive plan data alone and by combining the two.Sales Data Analysis - Highlighted a trend (High vs. Low) in sales data across different geographies and rank ordered them - certain geographies were underperforming against the other. He asked me what could be the reason? I said this could be because of varying level of demand (patient profiles) for the drug in different states (targets across states were the same). He then asked me for the solution? I said targets should be set after taking buy-in from sales manager (local knowledge) for particular state. He was not very convinced with this argument (he felt this happens in firms) and then I gave an example of how targets were set by the corporate office in my previous org. Another observation was that out of 15 odd data points, there were only 3 which exceeded the target. Incentive Plan – Bonus payout was split into 4 tiers of performance. Out of this, 2 tiers were giving same % bonus. I highlighted that Combining the two – Made couple of more observations. At the end he asked me what kind of Incentive plan will you suggest for this company. I said that sales data looks normally distributed to me and therefore I will probably recommend a IC plan that is normally distributed. He looked satisfied with this answer ☺Second Case: It took me 5 minutes to just understand what the graph stood for (though I was constantly chatting with the interviewer). But then with Interviewer’s help I made some sense out of it and made a recommendation which offcourse the interviewer didn’t like much ☺. Then he gave me some hints and based on that I changed my recommendation. I think I could have done better here
Tips: ZS interviews are very atypical of what we understand of case interviews. We are use to practicing case interviews in a framework approach. However, in the first case interview, while the emphasis was clearly on testing analytic strength of an individual, the mode was a little different. But if one can apply some framework to it (but don’t force fit please), it’s definitely a plus.
Skills: Case Solving Ability, Case Analysis
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
Experience: First Case: I said there are three sets of observations that can be made from the data – by looking at the Sales data in isolation, by looking at Incentive plan data alone and by combining the two.Sales Data Analysis - Highlighted a trend (High vs. Low) in sales data across different geographies and rank ordered them - certain geographies were underperforming against the other. He asked me what could be the reason? I said this could be because of varying level of demand (patient profiles) for the drug in different states (targets across states were the same). He then asked me for the solution? I said targets should be set after taking buy-in from sales manager (local knowledge) for particular state. He was not very convinced with this argument (he felt this happens in firms) and then I gave an example of how targets were set by the corporate office in my previous org. Another observation was that out of 15 odd data points, there were only 3 which exceeded the target. Incentive Plan – Bonus payout was split into 4 tiers of performance. Out of this, 2 tiers were giving same % bonus. I highlighted that Combining the two – Made couple of more observations. At the end he asked me what kind of Incentive plan will you suggest for this company. I said that sales data looks normally distributed to me and therefore I will probably recommend a IC plan that is normally distributed. He looked satisfied with this answer ☺Second Case: It took me 5 minutes to just understand what the graph stood for (though I was constantly chatting with the interviewer). But then with Interviewer’s help I made some sense out of it and made a recommendation which offcourse the interviewer didn’t like much ☺. Then he gave me some hints and based on that I changed my recommendation. I think I could have done better here
Tips: ZS interviews are very atypical of what we understand of case interviews. We are use to practicing case interviews in a framework approach. However, in the first case interview, while the emphasis was clearly on testing analytic strength of an individual, the mode was a little different. But if one can apply some framework to it (but don’t force fit please), it’s definitely a plus.
Skills: Case Solving Ability, Case Analysis
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
I applied via Referral
1 Interview Round
Interview Questions
- Q1. A Pharma company is introducing a new drug aimed at certain patients. It needs to work out its sales sand marketing strategy based on the information given. The...read more
- Q2. • A cinema theater chain needs to increase revenue and profits. Lot of information was given such as cost of new theater, expected revenue per theater based on ...read more
Interview Preparation Tips
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: Recommended Approach
•Candidate should start with understanding the case completely as a lot of information was given and explained. Any relevant Pharmaceutical words used in the case have to be clarified and no assumptions are to be made.
•As the case had lot of information, it was necessary to isolate useful information from the irrelevant information.
•Since the case included numbers and calculations, the calculations should be done correctly at the first time itself (time can be taken to compute the numbers)
•Interpretation of the graphs is extremely important (and there were only few graphs). Pay close attention to X and Y axes and their units
Tips: Keep calm. Do not make the interviewer think that you are tensed.
heavy importance on numbers and interpretation on numbers
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: 40 minutes was given to read the case and make presentation templates in A4 sheets.
