Coherent Market Insights Senior Consultant Interview Questions and Answers

Market Entry Case study for a edtech company. The new entrant's strategy was asked.

Guesstimates on Telecom Brands' penetration in a tier 2 city.

Partner Round - a Group Discussion on SRK's brand equity being hampered because of his son's drug consumption news

Q1. Tell me about a time when " "
Ans. 
I successfully led a team through a challenging project deadline.
• Assigned clear roles and responsibilities to team members

• Set up regular check-ins to monitor progress and address any issues

• Motivated team members to stay focused and work efficiently

• Celebrated milestones and successes along the way to boost morale
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Q2. What is your experience in healthcare
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Q1. Tell me about yourself.
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I am a highly motivated and experienced consultant with a strong background in problem-solving and strategic planning.
• I have a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from XYZ University.

• I have worked for ABC Consulting for the past 5 years, where I have successfully led multiple projects for clients in various industries.

• I specialize in process improvement, cost reduction, and organizational restructuring.

• I have ...read more
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Q2. Why Consulting? Why A&M?
Ans. 
Consulting offers diverse challenges and opportunities for growth. A&M stands out for its expertise and collaborative culture.
• Consulting provides the opportunity to work on diverse projects and industries, constantly learning and growing.

• A&M is known for its deep expertise in various areas such as restructuring, performance improvement, and operational excellence.

• A&M has a collaborative and inclusive culture, where tea...read more
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Q3. Why do you think you are a good fit?
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I am a good fit for consulting because of my strong analytical skills, problem-solving abilities, and experience in working with diverse clients.
• Strong analytical skills: I have a proven track record of analyzing complex business problems and providing data-driven solutions.

• Problem-solving abilities: I excel at identifying and addressing challenges, and I am adept at developing innovative strategies to overcome them.

• Ex...read more
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Q4. What are your interests outside of work?
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I enjoy playing sports, exploring new places, and reading books.
• Playing sports: I am an avid basketball player and enjoy participating in local leagues.

• Exploring new places: I love traveling and discovering new cultures. Some of my favorite destinations include Japan, Italy, and Iceland.

• Reading books: I find solace in reading and enjoy a wide range of genres, from fiction to self-help books.
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Q5. Tell me about your work with EY.
Ans. 
I worked at EY as a consultant, specializing in financial advisory services.
• Worked as a consultant at EY

• Specialized in financial advisory services

• Assisted clients in making strategic financial decisions

• Conducted financial analysis and provided recommendations

• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to deliver projects

• Developed financial models and performed valuation analysis

• Presented findings and recommendations to cl
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Q6. What are the projects you have loved the most?
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I have loved working on projects that involve solving complex business problems and driving strategic change.
• Projects that require analyzing data and providing data-driven insights

• Projects that involve working with cross-functional teams and stakeholders

• Projects that have a significant impact on the client's business

• Projects that allow me to apply my problem-solving and critical thinking skills

• Projects that involve dev...read more
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Q7. How has your day been?
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My day has been productive and filled with interesting challenges.
• I started the day by reviewing client documents and preparing for meetings.

• I had a productive meeting with a client where we discussed their business challenges and potential solutions.

• In the afternoon, I worked on analyzing data and creating a presentation for a client presentation tomorrow.

• I also had a brainstorming session with my team to come up with...read more
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Q8. Who all have you interacted with today (From A&M)? How have your interactions been so far?
Ans. 
I have interacted with several individuals from A&M today.
• I have interacted with my team members during our morning meeting.

• I had a discussion with my manager about the progress of a project.

• I collaborated with a colleague from A&M on a client presentation.

• I had a phone call with a senior consultant from A&M to discuss a potential engagement.

• I attended a virtual training session conducted by an A&M expert.
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Q9. Tell me about your interests.
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I have a wide range of interests including technology, business strategy, and personal development.
• Technology: I enjoy staying up to date with the latest advancements in technology and how they can be applied to solve business problems.

