Contents

How to use this book Typical case flow Fit interview tips Case formats: what to expect KCC 2013 cases Industry overviews

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Fit Guidance

What firms are looking for in a fit interview

Confidence Are you poised and professional? Can I trust you in front of a client? Eloquence Can you speak concisely but accurately about complex issues? Do you communicate with impact? Amicability Are you friendly and easy to talk to? Are you a good fit for our culture? Engagement Are you excited to be here? Do you have positive energy and presence? Leadership ability Can you lead a team through obstacles? What kind of impact can you make? Drive Do you take initiative? Do you persist to achieve your goals? What kind of goals do you have? Genuine Interest Do you really know what this job entails? Does your story make sense? Do you really know how one firm is different from another?
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Fit Guidance

How to prepare for fit interviews

Know your resume inside and out
Your resume is free game ALL parts of it Be prepared to answer detailed questions about any item on it Have a couple of favorites you may be given free reign to talk about one or more specific bullets

Know your personal stories inside and out

Prepare 2 stories for each attribute (see next slide) Memorize broader content, not a word-for-word story Use the STAR-L (Situation, Task, Action, Result, Lesson) framework Emphasize the decisions you made and the impact you personally had The better you tell a story, the more memorable you will be

Review lists of typical fit questions and prepare answers Take advantage of video-taped CMC mock interviews
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Fit Guidance

How to define your stories (illustrative)

Attributes STAR-L

Situation

Task
I decided to start a nonprofit that teaches financial education to underprivileged adults and teens.

Action
1. I created a mission statement and business plan 2. I recruited volunteers and staff 3. I promoted the non-profit and found a venue for seminars. 1. I openly discussed the actions with all my employees and sales staff. 2. I led an initiative to create customer value code

Results
We had 81 people in the first event, 200 in the 2nd, and over 500 in the final event. From these students, roughly 30% went on to buy a home While we experienced an initial dip in sales, annual sales increased by 20% and customer satisfaction metrics were higher than ever

Learning
I learned how to successfully raise funds and effectively motivate volunteers/staff. I also got very comfortable presenting in front of large audiences

Started a non-profit

As a retail banker, I noticed that many customers did not understand basic personal finance

Built a valuebased culture in my company

I owned a company where the overly aggressive sales team was making promises we could not keep to customers

Customers were outraged and I had to not only reprimand multiple sales people, but recreate positive momentum

I learned that I must always develop a valuebased culture when building a team

Strong fit stories are clear, show individual impact, and highlight key learnings
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Fit Guidance

Your Stories Template

Attributes STAR-L

Situation

Task

Action

Results

Learning

1. Story

2. Story

3. etc.

Research your target firms most emphasized attributes and fill in purple cells. Prepare 2 stories for each attribute. Each story should highlight only 1 or 2 attributes.
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Fit Guidance

General tips for fit interviews

Practice, practice, practice Be authentic Be energetic and enthusiastic Be specific and emphasize your decisions, not the context Make good eye contact and watch your posture and body language (fit interviews are your first impression!) Dont be modest, now is your time to highlight your accomplishments Use the pronoun Inot We Know why you really want to do consulting
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Fit Guidance

Most frequently asked fit interview questions

Idle chit chat (Whats your favorite class at Kellogg? Why?) Tell me about yourself. Why did you pick Kellogg? Why are you interested in consulting? Why are you interested in working at this firm? Why are you interested in this office? Can you tell me about [any bullet] on your resume? Tell me about a time you exhibited leadership skills/influenced a team/worked through adversity/failed What makes you unique? Do you have any questions for me?

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Fit Guidance

Sometimes asked: Goals and Career Questions

Where do you see yourself in 5/10/20 years? Why did you pick your prior job? What experiences/skills do you feel are transferrable to consulting? What kind of work are you best at? Tell me about your most significant project/experience at your last job What is your most significant career accomplishment to date? What do you think consultants do? What motivates you? What would you change if you could start your career over?

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Fit Guidance

Sometimes asked: Team Issue Questions

Give me a specific example that shows you are a good team player How do you manage conflicts in teams? Give me an example Tell me about a time you influenced a group What positive and negative things would your teammates and colleagues have to say about you? What was the best constructive criticism you received? How did you respond? Give a concrete example What type of roles have you played in teams? How do you motivate your subordinates? Give me an example How do you deal with a difficult superior? Give me an example What was your greatest team accomplishment? What role did you have on the outcome?

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Fit Guidance

Sometimes asked: Other Personal Questions

How would you friends, family and colleagues describe you? Why did you choose Kellogg? What has been your favorite Kellogg class? Why? What has been your most significant experience so far at Kellogg? What are you passionate about outside of work? What is your GPA? What is your GMAT? How are your quantitative skills?

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