Reading the case itself took more than 30 mins.It was such a big case and had humongous data.
Recommended Approach
•Read the case as fast as possible and mark relevant data
•Give importance to data and try to interpret some useful inferences from it
•Making some graphs in the A4 sheet can be helpful
Tips: It is not possible for anyone to understand the case fully in such a short time, Even the interviewer told this. They were more interested in how I presented and communicated. Of course, the interpretation of numbers was important
Skills: 1)communication, Presentation Skills
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
Experience: Recommended Approach
•Candidate should start with understanding the case completely as a lot of information was given and explained. Any relevant Pharmaceutical words used in the case have to be clarified and no assumptions are to be made.
•As the case had lot of information, it was necessary to isolate useful information from the irrelevant information.
•Since the case included numbers and calculations, the calculations should be done correctly at the first time itself (time can be taken to compute the numbers)
•Interpretation of the graphs is extremely important (and there were only few graphs). Pay close attention to X and Y axes and their units
Tips: Keep calm. Do not make the interviewer think that you are tensed.
heavy importance on numbers and interpretation on numbers
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: 40 minutes was given to read the case and make presentation templates in A4 sheets.
Reading the case itself took more than 30 mins.It was such a big case and had humongous data.
Recommended Approach
•Read the case as fast as possible and mark relevant data
•Give importance to data and try to interpret some useful inferences from it
•Making some graphs in the A4 sheet can be helpful
Tips: It is not possible for anyone to understand the case fully in such a short time, Even the interviewer told this. They were more interested in how I presented and communicated. Of course, the interpretation of numbers was important
Skills: 1)communication, Presentation Skills
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
I applied via Referral
2 Interview Rounds
Interview Preparation Tips
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: There were 2 case rounds:
1) First was the structured case round (Time : 30 mins) : it was a pharma related case where a company was launching a new drug in the market; The problem had various facets of sales and marketing and basically was a New Product Launch/ Market Entry case. All the information was not revealed at once; more data/charts/numbers were shared at every step with a different task to be done each time. So the case had many parts to it – like to start off with one had to define what all had to be done in order to launch the product/marketing campaign, then in the next step I was asked to compute the market size of the product, its price, which segment to target and the amount of salesforce required (salesforce sizing; this was general data interpretation kind of question). All this was done in a phased manner, where at each step more information was given for the specific question. Involved doing some calculations, interpreting graphs and charts. It wasn’t very hard, all that it required was a logical approach and listing out the possibilities/options to be considered
Tips: Recommended Approach
Round 1: Be hands on. Do the calculations as for market sizing they are looking for a number. For other questions also, listing down your ideas would be a good idea. The questions are not very hard. They want you to think clearly and logically, with some data analysis. Practicing a few market sizing/new product launch/market entry/ pricing cases was helpful. Knowing those frameworks comes a little handy. I went wrong with my calculation a bit, but then corrected myself, so it was okay
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: 2) Second round was an unstructured case round followed by a presentation:
The case was related to a chain of movie theatres (cineplexes) that wanted to expand or increase its revenue. You are asked to think of yourself to be a consultant who needs to come up with a solution and present to the board of a company. We were given 45 minutes to read all the information and make a presentation (on A4 sheets). There was a lot of information thrown like the financial report of a company, mail from one employee to another, market survey data and so on. It is a little hard to read all the information in the given time so one needs to be really quick. Divide your time in two parts: reading the material and creating the presentation. You are then asked to present your work to a panel. They will ask you several questions related to the case, questioning your recommendations and so on. I missed few important numbers that were provided due to the information overload. They then pointed out that there was related information provided, which I then looked through quickly and did some on the spot analysis. So, basically even if you miss out on some data, but manage to figure out the underlying point (or do the right analysis) after being redirected by them, then that would be okay. You need to provide logical explanation for the points you are making, preferably backed by numbers and data (facts and figures) given in the case.
Tips: Allocate some time to read all the material and the remaining to make the presentation. (It was not like the usual cases we get in class. But a real world scenario with the different reports, survey results and so on.) Create a clear structure for your presentation. During the presentation, defend your point with good logic. I made an incorrect recommendation as I had missed some piece of information, but then corrected myself there. So, I feel its better to course correct rather than sticking to the wrong point
Round: HR Interview
Experience: The interviewer had a checklist and was asking regular PI questions, mostly based on prior professional experiences. Was trying to know about my past experience of working in a team – Team player, team leader, any project management experience. Something situation where you did not succeed?
2 rounds of case interviews : Structured approach while solving the cases (if not the exact solution) ; Will make you do the cases then and there ; Also had a case presentation round Final round will be PI and focus on mainly checking your leadership skills
Skills: Leadership Skills
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
Experience: There were 2 case rounds:
1) First was the structured case round (Time : 30 mins) : it was a pharma related case where a company was launching a new drug in the market; The problem had various facets of sales and marketing and basically was a New Product Launch/ Market Entry case. All the information was not revealed at once; more data/charts/numbers were shared at every step with a different task to be done each time. So the case had many parts to it – like to start off with one had to define what all had to be done in order to launch the product/marketing campaign, then in the next step I was asked to compute the market size of the product, its price, which segment to target and the amount of salesforce required (salesforce sizing; this was general data interpretation kind of question). All this was done in a phased manner, where at each step more information was given for the specific question. Involved doing some calculations, interpreting graphs and charts. It wasn’t very hard, all that it required was a logical approach and listing out the possibilities/options to be considered
Tips: Recommended Approach
Round 1: Be hands on. Do the calculations as for market sizing they are looking for a number. For other questions also, listing down your ideas would be a good idea. The questions are not very hard. They want you to think clearly and logically, with some data analysis. Practicing a few market sizing/new product launch/market entry/ pricing cases was helpful. Knowing those frameworks comes a little handy. I went wrong with my calculation a bit, but then corrected myself, so it was okay
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: 2) Second round was an unstructured case round followed by a presentation:
The case was related to a chain of movie theatres (cineplexes) that wanted to expand or increase its revenue. You are asked to think of yourself to be a consultant who needs to come up with a solution and present to the board of a company. We were given 45 minutes to read all the information and make a presentation (on A4 sheets). There was a lot of information thrown like the financial report of a company, mail from one employee to another, market survey data and so on. It is a little hard to read all the information in the given time so one needs to be really quick. Divide your time in two parts: reading the material and creating the presentation. You are then asked to present your work to a panel. They will ask you several questions related to the case, questioning your recommendations and so on. I missed few important numbers that were provided due to the information overload. They then pointed out that there was related information provided, which I then looked through quickly and did some on the spot analysis. So, basically even if you miss out on some data, but manage to figure out the underlying point (or do the right analysis) after being redirected by them, then that would be okay. You need to provide logical explanation for the points you are making, preferably backed by numbers and data (facts and figures) given in the case.
Tips: Allocate some time to read all the material and the remaining to make the presentation. (It was not like the usual cases we get in class. But a real world scenario with the different reports, survey results and so on.) Create a clear structure for your presentation. During the presentation, defend your point with good logic. I made an incorrect recommendation as I had missed some piece of information, but then corrected myself there. So, I feel its better to course correct rather than sticking to the wrong point
Round: HR Interview
Experience: The interviewer had a checklist and was asking regular PI questions, mostly based on prior professional experiences. Was trying to know about my past experience of working in a team – Team player, team leader, any project management experience. Something situation where you did not succeed?
2 rounds of case interviews : Structured approach while solving the cases (if not the exact solution) ; Will make you do the cases then and there ; Also had a case presentation round Final round will be PI and focus on mainly checking your leadership skills
Skills: Leadership Skills
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
I applied via Referral
1 Interview Round
Interview Questions
- Q1. First was the structured case round which was a pharma related case where a company was launching a new drug in the market; The problem had various facets of sa...read more
- Q2. Second round was an unstructured case round followed by a presentation: The case was related to a chain of movie theatres (cineplexes) that wanted to expand or ...read more
Interview Preparation Tips
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: The focus is more on structured approach and your analytical skills (i.e. the way you interpret the given data). PI was the last round and taken by the Principal/senior person. It is an equally important round and aims to check whether you are the right fit for the role or not. So, questions will be asked to check your situation handling skills and leadership capabilities. .
Tips: Round 1: Be hands on. Do the calculations as for market sizing they are looking for a number. For other questions also, listing down your ideas would be a good idea. The questions are not very hard. They want you to think clearly and logically, with some data analysis.
Practicing a few market sizing/new product launch/market entry/ pricing cases was helpful. Knowing those frameworks comes a little handy.
Round 2: Allocate some time to read all the material and the remaining to make the presentation. (It was not like the usual cases we get in class. But a real world scenario with the different reports, survey results and so on.) Create a clear structure for your presentation. During the presentation, defend your point with good logic. I made an incorrect recommendation as I had missed some piece of information, but then corrected myself there. So, I feel its better to course correct rather than sticking to the wrong point.