• Business strategy: I am fascinated by the strategic decisions that organizations make to achieve their goals and thrive in competitive markets.

• Personal development: I believe in continuo...read more
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Q10. What do you understand about consulting and A&M? What is the job like? Have you or anybody else in your family travelled for work?
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Consulting involves providing expert advice and solutions to businesses. A&M is a global consulting firm known for its turnaround and restructuring expertise.
• Consulting is a profession where professionals provide expert advice and solutions to businesses.

• A&M is a global consulting firm known for its expertise in turnaround and restructuring.

• The job of a consultant involves analyzing business problems, developing strate...read more
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Suppose you have a PE firm as your client, looking to invest in a company into packaging business. The client has 2 options.

• Company A: 200Cr in revenues, 15 Cr EBITDA, Growth rate 10%
• Company B: 150 Cr in revenues, 18 Cr EBITDA, Growth rate 15%

You have to assess the options. However, you cannot ask for more than two data points from me/client.
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate]

C: I would ask for the following two data points:

1. Purpose of the investment? I want to understand if the investment has a larger strategic motive or if it is being done purely from an investment perspective.

2. Considering we are looking at EBITDA numbers right now and not the net profit, I would want to know the capital structure of the two companies - debt/equity split and financial costs, if any.

I: The client is PE firm. They are only motive is to maximize their profits. (I do not remember him mentioning that the client was a PE firm initially. If he did, this was a blunder on my part.) Gave me numbers for capital structure, interest costs.

C: Based on the limited information available, Company B appears to be the better option. Do you want me to explore the two options further?

I: Yes, maybe we can dig deeper. What are some other factors that would affect the decision?

C: Listed factors like - revenue current and future, interest burden, volatility of revenue (risks), diversity of revenue streams (to hedge against risks), environmental factors, increasing costs, etc.

I: Asked me to think more. What would be that one piece of information that would change your decision altogether?

C: ROI to the firm (How much would I need to invest to earn x% return) - this should have been mentioned before (ideally) - defended myself by saying that I had asked for the capital structure and as per his reply capital investment was comparable.

I: Gave me feedback. You could have thought about the total capital requirement of the firm. Did not consider whether the companies would need to raise additional capital to grow at the projected rates - apart from the money they would be raising from our client.

Your client is an EPC company (construction business). They work in construction of roads, buildings, water tanks, etc. The client has heard from a friend that there are growing opportunities in water sector. The client has reached out for your help to figure out whether they should pursue this.
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate]

C: Started with CPCC to understand the context. Asked questions on the motives.

I: Gave me facts about the company, competition, market scenario for EPC players.

C: You initially mentioned that the client has a presence in water tanks - you mentioned projects like construction of water tanks. What are these new opportunities that we are exploring now? Are they different from the kind of work we already do?

I: Gave me a detailed description of water sector projects - different categories.

C: Asked a few questions related to each category - customer profiles, market size, growth rates, competition.

C: I believe I have got a good sense of the overall business and the opportunity we are analyzing right now. I would now proceed to analyze the factors that could have an impact on the decision.

Started with PESTLE, Porter's 5 forces. However, he asked me to quickly list all the factors - did not give a lot of information.

I: From our discussion so far, can you list the top 3-4 factors that will be relevant to the decision?

C: Listed 3 factors.

I: Alright. So, let us assume after all the discussion, we have narrowed down on XX opportunity and it requires an investment of INR 1000 Cr. The project would give the client INR 100 Cr in cash inflows for the next 15 years. Should the client go ahead with this?

C: Asked questions about equity/debt split, cost of capital, cost of debt. He gave me the numbers.

I started with the calculation at this point. I was 30-40 seconds into the calculation when he realized that the calculation had become a little complicated (because of the additional information he had just given me).

I: Let us not get into the entire calculation. That may take too much time. Tell me the approach you were following.

C: Explained IRR calculation. IF IRR> Weighted cost of capital - profitable investment. If not, the client should not invest.

