Math problem, monies to solver $$$

[shank316]

What you should have done is asked the interviewer why are you trying to fill up a 747 with ping pong balls? Seriously though, I want to know what the purpose of that is.

[Poofler]

[ QUOTE ]
wow, no, the person is not expected to "ask the dimensions of a 747."

the script goes like this:

1: ok, so let's do a few thought problems, ready?
2: shoot
1: how many ping pong balls would fit interior to a 747?
2: well, i'd estimate the size of a ping pong ball like this
then i'd estimate the volume of a 747 (cabin) like this
then i'd either make some adjustments or not
then i'd divide
then i'd get this number
1: great, next question ...

if you just squint for a second and plunk out a number, you're not showing the thought process, and the thought process is what they are looking for. they aren't looking for you to figure out what the important information is and then ask them for it, they're looking for common sense, reasoning, estimation, intelligence. further, if you just throw out a number, you're just not getting the job. nor is the guy who asks for the dimensions of a 747.

lol strategy in b4l

[/ QUOTE ]

Bingo. It's a pretty common consulting question. In the future, feel free to wild guesstimate about the individual objects in the question - you essentially just have to do that with the ping pong balls. Just don't wild guesstimate the answer.

[Bingo_Boy]

1)Give him an awful estimate of size of ping pong ball and make yourself look stupid
2)Give him an awful estimate of size 747 and make yourself look stupid
3)Give him an awful estimate of 'free' volume and make yourself look stupid
4)Give him an awful estimate of wasted volume between ping pong ball and make yourself look stupid
5)Multiply, get it wrong, make yourself look stupid
6)Give answer thats no more accurate than just guessing anyway
7)Get job cos interviewer can tick the 'Good BSer' box

[ExaMeter]

[ QUOTE ]
1)Give him an awful estimate of size of ping pong ball and make yourself look stupid
2)Give him an awful estimate of size 747 and make yourself look stupid
3)Give him an awful estimate of 'free' volume and make yourself look stupid
4)Give him an awful estimate of wasted volume between ping pong ball and make yourself look stupid
5)Multiply, get it wrong, make yourself look stupid
6)Give answer thats no more accurate than just guessing anyway
7)Get job cos interviewer can tick the 'Good BSer' box

[/ QUOTE ]
ive never been to a job interview yet but if its really that easy: lolz at the business world
makes sense though

[manbearpig]

Seems like a great time to me to throw the correct answer in your follow up email to the interviewer.

Like, "thanks for having me, really look forward to working for you, oh yeah btw, its like 12 mil ping pong balls"

[citanul]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
then i'd estimate the volume of a 747 (cabin) like this

[/ QUOTE ]

please tell me a hypothetical "this" that will make me feel stupid about my obvious lack of 747 common knowledge, no matter what process i see myself using to estimate the size of a 747, the fact that i would be starting out with some random guess, be it height/length/width or passenger capacity or whatever, i can't see how im coming up with a remotely accurate estimate without more information

[/ QUOTE ]

you're still missing the point entirely, i think. it doesn't matter if you final answer is off by quite a bit. a process for estimating the interior volume of a 747 would be something like:

1) "from being on a 747 i remember that in coach the body had a row of 3 a row of 5"
2) "from being on planes i would estimate that each seat is ~2 feet wide and the aisle is 2 feet wide"
3) "so i'd estimate the diameter of the plane at (3+5+2)*2 feet, which is 20 feet."

5) "if we assume that a 747 is a cylinder, the volume would then be (10^2)*pi*length"

6) "since the plane is clearly not a cylinder, which would overshoot, i'll round pi down to 3 to compensate"

7) "so the volume is roughly 300sf*length"

8) "to estimate the length, i'd use my SIMILAR REAL WORLD KNOWLEDGE WHICH IS WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR, THE ABILITY TO TAKE THINGS FROM YOUR REAL LIFE, ESTIMATE, AND APPLY THEM TO THE PROBLEM AT HAND, and make a claim about the length of a row, the number of rows, and multiply"

9) "bingo bango, so the volume is xxxx according to the estimates"

10) your mileage may vary on actually using "bingo bango" in an interview.

like i said, you're missing the point entirely i think, which probably means you're not going to get hired at any job like this, ever. they want to see how you think and how you would come up with an estimate. the whole point of the exercise is "here's a problem you obviously have no information about and no ability to get any information you didn't bring in to the room. show us how, if you needed to, you would get the answer on the fly."

c

[prodonkey]

I'd google it.