Skills: Ability To Handle Situations, Analytical Skills, LOGICAL THINKING ABILITIES, team leader, Team Player
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
Experience: The focus is more on structured approach and your analytical skills (i.e. the way you interpret the given data). PI was the last round and taken by the Principal/senior person. It is an equally important round and aims to check whether you are the right fit for the role or not. So, questions will be asked to check your situation handling skills and leadership capabilities. .
Tips: Round 1: Be hands on. Do the calculations as for market sizing they are looking for a number. For other questions also, listing down your ideas would be a good idea. The questions are not very hard. They want you to think clearly and logically, with some data analysis.
Practicing a few market sizing/new product launch/market entry/ pricing cases was helpful. Knowing those frameworks comes a little handy.
Round 2: Allocate some time to read all the material and the remaining to make the presentation. (It was not like the usual cases we get in class. But a real world scenario with the different reports, survey results and so on.) Create a clear structure for your presentation. During the presentation, defend your point with good logic. I made an incorrect recommendation as I had missed some piece of information, but then corrected myself there. So, I feel its better to course correct rather than sticking to the wrong point.
Skills: Ability To Handle Situations, Analytical Skills, LOGICAL THINKING ABILITIES, team leader, Team Player
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
1 Interview Round
Interview Questions
- Q1. Personal Interview questions: Walk me through your Resume
- Q2. Discussion on my ELP Project (It was on setting up of back office for a Pharma company): How did we add value, what was my role in the team, further technical q...read more
- Q3. Discussion on my Project Management Experience: Issues while leading team and how I handled those
- Q4. Example of an inefficient management from my work experience and how I will handle such situations now
- Q5. What do you know about ZS? What do you think worked for you in the ZS Case Competition (I was on winning team of ZS Competition)
- Q6. Any Questions for ZS?
- Q7. Case questions: Graphs of the company and its competitors products. I was asked to interpret the graphs
- Q8. Survey results about the product perceptions. Again read and interpret
- Q9. Calculation based questions – Some data was provided but I have to interpret the same and conduct the calculations
- Q10. I was provided a packet that consisted of Shareholder’s report, CEO messages, Market Survey Reports, Newspaper Cuttings and other such documents. The whole thin...read more
- Q11. PI questions: Why ZS? What do you know about ZS?
- Q12. Why should we hire you?
- Q13. How will your past experience be relevant?
- Q14. Any questions you have for me?
- Q15. Case Study: There was a numerical type questions. It was about allocation of resources to different activities based on graphical interpretation of payoffs. I w...read more
Interview Preparation Tips
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: The PI went well providing good start. Understanding the way ZS works by talking to Alums helped in framing the responses better.
While solving the case, along with solving individual cases I was able to connect previous cases together to provide better recommendations.
Tips: A) Do get into calculations while solving individual cases e.g. during your recommendations rather than just saying market share is
increasing, try to speak market share increased by X%
B) Try to throw as many different recommendations or suggestions. Also, don’t forget to speak about your assumptions.
C) In terms of preparation, the closest I could think of is refer to MKTR1 & 2 as well as MADM numerical from Core Terms
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: I organized the presentation as follows:
A) Assessment of Current Situation
B) Key Issues
C) Opportunities and Constraints
D) Recommendations
After this, I was scheduled to make the presentation on white paper with a marker. There was a lot of cross questioning on everything I mentioned on the prezo. Also, some additional data was thrown at during the presentation and I had to provide alternative suggestions based on the same. Since there were a lot of moving variables, I kept referring to the case during the Q & A.
I was able to provide multifunctional recommendations applying concepts from Corporate Finance, Marketing Services & Competitive Strategy etc. Some witty comments during Q & A also helped to lighten the environment.
I forgot to use marker and wrote just with my pen on the white paper. They had real hard time figuring out what I had written
Tips: A) Be as integrative as possible. Don’t just think of the case as a just a Marketing / Strategy / Finance case. Try to bring out as
many elements as possible in 40 minutes. Build on those, during the presentations
B) Just Relax and enjoy the process. Nobody can make a perfect presentation.
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: In PI each element of my response was digged one to two steps deeper. I was asked to quantify each and every strength I mentioned.
I think I did well in the PI. I mentioned few things about ZS that the interviewer was very impressed with and repeated quite a few times.
