Very First Interview @SKP

Question

Hey,

I'm new to preplounge and wondered if there are any cases that are a good fit for an interview at Simon-Kucher & Partners (for an internship). They send me an invitation and it says something like:

-2x 1h interviews with brainteasers and case studies

-prepare a short presentation on 1) a product you think has a good marketing strategy and explain why and 2) why simon-kucher

So I already know how to answer 2) and would consider myself as pretty good at brainteasers but I have never done a Case. In addition to that, I only have 3 days left to prepare.

What preparation ways would you recommend? I thought about:

1. start with beginner cases on pricing and marketing (SKP)

2. what do I need to know about pricing and marketing (important basics?)

3. move on to regular level cases

4. if time, try to solve and read some advanced cases

Maybe someone here has experiences with SKP Internship Interviews? The Interview is in the cologne office, Germany.

Thank you and have a nice evening!

Answer 1

If you have very little time to prep, I would try start with the basics of approaching cases rather than trying to learn specifics about pricing cases. A good place to start is to read Case In Point and Victor Cheng's "Case interview secrets". If you send me a private message I can send you some notes on these which will be easier to read quickly.

Answer 2

Hi Anonymous,

the process with SK is pretty similar to the standard one in a consulting interview

Fit questions (eg Why do you want to work for SK?)
Cases (eg How would you price the consumer offers for a telephone company?)
Your questions at the end for the interviewer.

According to your seniority, you could also have a group exercise.

What characterizes SK is that the company focus is on pricing, thus you will likely get a case on that and/or market sizing. Examples include:

How would you price a new antidepressant drug in the UK?
How much does a taxi drive make in one day?
How would you price the online subscription for a newspaper?

Hope this helps,
Francesco

Answer 3

Hey,
I'm also preparing for my interview at SKP mid of this month. Could you please be so kind and give me some insights? Would be great!! Thanks in advance :)

Answer 4

Dear A,

I recommend the following approach:

1) Start with the "Case in point" book - you can download this book for free everywhere. It's not the best guide on how you should approach the cases, however, it will give you the basic understanding.

2) Start practicing cases with partners here or find them locally. !!! Find experienced partners or coaches who can provide good feedback!!!

3) Purchase and read Viktor Cheng Book (Amazon Kindle store) and listen to LOMS (his website). I recommend rereading the book and listening to LOMS every 15 cases. Every time, having more experience, you’ll be finding something new.

4) Practice fast math

Learn how to multiply double-digit numbers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ndkkPZYJHo)
Learn the division table up to 1/11 (i.e. 5/6 = 83.3)
Learn how to work with zeros (Hint: 4000000 = 4*10ˆ6)
Use math tools (Mimir math for iOS), Math tool on Viktor Cheng website to practice.

Hope this helps,

Best,

André