Perodua once again No. 1 on new Myvi demand 2011

KUALA LUMPUR: Strong demand for the new Myvi which hit showrooms last month may propel Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua)back to the top of the vehicle sales chart in Malaysia.

Industry analysts opined that demand for the new Perodua might see the car company regain billing as the top car seller in the country by August or September this year.

“It's expected that they will come back (to top spot) over the next three months,” said Affin Securities Sdn Bhd analyst Chong Lee Len.

Sales of Perodua have been affected by supply disruption caused by the earthquake in Japan and also the phasing out of the old Myvi, a lull which allowed Proton Holdings Bhd to recapture the leadership in auto sales in the first half of the year.

However, more recently, indications that Perodua could be on its way up again was based on the encouraging response it has received since the launch of the new Myvi last month.

Perodua managing director Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh said the new Myvi has now received 22,000 bookings and that the company was targeting to sell between 8,000 and 8,500 units of the new car a month.

One pleasant surprise was that the bookings for automatic version has been more than planned; currently 90% of the bookings of the Myvi were for the auto version whereas Perodua had planned 70% of production for the auto version and 30% for the manual.

“We need two to three months to adjust production to match demand for the auto from the manual version,” he said.

One benefit from that higher demand for the auto variant is that margins are typically better.

Perodua is also looking to beef up margins with the top-of-the line version of the Myvi drawing the highest demand.

Aminar said the Myvi's Elegance version, which has the highest specifications, was witnessing stronger than expected demand with orders for 4,000 to 4,500 units.

As a result, the waiting list for that variant is between 4 and 5 months while for the others, the waiting list is about two to three months.

Aminar said the company was focussed on selling as many cars as possible.

“We just want to make a value-for-money car for the public,” he said.

The new Myvi has not affected demand for the other makes of Perodua - the Alza and the Viva - but Aminar said amendments to the Hire Purchase Act has led to a 20% to 25% drop in the orders for the Viva.

Bookings for the Viva prior to the Hire Purchase Act stood at 6,000-6,5000 units a month and demand for the Alza is maintained at 2,800-3,000 units a month.

The problem, he said, stemmed from the difficulty of customers to pay the 10% booking fee for the Viva.

In the past, financing packages were structured to ease the burden of people wanting to buy Perodua's entry-level car but changes to the Hire Purchase Act has plugged such practices.

Aminar said talks were underway with banks to find a financial package solution for such buyers.

“We are trying to make the car affordable to the masses and have to come out with a more innovative package,” he said.

2011 New Proton Saga FLX 1.3L Reviewed – CVT, ABS and EBD on

Proton has officially launched the Saga FLX 1.3L, which we managed to check out in the showroom over the weekend. The car’s entry into the market was announced today, in both manual and six-speed CVT drivetrain options and two variant forms – Standard and Executive.

Going with the FLX 1.3L Executive variant bags a list of added features, notably driver and passenger air-bags along with ABS and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD). There’s no mention about any change to the engine’s output, so the assumption is that one continues on as is.

The introduction of the car follows on the company’s earlier announcement in June declaring the successful development and integration of CVT technology with its CamPro engine.

The transmission change improves the drivability and responsiveness of the car without compromising its power, said Proton’s MD Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin. “Because of the lighter build of the engine, along with the ‘stepless’ gear transition that the CVT provides, the Saga FLX delivers a fuel consumption drop of 4% in an urban driving environment, with consumption dropping up to 10% when driven on highways,” he said.

“The utilisation of CVT technology has a far reaching impact to the consumer. Other than the fuel saving, the smoothness and reliability that CVT provides allows the engine to run at an optimum level, thus resulting in less engine fatigue and improving its long term durability,” he added.

Along with the new drivetrain and ABS/EBD comes a new colour as well – Elegant Brown joins the existing options of Tranquility Black, Genetic Silver, Solid White and Blue Rock in the shade lineup.

Pricing-wise, the FLX 1.3L starts from RM38,598 for the Standard manual version right up to RM44,998 for the Executive CVT variant. The Saga FLX 1.3L is now available for bookings and can be viewed at all Proton showrooms nationwide.