I solved the numerical in a stop-gap sort of form and took a lot of time and clues from interviewer to form the mathematical equation. However, I don’t think lot of emphasis
Tips: As I mentioned, ZS Plays a lot of emphasis on the fit. The fit related questions are similar for almost all. Think through your responses and be prepared to discuss the elements you mention 1-2 steps deeper.
Skills:
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
Experience: The PI went well providing good start. Understanding the way ZS works by talking to Alums helped in framing the responses better.
While solving the case, along with solving individual cases I was able to connect previous cases together to provide better recommendations.
Tips: A) Do get into calculations while solving individual cases e.g. during your recommendations rather than just saying market share is
increasing, try to speak market share increased by X%
B) Try to throw as many different recommendations or suggestions. Also, don’t forget to speak about your assumptions.
C) In terms of preparation, the closest I could think of is refer to MKTR1 & 2 as well as MADM numerical from Core Terms
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: I organized the presentation as follows:
A) Assessment of Current Situation
B) Key Issues
C) Opportunities and Constraints
D) Recommendations
After this, I was scheduled to make the presentation on white paper with a marker. There was a lot of cross questioning on everything I mentioned on the prezo. Also, some additional data was thrown at during the presentation and I had to provide alternative suggestions based on the same. Since there were a lot of moving variables, I kept referring to the case during the Q & A.
I was able to provide multifunctional recommendations applying concepts from Corporate Finance, Marketing Services & Competitive Strategy etc. Some witty comments during Q & A also helped to lighten the environment.
I forgot to use marker and wrote just with my pen on the white paper. They had real hard time figuring out what I had written
Tips: A) Be as integrative as possible. Don’t just think of the case as a just a Marketing / Strategy / Finance case. Try to bring out as
many elements as possible in 40 minutes. Build on those, during the presentations
B) Just Relax and enjoy the process. Nobody can make a perfect presentation.
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: In PI each element of my response was digged one to two steps deeper. I was asked to quantify each and every strength I mentioned.
I think I did well in the PI. I mentioned few things about ZS that the interviewer was very impressed with and repeated quite a few times.
I solved the numerical in a stop-gap sort of form and took a lot of time and clues from interviewer to form the mathematical equation. However, I don’t think lot of emphasis
Tips: As I mentioned, ZS Plays a lot of emphasis on the fit. The fit related questions are similar for almost all. Think through your responses and be prepared to discuss the elements you mention 1-2 steps deeper.
Skills:
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
4 Interview Rounds
Interview Preparation Tips
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: In the personal interview they asked Generic questions (E.g.: why consulting), Resume based questions (E.g.: how did your PMP certification help you in your work), Situational Questions (E.g.: Give an example of a highly complex assignment that you handled.)
What went right during the interview was the fact that I was able to maintain my cool and answer confidently and logically clearly showing the problem flow and calculation details. I was able to come up with more than one logical answer for the questions that were asked which impressed them. Ability to talk in mathematical as well as business terms.
Though, I kind of blanked out on the first slide. The interviewer had to guide me. But there were a lot of other slides to follow and the PI, where I was able to make up for the initial glitch.
Tips: Maintain your calm and be confident and optimistic. For this round, don’t narrow your thoughts down by a framework as it tends to limit your thinking. In rounds where precise answers are required – case frameworks will not take you too far.
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: We were given a case (approx 45 pages) with lots of data and text. We were given 40 minutes to go through the case, analyze it and put our thoughts and recommendations on the flip chart followed by a 15 minute presentation of the case. There was a lot of cross questioning during the presentation.
I was able to go through the whole case and get a sense of what sections were important and what were not. Was able to structure my analysis into four buckets - financial, marketing, strategic and others, before coming up with the recommendations. Did not change my stance under pressure during the presentation – kept on providing answers to support my view. Could not do as much quant as I wanted to.
Tips: · Time management is the key. Set aside 20 minutes for reading the case, 10 minutes for analyzing it and going through the important parts again and 10 minutes for thinking about a structure and putting it on the flip chart.
· Read the entire case. That way you would be able to make out which parts are important and focus on them for analysis. Reading the entire case would also enable you to tackle all the questions that are asked during the presentation.
· In this round, use of case frameworks helps to ensure that you have covered all aspects of the problem at hand. · Structure you presentation. Most important!! · Answer all the questions confidently – interviewers will try to change your thoughts intentionally – don’t give up and keep on providing logical answers to support your view.