Q1. 1. Guesstimate on estimating the number of trees in Gurgaon.
Ans. 
There are approximately 1.5 million trees in Gurgaon.
• Assuming an average of 10 trees per acre of land

• Gurgaon has approximately 150,000 acres of land

• Therefore, there are approximately 1.5 million trees in Gurgaon
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Q2. 2. Suppose you have $ 1mn to invest and 3-4 stocks to choose from, what are the factors you would consider for selecting any stock?
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Factors to consider when selecting stocks to invest $1mn in
• Market trends and performance of the company

• Financial health and stability of the company

• Industry competition and growth potential

• Management team and their track record

• Diversification of the portfolio

• Risk tolerance and investment goals
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Q3. 3. Suppose your client is establishing a hospital on a highway in India. What are the factors that need to be considered?
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Q1. Why McKinsey?
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Q2. Why Consulting?
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Q3. Think of a failure in life and how it changed you?
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Q4. Situational questions on teamwork & how to deal with team members?
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Q5. Finance as a specialization: what are your key learnings?
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Q6. Social projects done at Miranda House & difficulties and uncertainty faced in those: how did I overcome them?
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Q7. Experience at Citi: what was your project, key learnings, first corporate experience?
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McKinsey is working with an auto components supplier for automotive vehicles. Design a strategy to increase its revenues in the next 3-5 years.
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate] 

C: Is there a target revenue increase?

I: Doubling in next 3 years.

C: Which geography is our client located in?

I: India

C: Who are the takers of these auto components and where are they based?

I: Indian companies: likes of say Maruti (for 4 wheelers) and Honda (for 2 wheelers).

C: What parts/components of the automobile exactly do they manufacture?

I: Exteriors (steel fabricated parts visible externally: say doors of the car, roof).

C: Should I focus on OEMs for 4 wheelers & if yes, which specific types of 4 wheelers (say passenger vehicles or commercial vehicles)?

I: Yes, both are serviced by the client. Focus on them.

C: I'd like to understand the industry landscape: growth rate of the company vis-a-vis industry.

I: Industry has been growing steadily. Our client is present & it's not losing market share.

C: What are the distribution channels: any direct-to-consumer touchpoint?

I: They supply to OEMs and also sell replacement parts via client --> distributors --> retailers -> car owners who need replacement.

At this point, I thought I fairly understood the case-at-hand and took a couple of minutes to think.

My structure was as follows:

Step 1: Identify the different sources of revenue existing and potential: Sales to car manufacturers & replacement market (existing), new product lines (car interiors like seats/steering): potential lines.

Step 2: For each revenue line, demarcated the markets (existing geographies v/s new ones)

C: What are the KPIs in this industry for the current geographies?

I: What do you think? Focus on existing product & market.

C:
1) Interoperability among different models/carmakers

2) Quality & longevity of product

3) Service guarantee

4) Price point

I: Point 1 & 4 were the key to success in this space.

C: Could you tell me about the players in the current space & if there are any foreign forces?

I: Mentioned Chinese players and how they were flooding the market with cheaper components to which the current costs stood no competition. Please recommend both short term & long-term solutions to combat this.

C: Mentioned few points like their source of low costs was cheap steel which was 80% of the auto-body. Short Term Solution: Demand exclusivity from OEMs to sign long term contracts.

Long Term Solution: Procurement Lever, Rationalizing steel usage, alternative material R&D, brand name development.

I: Thanks, that'll be all. Please synthesize the case for me.

Guesstimate the market for niche home products for smart personal devices for households.
[Please note that I stands for Interviewer and C stands for Candidate] 

It was more conversational. I did not realize when the case started.

Laid out the structure: number of HHs in India --> Urban/Rural Split --> Income split.

I: Please do the entire calculation and give me the numbers.

C: Started calculating & speaking the figures aloud.

I: Tell me the specific customer segments to target at the outset.

Identified the following target segments:

1) Rich & affluent urban nuclear families

2) Double Income No Kids segment

3) Tech-inclined singles

4) Old aged rich grandparents looking for convenience.