Source: Paultan.org

2011 New Proton Saga FLX 1.3L Reviewed – CVT, ABS and EBD on

Proton has officially launched the Saga FLX 1.3L, which we managed to check out in the showroom over the weekend. The car’s entry into the market was announced today, in both manual and six-speed CVT drivetrain options and two variant forms – Standard and Executive.

Going with the FLX 1.3L Executive variant bags a list of added features, notably driver and passenger air-bags along with ABS and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD). There’s no mention about any change to the engine’s output, so the assumption is that one continues on as is.

The introduction of the car follows on the company’s earlier announcement in June declaring the successful development and integration of CVT technology with its CamPro engine.

The transmission change improves the drivability and responsiveness of the car without compromising its power, said Proton’s MD Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin. “Because of the lighter build of the engine, along with the ‘stepless’ gear transition that the CVT provides, the Saga FLX delivers a fuel consumption drop of 4% in an urban driving environment, with consumption dropping up to 10% when driven on highways,” he said.

“The utilisation of CVT technology has a far reaching impact to the consumer. Other than the fuel saving, the smoothness and reliability that CVT provides allows the engine to run at an optimum level, thus resulting in less engine fatigue and improving its long term durability,” he added.

Along with the new drivetrain and ABS/EBD comes a new colour as well – Elegant Brown joins the existing options of Tranquility Black, Genetic Silver, Solid White and Blue Rock in the shade lineup.

Pricing-wise, the FLX 1.3L starts from RM38,598 for the Standard manual version right up to RM44,998 for the Executive CVT variant. The Saga FLX 1.3L is now available for bookings and can be viewed at all Proton showrooms nationwide.

Source: Paultan.org

Malaysia: Wider urban-rural income gap

KUALA LUMPUR: The income gap between urban and rural Malaysians is bigger today than before the country gained independence, a trend that could lead to social instability.

Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid, a Fellow with the Institute of International and Strategic Studies (ISIS), warned that high inequality trends could also affect economic growth.

"Will economic benefits trickle down to all? The income gap has widened further between the top 20 per cent and bottom 40 per cent, jumping from RM659 (1970) to RM8,547 (2009)," he said at a breakfast forum organised by the Malaysian Rating Corp Bhd (MARC) yesterday.

He compared the income trends between 2000 and 2009 which showed that while Malaysia's economy grew at an average 5.3 per cent a year, wages rose 2.6 per cent and inflation averaged 3.2 per cent.
In the workforce, 34 per cent are earning less than RM700 a month, which is a tad below the RM720 poverty line.

Separately, Malaysia Investment Development Authority (Mida) chairman Tan Sri Sulaiman Mahbob said Malaysian companies should invest more in research and development (R&D) to help boost the country's economic growth.

R&D investments could raise the number of Intellectual Property (IP), lending a higher value to gross domestic product.

Domestic investments make up 40.1 per cent of total investments in the manufacturing sector, totalling RM267.2 billion over the past five years.

"In the first five months of 2011, we are already seeing a pick up in domestic direct investments."

Earlier, MARC also launched "Musings of a Financial Economist", a collection of thought-provoking essays on key economic issues by its chief economist Nor Zahidi Alias.

Nielsen study: Malaysian women optimistic of daughters' future

KUALA LUMPUR: Women in Malaysia along with those in Turkey and Nigeria were the most optimistic of their daughters' future, a survey by Nielsen, a global information and measurement company, revealed recently.

Its “Nielsen Women of Tomorrow Study” showed that 77 per cent of women in emerging countries believed that there would be improvements for their daughters in areas like access to technology, education, travel, financial stability, purchasing power and careers.

But only 48 per cent in developed countries felt optimistic.

The Nielsen study revealed that education and access to technology were fuelling tomorrow's optimism as women around the world knew that one vital way towards a better life was through education.

It said that women's access to higher education was considered an established standard in developed economies but in emerging countries, attending college was often a luxury and therefore the aspiration towards higher education was much higher.

The study was conducted between February and April 2011, polling nearly 6,500 women in 21 developed and emerging countries throughout Asia Pacific, including Malaysia, Europe, Latin America, Africa and North America. The countries in the study represented 60 per cent of the world's population and nearly 80 per cent of the GDP.

Children's education was a strong priority for women in Malaysia, India and Nigeria, especially in saving for their future education if their incomes increased, the study showed.

The study said better access to education, improved career opportunities and higher pay scales in both developed and emerging economies were paving the way for a rise in women's economic power.

As such, nearly 80 per cent of the women surveyed believed that the role of women was changing, and that 90 per cent of them in this category felt that it was changing for the better.

The majority of women surveyed also believed that they had more opportunities than their mothers in terms of personal financial stability and better healthcare, and a plateau of hope for the future has emerged.- Bernama

CI Holdings shares rise to highest level in over a decade

PETALING JAYA: Shares of diversified company CI Holdings Bhd rose to their highest level in more than a decade yesterday on expectations that the speculated deal, where Japan's Asahi Group Holdings Ltd will buy CI Holdings' subsidiary Permanis Sdn Bhd, will be sealed soon.

Reliable sources said the deal was imminent. It had earlier been reported that Asahi was looking to pay around US$200mil (RM600mil) for Permanis, which is CI Holdings' main asset.

That price tag works out to RM4.23 per CI Holdings share.

CI Holdings shares ran to their highest level since Sept 2000 yesterday, settling at RM4.01, up 21 sen in a weak broader market. More than 1.2 million shares changed hands.

The management of both CI Holdings and Permanis were unavailable for comment with regards to the announcement of the speculated deal.

It had been previously speculated that Japanese beer maker Asahi which is on an aggressive overseas merger and acquisition trail in order to counter the effects of a slumping domestic economy - had been eyeing Permanis, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CI Holdings.

Under Permanis, CI Holdings owns the local PepsiCo franchise and enjoys a distribution network of more than 40,000 outlets nationwide.

Following the reports, CI Holdings commented that the price tag of US$200mil (RM600mil) did not reflect Permanis' value.

Permanis contributes up to 90% of CI Holdings' net profit with the remaining coming from its tap and sanitary ware segments.

Under an exclusive franchise, Permanis produces world renowned brands such as Pepsi, Mirinda, 7-Up, Gatorade, Lipton, Tropicana andEvervess.

Permanis also manufactures its own brands of drinks which include beverages under the trademarks of Chill, Excel, Frost, Bleu and Shot, it said on its webstite.

“We believe that CI Holdings may take a re-look at the deal if Asahi were to offer a higher price in view of the tougher operating environment going forward,” said OSK Research in a follow-up report on the purported deal.

That said, even if Asahi raises its price, CI Holdings may be at the losing end of the deal if it accepts the sale as CI Holdings would be selling its mainstay business, which has a very enviable position, some analysts point out.

For the third quarter of its financial year ending June 30, 2011, CI Holdings posted a net profit of RM8.2mil on the back of RM140.1mil revenue compared with a net profit of RM10.95mil on the back of RM137.7mil revenue in the same period last year.

“Assuming the sale of Permanis goes through, CI Holdings would be left with its tap and sanitary ware division and cash of RM600mil which it could then use to acquire another core business, or return to shareholders in the form or a special dividend or capital repayment,” RHB Research said in a note to clients.

Another analyst added that considering the cash flows and growth potential of Permanis, CI Holdings will be hard-pressed to acquire another similar business with the money it will get from selling Permanis.

Investors seeking safe haven bet on gold 2011

PETALING JAYA: Gold prices are on the way up again as concerns over debt levels in the United States and the eurozone prompt investors to move their funds to safe-haven assets.

Investors were also betting that rising agriculture commodity prices would mean higher food prices after the Standard & Poor's GSCI Spot Index, a measure of 24 commodities, rose for the third consecutive week.

Gold, also seen as a hedge against inflation and volatility, has seen gains since 2009 as an impasse over how to lower the US deficit continued.