Round: personal interview
Experience: · General Questions
· Resume Based Questions (lots of these)
· Situational Questions (lots of these)
· Industry Questions
· Some attitude questions (like your ideas on work life balance)
I had gone through my resume thoroughly a day before and thought of key things to say under each of the heads. Was a great help in answering the situational questions.
Was able to demonstrate my suitability and passion for the role by giving thoughtful but spontaneous answers.
Tips: · A day before the interview, go through your resume. Think of at least three things to say about each of the points mentioned in your resume.
· Be confident, spontaneous and genuine.
· Show passion in the opinions/views that you express.
Skills:
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
Experience: In the personal interview they asked Generic questions (E.g.: why consulting), Resume based questions (E.g.: how did your PMP certification help you in your work), Situational Questions (E.g.: Give an example of a highly complex assignment that you handled.)
What went right during the interview was the fact that I was able to maintain my cool and answer confidently and logically clearly showing the problem flow and calculation details. I was able to come up with more than one logical answer for the questions that were asked which impressed them. Ability to talk in mathematical as well as business terms.
Though, I kind of blanked out on the first slide. The interviewer had to guide me. But there were a lot of other slides to follow and the PI, where I was able to make up for the initial glitch.
Tips: Maintain your calm and be confident and optimistic. For this round, don’t narrow your thoughts down by a framework as it tends to limit your thinking. In rounds where precise answers are required – case frameworks will not take you too far.
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: We were given a case (approx 45 pages) with lots of data and text. We were given 40 minutes to go through the case, analyze it and put our thoughts and recommendations on the flip chart followed by a 15 minute presentation of the case. There was a lot of cross questioning during the presentation.
I was able to go through the whole case and get a sense of what sections were important and what were not. Was able to structure my analysis into four buckets - financial, marketing, strategic and others, before coming up with the recommendations. Did not change my stance under pressure during the presentation – kept on providing answers to support my view. Could not do as much quant as I wanted to.
Tips: · Time management is the key. Set aside 20 minutes for reading the case, 10 minutes for analyzing it and going through the important parts again and 10 minutes for thinking about a structure and putting it on the flip chart.
· Read the entire case. That way you would be able to make out which parts are important and focus on them for analysis. Reading the entire case would also enable you to tackle all the questions that are asked during the presentation.
· In this round, use of case frameworks helps to ensure that you have covered all aspects of the problem at hand. · Structure you presentation. Most important!! · Answer all the questions confidently – interviewers will try to change your thoughts intentionally – don’t give up and keep on providing logical answers to support your view.
Round: personal interview
Experience: · General Questions
· Resume Based Questions (lots of these)
· Situational Questions (lots of these)
· Industry Questions
· Some attitude questions (like your ideas on work life balance)
I had gone through my resume thoroughly a day before and thought of key things to say under each of the heads. Was a great help in answering the situational questions.
Was able to demonstrate my suitability and passion for the role by giving thoughtful but spontaneous answers.
Tips: · A day before the interview, go through your resume. Think of at least three things to say about each of the points mentioned in your resume.
· Be confident, spontaneous and genuine.
· Show passion in the opinions/views that you express.
Skills:
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
1 Interview Round
Interview Questions
- Q1. PI questions: Tell us about yourself
- Q2. What has been your biggest achievement?
- Q3. What were your job responsibilities at previous company?
- Q4. What were the challenges you faced at job?
- Q5. Why ZS?
- Q6. What other firms did you interview with?
- Q7. Case Study: A slide deck of graphs/ charts/ tables was shown and was asked to interpret each slide assimilating information from previous slides, if needed.(Num...read more
- Q8. Case Study: I was given a 40 page case and was asked to come up with business solution in 35-40 mins. This was to be presented to management using Slide deck.(C...read more
- Q9. Case question: Short case on resource allocation based on a response function. (Case Type: Graphical)
Interview Preparation Tips
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: There were about 12 slides about a drug company and I was asked to go one by one interpreting each slide. They were mostly on sales response, regression data interpretation, some survey data interpretation, and profitability analysis ( MKDM course was very helpful for the whole case). I was able to interpret each slide and gave plausible reasons for why that may be the phenomenon. The reasons included concepts on carry-over effect, optimal level of resource allocation etc., and what parameters to use while marketing the drug (based on survey data and regression results). I was not able to explain one pattern but was then hinted by interviewer to use earlier graphs data and then I was able to explain. The interview went for about an hour.
