Capsim Challenge Gives Students an Edge In Job Interviews

The winners and finalists of the 2016 Capsim Fall Challenge will have a clear edge at their next job interview. Their competitive business performance is proof they have the skills employers want – like problem solving, critical analysis and the ability to perform under pressure.

Hoang Nghiem, from University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, won the Capstone Challenge. Aleksandr Fominykh, from Brigham Young University Idaho, won the Foundation Challenge.

Hoang said the Challenge was “a great chance to compete with students all over the world. It helped me challenge myself – and improve my resume!” Aleksandr said using the simulation in class had provided a practical understanding of financial statements – “prior to that, I absolutely did not understand the meanings and interconnections of business terminology.”

Teams at more than 400 universities from over 30 countries competed in the Challenge, all attempting to run the world’s top simulated company.

“Winning the Challenge is an incredible achievement, given the intensity of the competition globally,” according to Capsim Managing Director Reda Chafai. “Most students take a whole semester to complete their business simulation for the first time. In the Challenge, all rounds are completed in ten days. Those who make the finals face eight solid hours of focused decision making. They make corporate decisions on new product offerings, marketing, pricing, forecasting and finances with hourly deadlines. There’s very little time to analyze the competition and the pressure is intense!

“It still amazes me to see how students execute their strategies with such accuracy and precision. They demonstrate they have what it takes to deliver in a fast-paced corporate environment. It’s particularly tough for students from Asia who have to compete in the finals through the middle of the night.”

More than 10,000 teams of students have competed in Capsim Challenges since 2003. That represents tens of thousands of individual students from universities all over the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, Russia, Australasia and the Middle East. Finalists in the current Challenge came from Thailand, India, Turkey, Mexico and the United States.

Winners enter the Capsim Challenge Hall of Fame and receive a $400 American Express voucher for a dinner or victory party.

Finalist results for Capsim’s Fall 2016 Capstone^® Challenge:

Finalist results for Capsim’s Fall 2016 Foundation^® Challenge: