Pierian Services Associate Consultant Interview Questions and Answers

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Do prep for case study , puzzles , guesstimated . It is all required for this role .

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Really grind casing

Interview preparation tips for other job seekers - Don't feel nervous...it's fine to lose or win. If not today, tomorrow you will get it

Round: Resume Shortlist
Experience: I went through the resumes of some seniors, searched through the net for general tips on resume writing , looked upsites of companies in which I was interested and then posted my resume to seniors for proof reading. I attended the Pre-Placement talks of the companies I was interested in. They served the purpose of telling me more about the Companies Work Profile. But I thought they took too much time and also the main source of information about the company on our campus was and will be seniors in jobs. PPTs cant match up to that!
Tips: Read the case studies. That helps.

Round: Interview
Experience: BCG had two rounds of interviews, followed by a short-list and then another two rounds of interviews after which the final offers were made. Five people were made final offers out of an initial list of about 30. I was asked about what distinguished me as a person, some major achievements of mine and the main hurdles I had faced in my four years at IIT. I was also asked to elaborate on my primary failure here. They asked me about what made me different and what attracted me to Consulting. There were also a few light questions on my passions in life, my favourite music band etc..! Other than that were the case studies I was given to solve. In my first round I was asked about a case involving a bank selling housing lone, striking a deal with a contractor and determining the percentage to be paid to that contractor. I thought I messed this one up and the fact that I was really impressed by my interviewee&s profile didn't help ! :P
Tips: I got together with another friend of mine who had made it through BCGs short-list and we solved a few cases together from the Case Study Files sent by our seniors. These included Kellogs and Whartons Guides. I read up on what Case Studies typically are and how to tackle them from similar Case Books. In all I solved 5-6 cases on my own. As for HR questions I asked a few seniors about typical questions, went through Be Prepared and looked up the net a little for sample questions. I didn't prepare any ideal answers, just marked out for myself the points in my resume that I wanted to highlight. I prepared in a group of two people. I think Case Studies should typically be solved in groups of 2 or 3.

Round: Interview
Experience: Then I decided I had to cover up on the first interview and geared up for the next! The following round involved the study of a Cement company and a re hauling of its distribution chains. After much NBD and some slices of Pizza the shortish was out and I had made it to the next round! My third interview was very non bookish wherein they asked me about how a Consulting Firm would advertise itself. Frankly, I was quite stunned and blurted out whatever struck me. With some prompting and imagination I came up with decent answers finally!

Round: Interview
Experience: Then the last hurdle, I was asked a question apparently asked to Ghoda the year before (so you might actually get one of our questions for your interview :P!). It was about a Company manufacturing coffee cups wanting to increase its market share. After which I got my offer! :)

General Tips: I realized that a LOT amongst these interviews depends on the day you give them. So you need to be cool, confident and come across as a pleasant person. Do not over count on your preparation. I did not have any stress interviews,enjoyed all four of my interview rounds and probably that is what clicked. Also do not try and second guess the interviewee, you can never make out how well/badly its going. I still do not know why my company took me! In the HR rounds, be genuine and don't fabricate every answer, it shows. I don't think I made some major mistake, I just enjoyed myself throughout the case solving, was true in projecting before them the person that I am, told them that I had aped and was confused in life and they hired me ?
College Name: IIT BOMBAY