I was calm and it was the first interview so I think the interviewers were also very interested. Both the interviewers were very helpful. I was able to complete the 12 slides.
Tips: Be calm , composed, and if you get stuck take hints from interviewer.
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: There were 40 pages about a company in US that had multiple problems(you could identify operations, marketing, finance angle). I read the case in 15- 20 minutes, jotted all issues, and made presentation in 10 minutes. Basic issue was revenue and profit growth. I had some data to interpret which regions to focus, what products to focus, what channels to focus, what customers to focus etc..so I came up with a strategy to increase profits by reducing costs, and increasing revenue. The listed down ways to reduce cost and increase revenues in current and new markets. Suggested way forward and also gave what studies need to be
conducted for developing a product. It was a case where you could pick several issues and work around several solution ( pure Strategy case).
I was able to clearly identify all issues and was very structured in approach. I used both qualitative and quantitative ways to defend my case.
Could have been calm during presentation but my anxiety while solving case continued while presenting.
Tips: Ensure you allow interviewers to ask question and have discussion.
They really like that format.
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: I met him (interviewer) earlier so he joked around it and said so we meet here again and said I will not trouble you again, this is the last round. I answered back saying no I would like to be troubled and would want to meet you again. He knew my background so didn’t ask for that. Most questions were behavioral about previous jobs. He kept asking me situations and what I
did. Then he asked me what I know about ZS and why is it interesting for me. He asked me if I know someone in ZS and I said yes. So he asked me what have I been told about ZS. He then asked me a very particular question. He asked if I have noticed the trend that all ZS shortlists are from IT background except me and asked me to explain why that could be the case. I told him that the job needed modeling and technological skills. He explained me in detail why that was so. All I gathered was that you need to work with software teams sometimes to develop the software for a model to be implemented for a client. He asked me if I will be able t do that given that I have not worked in analytics or IT fields. I gave him some gyaan on why I will be able to it…Then he gave a case. He asked me to wait outside.
There were two types of products for a company and a response function was given. I was asked to allocate 100 sales people to each of the products. He asked me the algorithm I followed.
I took time to solve a mini-case and was also not able to explain why IT people and why me (without IT)
What worked best for me were my contacts at ZS.
Tips: Having your own contacts and speaking with them prior to interview
helps
Skills:
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
Experience: There were about 12 slides about a drug company and I was asked to go one by one interpreting each slide. They were mostly on sales response, regression data interpretation, some survey data interpretation, and profitability analysis ( MKDM course was very helpful for the whole case). I was able to interpret each slide and gave plausible reasons for why that may be the phenomenon. The reasons included concepts on carry-over effect, optimal level of resource allocation etc., and what parameters to use while marketing the drug (based on survey data and regression results). I was not able to explain one pattern but was then hinted by interviewer to use earlier graphs data and then I was able to explain. The interview went for about an hour.
I was calm and it was the first interview so I think the interviewers were also very interested. Both the interviewers were very helpful. I was able to complete the 12 slides.
Tips: Be calm , composed, and if you get stuck take hints from interviewer.
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: There were 40 pages about a company in US that had multiple problems(you could identify operations, marketing, finance angle). I read the case in 15- 20 minutes, jotted all issues, and made presentation in 10 minutes. Basic issue was revenue and profit growth. I had some data to interpret which regions to focus, what products to focus, what channels to focus, what customers to focus etc..so I came up with a strategy to increase profits by reducing costs, and increasing revenue. The listed down ways to reduce cost and increase revenues in current and new markets. Suggested way forward and also gave what studies need to be
conducted for developing a product. It was a case where you could pick several issues and work around several solution ( pure Strategy case).
I was able to clearly identify all issues and was very structured in approach. I used both qualitative and quantitative ways to defend my case.
Could have been calm during presentation but my anxiety while solving case continued while presenting.
Tips: Ensure you allow interviewers to ask question and have discussion.
They really like that format.
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: I met him (interviewer) earlier so he joked around it and said so we meet here again and said I will not trouble you again, this is the last round. I answered back saying no I would like to be troubled and would want to meet you again. He knew my background so didn’t ask for that. Most questions were behavioral about previous jobs. He kept asking me situations and what I
did. Then he asked me what I know about ZS and why is it interesting for me. He asked me if I know someone in ZS and I said yes. So he asked me what have I been told about ZS. He then asked me a very particular question. He asked if I have noticed the trend that all ZS shortlists are from IT background except me and asked me to explain why that could be the case. I told him that the job needed modeling and technological skills. He explained me in detail why that was so. All I gathered was that you need to work with software teams sometimes to develop the software for a model to be implemented for a client. He asked me if I will be able t do that given that I have not worked in analytics or IT fields. I gave him some gyaan on why I will be able to it…Then he gave a case. He asked me to wait outside.
