MAKING A GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION
Case study example The following example is based off a genuine case study used by a multinational investment bank. It should give you some idea of what to expect:
The scenario
The task
Note
A large publisher of magazines and books is looking to make a significant acquisition. It has identified a target company and approached a number of investment banks for their views on the merits of a potential deal and a target price. Based on these presentations, the publisher will decide whether to proceed with a bid. If they do, select one bank to act as their advisor.
Your team is one of the investment banks bidding to win the mandate. You need to analyse the figures provided to review the marketplace, your potential client – the publisher – and the target company. You must also prepare a five-minute presentation giving your recommendations.
You may either be provided with a wealth of raw data alongside the scenario, or you and your group may have to dig up all the necessary information by yourselves somehow. Either way, you’ll need to crystallise all this information into a workable action plan that you can present to your assessors.
Can I practise for these? Yes, you can!
Here are some ways you can prepare for case studies: • Find out about the kind of business decisions the company you’re applying to have to make, or has made, recently. • You’ll need a bird’s-eye view of the current economic environment. Scour the business pages of newspapers or magazines to get a feel for current business activity. • Practise your mental arithmetic, as you may have to demonstrate your quantitative abilities without a calculator.
• Talk to any relevant industry contacts or mentors you have to learn more about any new developments. You can also bounce various scenarios off them to see if your recommendations are sound. • There’s often more than one way to solve a problem. Get into the habit of brainstorming multiple approaches instead of sticking to a single textbook solution. • Check in with the career services centre on your campus. They may run workshops or relevant presentations on case studies. Join any practice sessions they host until you become familiar with the format. Keep in mind that though part of the aim of case studies is to help assessors see how you cope with the unfamiliar, research will still boost your confidence and help you tackle issues in a more informed way.
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