Investor fears have also heightened amid concerns that deficit levels in eurozone members Italy and Spain could not be sustained in the long term.

A Bloomberg report said gold futures climbed for nine straight sessions to July 15, which is the longest rally since November 2009.

Analysts who spoke to StarBiz said prices would rise above the US$1,600 per ounce level in the near term due to inflation in China and the debt crises in the United States and the eurozone.

Singapore-based Phillip Futures Pte Ltd analyst Ong Yi Ling said gold was likely to rise to US$1,650 in the August to September period as demand was traditionally strong during that time.

She said that with Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke not discounting another round of fiscal stimulus, this signalled to the markets that the recovery in the world's largest economy could still be a drag on global growth.

Ong added that demand for gold in China was high as both an investment and retail purchase. Investors like it as a store of value and hedge against inflation while rising incomes have allowed retail customers to buy the metal, according to Ong.

She, however, noted that price volatility would increase as prices rose.

Meanwhile, a Singapore-based gold trader attached to a bank said gold prices would likely rise to US$1,615 in the next one to two weeks before the market rebalanced from the price rise.

“Funds are flowing to gold from securities due to the volatility of the US and European markets but may return to the US market as second-quarter financial results may beat expectations,” he said.

According to Brad Durham, an EPFR managing director, there was fear in the markets of a potential downgrade of US debt and more negative news from the eurozone.

“It was a good, old-fashioned flight-to-safety trade,” he said in aBloomberg report.

Data from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission also showed hedge funds and other money managers lifted their net-long gold position by 25%, which is the biggest jump since the week ended Sept 8, 2009.

Source: Star Online, 19 July 2011

The problems with fresh grads in Malaysia

PETALING JAYA: Poor attitude -including asking for too much money - is the chief reason why employers shy away from hiring fresh graduates. Another common complaint is that many graduates are poor in English.

A survey by online recruitment agency Jobstreet.com showed that 55% of employers cited unrealistic expectations of salaries while 48% of them said poor English was the main reason why Malaysian fresh graduates from both public and private institutions remain unemployed.

“While previous surveys named poor English as the main cause for unemployment, bad attitude has now topped the list,” said its chief operating officer Suresh Thiru.

He said their attitudes were so bad that some did not even bother to inform the companies if they were running late or unable to attend scheduled interviews.

It was announced that the number of jobless graduates had increased from 65,500 to 71,600 although the overall unemployment rate had dropped from 3.4% last year to 3.1% during the first quarter of this year.

Another study by recruitment agency Kelly Services showed that fresh graduates asked for flexible working hours and expected their work to accommodate their personal life, not vice versa.

Its marketing director Jeannie Khoo said employers were also turned off by the lackadaisical attitude and lack of drive to improve among many of them.

“They have the misconception that they can earn high salaries at entry-level. They enter the banking industry expecting to earn RM3,000 while the market rate is only RM2,200,” she said.

PricewaterhouseCoopers Malaysia head of recruitment Salika Suksuwan said some candidates had many offers in hand but acted unprofessionally in rejecting job offers - by not turning up for interviews or the first day at work.

“We sometimes have to call them and remind them about a scheduled interview when they didn't turn up,” she said.

Talent Corp CEO Johan Mahmood Merican urged fresh graduates not to make demands on their salary.

“It is more important to join a company that can develop your skills and prepare you for future opportunities,” he said.

In a related development, Human Resource Deputy Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan said half of the applicants who registered with the JobsMalaysia portal (www.jobsmalaysia.gov.my) had found employment.

Speaking when launching the Graduan Aspire 2011 employment fair yesterday, she said about 300,000 job applicants were currently registered with the website.

PETALING JAYA: Poor attitude -including asking for too much money - is the chief reason why employers shy away from hiring fresh graduates. Another common complaint is that many graduates are poor in English.

A survey by online recruitment agency Jobstreet.com showed that 55% of employers cited unrealistic expectations of salaries while 48% of them said poor English was the main reason why Malaysian fresh graduates from both public and private institutions remain unemployed.

