How should I prepare for a Consulting Case Interview?
I'm interested in management consulting. How should I prepare for the case portion of interview? I haven't taken any business classes, although I have taken micro economics and macro economics.
#consulting #interviews #case-interview #management-consulting
16 answers
Allison’s Answer
Hi Rebecca,
The thing to keep in mind with most Case Studies is that there isn't one right answer. Most companies want to see how you would solve a problem and how you would think through implementing a solution. They know that you aren't going to have all the answers and know exactly what to do, because they know you are still a college student. The majority of companies are hiring you for your potential, not necessarily for who you are right now. They are looking for someone who can present themselves well, be articulate, be respectful, and is "coachable."
In your preparation, I would find a couple of case studies online and talk through them with someone you see as having some "Business knowledge" or Problem Solving prowess. This could be a friend who is a Business major or and Engineering major (some of the best consultants are engineering majors). Practice presenting and defending your answers. Have your buddy try and challenge you if you don't give adequate supporting information. Have them ask challenging questions to try and catch you off guard.
My last advice for you is to not try and pretend you know more than you do. If your interviewer asks you a question you don't know it is acceptable to say that you wouldn't know what to do in the situation. It is ok to say that you think you would do X but that you would check with your team first. I have never been a fan of faking it till you make it, because chances are your interviewer will see you as inauthentic and fake. It is ok to make some assumptions, but make sure you note them. Most case studies are purposefully designed to be vague, so you will probably have to make some assumptions. As I said before, your interviewer is not necessarily expecting you to come to a single correct answer, they want to see how you think.
Allison recommends the following next steps:
Gary’s Answer
First, know what type of consulting you wish to pursue, and only chase that path.
Having been interviewed and also having been on the other side of the table, my best suggestion is relax. As you will find, there is no single or even correct answer. The case studies are often real, but the key is demonstrating your thought process and approach to problem solving. I have found the best answers have come from candidates who are voracious readers and approach problems in a multidimensional view and not a single threaded path.
Gary recommends the following next steps:
Veena’s Answer
In addition to the advice provided above, the following books helped me when I was preparing for case interviews in business school:
- Crack the Case
- Case in Point
Once you understand the basics of the case interview method and the types of frameworks you can leverage, the most important thing to do is practice, practice, practice. I joined a group of students and we would pair up with on another to practice case interviews together.
Anthony’s Answer
Shanna’s Answer
This kind of practice is essential in my opinion because case interviews are very unique and learning how to communicate during this type of interview is just as important as learning how to pick apart the problem / apply a framework. Going to a case interview without live practice is a bit like performing in a play without ever having read the script outloud!
Carlos’s Answer
Jack’s Answer
If you are interested in management consulting, and are wondering how to study for the case portion of the interview, I would suggest one thing, practice as much as you can in thinking on your feet. The answer isn't always obvious and sometimes the case does not even warrant an answer itself. The case interview is supposed to show how the interviewee can decipher information into a condensed and easy to follow format and how you process that information. The best way to show your thought process is to think out loud, its okay to take a few minutes to process that information, but always think about next steps. Think about what comes next in the story of fixing the "clients" problem. Does not have to be an answer sometimes, sometimes it would be getting next steps on how you would gather more information, what sessions you would hold, and how you would eventually find that answer. The only way to get better at case interviews in my opinion is to practice doing them over and over again until no matter the topic you can create a plan on how you would eventually come to a conclusive solution.
Nikki’s Answer
I also recommend the book Case In Point and using it to learn how to frame your answer in an organized way quickly and effectively for a case interview. What the interviewer is looking for is your ability to approach the case in a systematic and methodical way by identifying what is being asked, breaking up the case into what is known and unknown and solving for the unknown.
One recommendation given to me was to articulate your thought process as you answer the case and ask specific questions that will help you get the missing information.
And of course, as recommended above, practice how to do mental math to quickly estimate some of the unknowns. It will take practice but focus on building the "muscle memory" to answer case questions. Good luck!
Sydney’s Answer
I just finished up consulting recruiting and can really relate to the case interview concerns. Please know this is completely normal. Like many others said, a great place to start can be by watching YouTube videos on "What is a case interview?" and the basic business frameworks that a candidate can build off of and adapt to create a strong structure in any interview. I did use Case in Point as another resource to develop background knowledge, but my biggest piece of advice is not to review any material or purchase any resource/course. Rather, the best preparation for these case interviews is to dive right in & practice!
Everyone is going to be nervous when starting case interview prep, but those who find a casing buddy (a friend or mentor who is also practicing for these interviews/already completed them) are always much more confident. No case is the same, so exposure to a variety of different case topics and styles will be a key to success. Personally, I practiced with my friend every Tuesday & Thursday morning for about an hour. She would be the interviewer, while I practiced a case, and then we would switch. I definitely attribute this routine practice to both my friend and my's success in the recruiting process.
Consulting is a lot of learning on the job, so mastery of any one industry or topic is not important in the case interview. Rather, the interviewers are trying to assess how you think, especially under pressure. They are trying to answer questions such as the following in their assessment:
- Is this candidate confident?
- Are they able to correct their mistakes?
- Would they be a good teammate?
- Can they offer logical and creative insights that drive value for our clients?
I hope that was helpful, and please feel free to ask any further questions that I can help clarify! Good luck!
Jesse’s Answer
A lot of consulting firms do their case interviews differently. They also typically will have some type of guide on their website. There are 2 main types of case interviews: interviewer-led and interview-ee led.
In interviewer-led cases, the interviewer will present information and ask questions. For these, it's important to be structured, concise and logical with your answers, making sure to get first level and second level insights.
For interview-ee led cases, you will be expected to ask the right questions along the way to get to the overall answer the interviewer is looking for. These cases require the same structure, logical thinking, and communication, but have an added level of understanding what answer you are trying to drive the case towards.
Hope that is helpful!
Yair’s Answer
which areas of management interest you?
The people factor (team work, leaders)
Governance and control (KPIs, processes improvements)
The go to market approach and strategies
Program/project management .....
Aria Broxton, PMP
Aria’s Answer
If you have an interest and understanding of business then use this to help you figure out how you’d approach a problem or situation. There will always be some component of team work/collaboration, commmunication, and problem solving in the solution. If you include those you should be ok. I would also encourage you to google consulting case studies and see if you can find some to practice. Find friends that are business majors and run your thoughts by them.
Adam’s Answer
Adam recommends the following next steps:
Rose’s Answer
Swarnadeep’s Answer
Hi Rebecca,
Some great advice above. I would also add that the casing interview is geared towards having a dialogue to know the candidate. In most cases, there are no right or wrong answers- the interviewer is looking for your interpersonal skills, thinking process and ability to make a strong case for your recommendations.
Make sure that you listen to the interviewer when he/she presents the case problem and ask relevant questions. It is never a good idea to rush into trying to solve the problem without understanding the nuances of the case/problem. While doing the case, structure the problem by what is known as a case framework and generate a hypothesis.
My last advice would be to practice cases regularly with other students as well as any alumni in consulting world and keep track of how you are improving incrementally.
Swarnadeep recommends the following next steps:
Nevin’s Answer
Once you have a set of these, you should find some like-minded classmates/friends that are interested in joining consulting, and systematically role play practicing some of the interviews.
Remember that the interviewer will ask tough questions, but they are really on your side, they WANT to find someone great and really WANT you to succeed. It is a great day for an interviewer if they find a number of great candidates. So relax and try to envision having a business conversation. Try to take the lens of practical solutions you would discuss with a business owner, vs. theoretically perfect solutions you might investigate with a professor. These are not school assignments but business conversations. So if you know any business owner, try to envision having that conversation with them about their own business.