While going through some old notes from my business school days, I came across scribbling of advice for handling case interviews. The speaker was a management consultant, who was kind enough to share some thoughts.
Before we begin, let’s cover off the basics:
- Know your CV inside and out.
- Read the business section -- especially the morning of the interview!
- Be articulate about your achievements.
- Prepare specific questions for the interview. Do your research.
- Bring a nice portfolio, with paper and pen(s). Always have a back-up.
- To pass the "airport test," be natural, and show them that you're a real person.
- Have a great personal story. Demonstrate passion for the profession. Exude confidence in your skills, and experience. Sell it!
Case interviews often ask questions which may not have a straightforward, single answer. It makes respondents think on their feet, and tests their ability to prove their ideas, and to provide clear explanations. It's not just the thoughts you have, but how you deliver them. In the interviewers' minds, they're asking: "Can we put this person in front of clients?"
There are some basic categories of case interview questions:
1. Market size
These are typically supply-and-demand questions, such as "How many golf carts are sold each year in Ontario?" Some general advice is to use round numbers, and focus on demand. Start approximations on a small scale first, then "zoom out" to a larger scale. Never guess. Talk through your process out loud and walk the interviewers through your logic. Feel free to ask pertinent questions to get context
2. Business operations
Dealing with falling profits, poor performance. This is grounded in optimization, investigation and deduction.
3. Business strategy
Demonstrate your knowledge of frameworks. Here’s where you showcase your savviness with SWOT, your familiarity with the Five Forces, your alacrity with Ansoff. Contrary to market sizing, you start on the high-level and drill down to specifics.
4. Resume cases
These are said to be rare, as these tend to be third-round questions. You’ve already gotten past the basic technical level of the gauntlet. These questions allow for you to communicate the uniqueness of your experiences. Creativity counts. This is the chance to tell a compelling, memorable story of how you faced a problem, how you addressed the challenge, and what the measurable impact of your actions were.
He also referred to a book called Case in Point
. If you are a graduating business student, I highly recommend this book. It's very practical and reader-friendly. A friend of mine liked it so much she actually bought TWO copies -- one for herself and the other for our school's Case Analysis Club.