There were two types of products for a company and a response function was given. I was asked to allocate 100 sales people to each of the products. He asked me the algorithm I followed.
I took time to solve a mini-case and was also not able to explain why IT people and why me (without IT)
What worked best for me were my contacts at ZS.
Tips: Having your own contacts and speaking with them prior to interview
helps
Skills:
College Name: Indian School Of Business (ISB)
1 Interview Round
Interview Questions
- Q1. PI Questions: Your past background
- Q2. How consulting fit in with your career goals
- Q3. Identify the issue and make recommendations
Interview Preparation Tips
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: Case Details:
Round one in the process consisted of a mini caselet, mixed with some preliminary motivational questions. The caselet was easy and tested mainly the candidate’s ability to
interpret graphical and numerical data by identifying trends and possible causes. There was some reference to market entry strategies and risks, but this was not delved into in detail. Nothing unusual. Standard 3C, 4P approach to solve the issue at hand. More driven by approach and strategy than numbers and frameworks. Bound by a confidentiality clause. But suffice to say that it was in line with the case books available on the consulting club portal. The first round was strictly OK. I got the data crunching right but felt I could have done better on suggesting the causes behind the data trends in the caselets. Could have been more prepared for pharma/healthcare practices.
Tips: Would suggest preparation of specific examples from professional/personal experiences to support your answers. Be sure to cover or think of all flaws and angles. It’s all about presentation skills and how you can handle large chunks of data. In that manner, it is slightly different from the other case interviews.
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: Case Details:
There were around 40 pages of information including background, industry research, newspaper articles, annual reports and miscellaneous data. The candidate was expected to identify the issue and make recommendations. Calculations were minimal. The main challenge was to finish the reading and evolve a cohesive and comprehensive strategy to solve the problem at hand. The
findings were then to be transferred to chart paper and presented to the panel. One can expect a fair bit of cross-questioning if the coverage of the case has not been complete. Innovative insights and the ability to fend off questions help. The second round was much much better. The key was to read quickly without getting bogged down by the sheer volume of the data and material. I had minimal cross-questioning and felt that I hit most of the salient points of the case. Problem assessment is the key. The final interview was just to gauge the candidate’s fit with a small econ 101 question on MR/MC.
Skills:
Duration: NA
College Name: Indian School of Business (ISB)
Experience: Case Details:
Round one in the process consisted of a mini caselet, mixed with some preliminary motivational questions. The caselet was easy and tested mainly the candidate’s ability to
interpret graphical and numerical data by identifying trends and possible causes. There was some reference to market entry strategies and risks, but this was not delved into in detail. Nothing unusual. Standard 3C, 4P approach to solve the issue at hand. More driven by approach and strategy than numbers and frameworks. Bound by a confidentiality clause. But suffice to say that it was in line with the case books available on the consulting club portal. The first round was strictly OK. I got the data crunching right but felt I could have done better on suggesting the causes behind the data trends in the caselets. Could have been more prepared for pharma/healthcare practices.
Tips: Would suggest preparation of specific examples from professional/personal experiences to support your answers. Be sure to cover or think of all flaws and angles. It’s all about presentation skills and how you can handle large chunks of data. In that manner, it is slightly different from the other case interviews.
Round: Case Study Interview
Experience: Case Details:
There were around 40 pages of information including background, industry research, newspaper articles, annual reports and miscellaneous data. The candidate was expected to identify the issue and make recommendations. Calculations were minimal. The main challenge was to finish the reading and evolve a cohesive and comprehensive strategy to solve the problem at hand. The
findings were then to be transferred to chart paper and presented to the panel. One can expect a fair bit of cross-questioning if the coverage of the case has not been complete. Innovative insights and the ability to fend off questions help. The second round was much much better. The key was to read quickly without getting bogged down by the sheer volume of the data and material. I had minimal cross-questioning and felt that I hit most of the salient points of the case. Problem assessment is the key. The final interview was just to gauge the candidate’s fit with a small econ 101 question on MR/MC.
Skills:
Duration: NA
College Name: Indian School of Business (ISB)
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