“While previous surveys named poor English as the main cause for unemployment, bad attitude has now topped the list,” said its chief operating officer Suresh Thiru.

He said their attitudes were so bad that some did not even bother to inform the companies if they were running late or unable to attend scheduled interviews.

It was announced that the number of jobless graduates had increased from 65,500 to 71,600 although the overall unemployment rate had dropped from 3.4% last year to 3.1% during the first quarter of this year.

Another study by recruitment agency Kelly Services showed that fresh graduates asked for flexible working hours and expected their work to accommodate their personal life, not vice versa.

Its marketing director Jeannie Khoo said employers were also turned off by the lackadaisical attitude and lack of drive to improve among many of them.

“They have the misconception that they can earn high salaries at entry-level. They enter the banking industry expecting to earn RM3,000 while the market rate is only RM2,200,” she said.

PricewaterhouseCoopers Malaysia head of recruitment Salika Suksuwan said some candidates had many offers in hand but acted unprofessionally in rejecting job offers - by not turning up for interviews or the first day at work.

“We sometimes have to call them and remind them about a scheduled interview when they didn't turn up,” she said.

Talent Corp CEO Johan Mahmood Merican urged fresh graduates not to make demands on their salary.

“It is more important to join a company that can develop your skills and prepare you for future opportunities,” he said.

In a related development, Human Resource Deputy Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan said half of the applicants who registered with the JobsMalaysia portal (www.jobsmalaysia.gov.my) had found employment.

Speaking when launching the Graduan Aspire 2011 employment fair yesterday, she said about 300,000 job applicants were currently registered with the website.

Alliance is HwangDBS top bank stock pick 2011

Alliance Financial Group Bhd rose after HwangDBS Vickers Research Sdn Bhd said the Malaysian lender is its top pick in the banking industry, replacing Hong Leong Bank Bhd which is near its target price. 

Alliance gained 2 per cent to RM3.61 at 9:43 a.m. local time in Kuala Lumpur trading, set for its highest close since July 7. 

Hong Leong dropped 0.7 per cent to RM13.50. -- Bloomberg 

Proton overtakes Perodua in sales in H1, 2011

Proton Holdings Bhd has pipped Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) to the top spot in car sales for the first half of this year with 74,519 units sold against Perodua's 62,584.

The Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), in its market review released today, said Proton increased its sales from 65,918 seen in the same period of last year but Perodua saw a decline in its sales from 71,375 previously.

As for sales among the non-national car segment, Toyota was number one with 21,653 units sold in the first half year although this was a decrease from 25,697 units sold previously, followed by Honda with sales of 15,807 units compared with 18,796 units.

Total passenger vehicle sales in June was also 4,255 units or 9.2 per cent lower than the previous month. 

Among the factors cited for the lower performance included the impact the March earthquake and tsunami had on supply from Japan as well as the implementation of the amended Hire Purchase Act 1967. 

MAA said the Act had resulted in a longer leadtime for completion of sales process, causing some slowdown in new vehicle registrations. 

However, the association has projected sales to be better in the second half of this year with production expected to pick up to normal levels from August onwards as well as with the introduction of new models. 

MAA nevertheless has revised downwards the vehicle industry sales forecast for this year to 608,000 units, from an earlier estimate of 618,000. Last year, the total industry sales was at 605,156 units. -- Bernama

Study: Malaysian women 16th most stressed

NEW YORK: Malaysian women rank as the 16th most stressed women in the world, according to a recent study.

Indian women rank as the world's most stressed women, says the study, prepared by the information and media company, Nielsen.

The study shows that women in India live and work under considerable time pressure.

Indian women are the most stressed (87%), the study shows, closely followed by Mexican (74%) and Russian women (69%). In the developed countries, the stress level is the highest for women in Spain (66%), France (65%) and Italy (64%).

Malaysian women (44%) rank 16th in the list while women in Thailand (45%) share the 15th spot with South Korea (45%).

Japanese women (52%) rank 12th while mainland Chinese women (51%) rank 13th.

