KPMG: International Case Study Competition

Our Case Study Competition is designed to test your ability to work in a team and devise solutions around the business issues that companies face in today’s global markets.

Why take part? 
Success in the UK national finals will see you moving onto the international final, which will be hosted in Mumbai, India. Here you will have the opportunity to compete against the very best teams from major universities across Europe, Africa and the US.

The potential benefits of entering the competition will certainly make it worth your effort. The experience will add value to your CV and can also be used as evidence of your skills and commitment when it comes to your all-important job interviews.

As well as learning about some of the key challenges for modern business, you will have the chance to sharpen your commercial awareness, develop team-working and presentation skills and demonstrate your talents in a competitive situation. There will be plenty of opportunities to make contact with KPMG staff, and gain an insight into working life within our global network of member firms.

What’s more, if you are part of the winning UK team, you will have the added bonus of three fantastic days in Mumbai.

So what exactly is a case study?
Case studies are exercises that are regularly used as part of MBA programmes at leading business schools. Tough and demanding, they often involve up to 30 pages of business facts, sales figures and balance sheets – all based on real businesses and their real problems. Your role is to analyse and make sense of the data, before making big decisions that could either make or break the company.

Case studies are a great way to understand and engage with business issues in a realistic setting. You don’t need to be studying a business subject to succeed in them, but you will need to be able to absorb a range of information quickly, think through issues and then present your solution. And you’ll need to do all this in just over three hours of competition.

The judges will be senior staff from KPMG in the UK, so you can certainly expect a grilling about your conclusions. However, if you’re up for the challenge, it’s a great way to test your abilities and really stretch your team-working skills.

What makes a winning team?
Your team needs to include four people from the same university. Team members can be studying any degree discipline.

To improve your chances of success, you should aim to get the right mix within your team. Look for fellow students who are:

• Interested in business
• Good leaders or task managers, who could help the team work well under pressure
• Good presenters – how you present your conclusions will be as important as working out the right approach to solving the case study
• Have a balance of skills and interests

Could you be celebrating in India?
KPMG’s Case Study final will be held in Mumbai in early April 2009. The winning team from the UK will be competing in this final, with travel and accommodation expenses paid for by KPMG in the UK, and social events will also be arranged.

Please note that you will need to be available on the following dates:

• 8th December 2008 (for UK regional heats)
• 4th and 5th February 2009 (for the UK final in London)
• 31st March to 3rd April 2009 (for the international final in India)

Please see www.kpmgcareers.co.uk/Graduates/KPMGEvents--InternationalCaseStudyCompetition_(602).aspx?pg=602 for more details and to register.