The study, which researched the buying and other social behavioural patterns of women in 21 developing and emerging economies of the world, reveals that women all over the world feel stressed out, with women in the so-called emerging countries facing greater stress than women in the developed countries.

According to India's Economic Times, the greater stress levels of women in the newly industrialised countries can be attributed to the fact that in recent years, for example, in India, the corporate sector and the jobs have developed at an extremely fast pace whereas the society has stagnated with its traditional role patterns. - Bernama

EPF expands critical illness list; withdrawal allowed for medical equipment

KUALA LUMPUR: The Employees Provident Fund Thursday announced that it has extended its list of critical illnesses eligible under its health withdrawal scheme from 39 to 55.

It will also permit its members to purchase critical medical support equipment and peripherals effective Friday.

The EPF had last extended its list of critical illnesses under its Health Withdrawal scheme from 13 to 39 on June 15 last year.

In a statement, EPF CEO Tan Sri Azlan Zainol said: "As an organisation that cares for the wellbeing of its members, the EPF has taken the initiative to further extend the list of critical illnesses eligible under Health Withdrawal to help ease the financial burden of members in seeking immediate and the necessary medical treatment.

"In addition, members now may even withdraw for the purpose of purchasing supporting medical equipment," he said.

The latest revised health withdrawal benefits covers an additional 16 types of illnesses including severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung fibrosis, chronic inflammatory bowel disease, systemic sclerosis with pulmonary hypertension and Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which if not treated at that particular time can prove fatal, as well as three types of mental illnesses.

Withdrawal for the purchase of medical support equipment and peripherals is now permitted to treat patients suffering from all malignancy (cancer) illnesses and illnesses which involve the disorders of cardiovascular system, respiratory system, nervous system, musculoskeletal system and ear.

Under the health withdrawal scheme, members can withdraw savings from their EPF Account 2 to pay for their personal or family members' medical costs incurred for the treatment of critical illnesses.

Family members under this withdrawal include spouse, children, step-children or legally adopted children, parents, parents-in-law, step-parents or legally foster parents, and siblings.

Top 10 Companies with the Toughest Interview Questions

Some companies ask candidates to describe their strengths and weaknesses during a job interview, while others like global consulting firm Bain & Company, ask applicants to figure out how many ping pong balls can fit into the overhead compartment of a 747 plane.

In recent years, tech companies like Google have developed a reputation for conducting tough interviews, but according to a recent survey by Glassdoor.com, a job search engine, it's really consulting groups like Bain & Company that ask candidates the most difficult questions.

Glassdoor analyzed employee reviews for dozens of companies on its site to pinpoint the organizations with the most daunting interviews and found consulting firms dominated the very top of the list, while Google ranked down at No. 21, just behind fellow tech giants eBay and Amazon.

So what is it that makes interviewing at a consulting company so difficult?

"With consulting companies, the questions aren't just about your resume. It's also situational problems that job candidates have to reason through to find a solution," said Samantha Zupan, a spokesperson for Glassdoor. "And we all know it's really stressful to have to go deep into those questions and try to shine while coming up with an answer."

Just because these companies have tough interviews doesn't make them bad places to work. In fact, just the opposite seems to be true. Glassdoor's reviews found that employees were generally satisfied with most of the companies on this list, despite the difficult interview process. As Zupan points out, these tough interview questions arguably help companies find the most suitable workers, and help workers determine if the company is right for them so that both are more satisfied in the long run.

Here are the 10 companies with the hardest interview questions, ranked on a scale of one to five, with five being the hardest, along with some sample questions from each company, as provided to Glassdoor by their employees. Start preparing for the interview now.

©kenhodge13/flickr

BP

BP may be infamous for other reasons, but it turns out the oil company is also notorious for its job interviews.

Interview Difficulty Rating: 3.5

"How many volts does it take to power an offshore rig?" -- For an engineering internship.

"If you had to change a tire how would you do it?" -- For a mechanical engineering position.

Red Ventures

This South Carolina-based marketing group boasts that it has been called the next Google, but in reality, the company has surpassed Google, at least in terms of the interview process. However, unlike some of the other companies on this list, its questions often veer toward the eccentric rather than problem solving.

Interview Difficulty Rating: 3.5

"If you were an animal, what animal would you be?" -- For a regional account representative.

"Tell me a joke." -- For a sales agent.

A.T. Kearney

A.T. Kearney is the first of several consulting firms to make the list, and focuses mainly on working with companies to be more socially responsible, perhaps most notably by improving their environmental sustainability.

Interview Difficulty Rating: 3.5

"What companies in the Polish energy sector do you know?" -- For a business analyst position.

"How big is the market size for wheelchairs in Shanghai?" -- For a business analyst position.

Teach for America

Teach for America is known for being one of the most challenging -- though rewarding -- experiences a young adult can undertake, training recent college graduates to teach in low-income public schools around the country. Given the stress that comes with the job, it should come as little surprise that the organization would have a particularly difficult interview process to weed out applicants.

Interview Difficulty Rating: 3.5

"You want to take the third graders on a field trip to the zoo, but there is no extra funding to do so. You must ask the principal to reconsider and allow your students to go on the field trip. Explain how you would persuade the principal." -- For a teaching position.

"Can you think of anything that might make you leave TFA earlier than your two-year commitment?" -- For a teaching position.

Palantir Technologies

One of the few technology companies to rank near the top of the list, Palantir specializes in putting out software to help governments and financial organizations analyze data.

Interview Difficulty Rating: 3.5

"You have a 10x10x10 rubix cube. You paint the outside. How many cubes have paint on them?" -- For an embedded analyst position.

"You are outside a room. Inside the room there are two light bulbs. One light bulb is on all the time, the other light bulb only turns on when you open the door. How do you determine which light bulb is on all the time?" -- For an engineering position.

Boston Consulting

This Boston-based consulting group often ranks as one of the best companies to work for, and indeed, Glassdoor's data show high levels of employee satisfaction here, with the average worker giving the company a four rating overall. Still, the interview questions range from quirky to brain busters and will likely make candidates sweat in their seats.

Interview Difficulty Rating: 3.6

"Estimate the market size of IVF treatment in Sweden." -- For a management consulting position.

"Why do you like singing?" -- For a consulting associate.

©Bain.com

Bain & Company

As we mentioned in the beginning, this is one consulting group that really knows how to ask a hard question.

Interview Difficulty Rating: 3.6

"Help me estimate how many car dealerships there are in the United States." -- For a consultant position.

"What is the revenue of an inner city Sydney gym?" -- For an associate consultant position.

Cree

Cree produces LED light fixtures and bulbs and is the only other tech company to rank high on Glassdoor's list. Its questions are particularly fascinating.

Interview Difficulty Rating: 3.7

"How is the pothole formed?" -- For a science position.

"How many barbers would you need in a city of 1 million?" -- For a process engineer.

Jane Street Capital

It's not just consulting groups and tech companies that pose difficult questions. Jane Street Capital, a trading firm with offices in New York, London and Hong Kong, knows how to grill job candidates better than most. Its questions of choice focus on math skills.

Interview Difficulty Rating: 3.7

"What's 26 times 27?" -- For a capital trader position.

"What is the expected number of flips of a coin to simulate a six-sided die?" -- For a capital assistant trader position.

McKinsey & Company

Of all the major companies, none poses a more challenging interview than McKinsey & Company, a global consulting group that helps big businesses manage customers, developer marketing strategies and handle mergers and acquisitions. Since employees at this company play such a crucial role advising other businesses, it stands to reason that they need to be highly qualified, hence the tough questions.

Interview Difficulty Rating: 3.9

"A Canadian beer manufacturer notices that when they increase the price of beer, other drinks' consumption goes up. How will you predict the change in quantity bought based on change in price?" -- For an analytics specialist.

"A mom-and-pop music shop wants to grow with stiff competition. How should they go about it? Calculate customer lifetime value." -- For a marketing professional.

This article is part of a series related to being Financially Fit