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Interviewing
The
Case Interview
Case
interviewing is very common in interviews with consulting
companies.
There are two general types of cases: traditional and wild card.
Case interviewing requires you to listen carefully to a description
of a situation
and rapidly put together a logical and systematic way of analyzing and solving
the problem.
First, you will receive a description of a problem with varying amounts
of related information. You will have a certain amount of time
to develop a solution and presentation; and then a certain amount
of time to present. The key to preparing for case interviews
is to practice with anyone you can. Practice with schoolmates as well as
alumni in the management-consulting field.
Sample Traditional Case Interview Question
"Congratulations!
The firm of your dreams has just hired you. For your first assignment,
your client is a software development company that specializes
in spreadsheet add-in products. These products enable spreadsheet users
to do complex numerical analysis, run simulations, linear optimization,
distribution
fit, decision-trees, what-if analysis, and a host of other high-octane
mathematical functions.
The firm was started by an Engineering professor at the University
of Maryland, and has grown to its current size of 43 full-time employees. Tired
of programming a mainframe computer to help with his routine but sophisticated
calculations, he developed a program for his work. He soon realized the market
potential and began this firm to help reach that potential.
Now, 12
years later, the product has developed a loyal following, but has yet
to break wide open. Current uses of the main product lines include
professionals in the petroleum
industry, financial markets, manufacturing, health care, academia, and
others."
Solution/Structure
for this Case Interview Question
- Determine a
mission - what is the purpose of this engagement/case? In this example
it is to increase product sales for
the client.
- Define the problem and analyze why it exists.
- Examine target
segment - who uses the product, who isn't but should use the product?
- Analyze
the product - who would use it and why, what are the substitutes
and competition?
- Examine the channels of distribution.
- Provide options
and rationale for each one.
Sample Wild Card Case Questions
How many McDonald's french fries were eaten last
year worldwide?
How do you know the light goes off when you close the refrigerator
door?
How many golf balls would fit into a 747?
How many golf balls are there in the US?
How many tires are sold in the U.S. annually?
(If you are an international student, questions will often relate to your home country.)
Tips for Effective
Case
Interviewing
Always write things down! Bring a pad of paper and a pen to
write notes while listening to the case.
Take your
time. After
hearing the entire case, don't be afraid to ask the interviewer for time to collect
your thoughts.
Never panic. Remember
that you're not expected to know everything about the industry...ask for clarifications
and assistance if you need some.
Read all
information
before proceeding. Especially check for information on the back of the page!
Clarify what
you
don't understand.
The interviewer may be asking intentionally ambiguous questions
to see your reaction.
State what
you don't know. You may need to make crucial, underlying assumptions if the interviewer
doesn't give you needed information.
Give an outline
before you dive in. After you've thought about it, tell your interviewer how you plan to structure your
response. He may tell you not to worry about certain information you planned
on discussing.
Your approach
is more important than the solution. The
interviewer is looking to see how you analyze a problem, how you think, and how
you present. Make sure your approach is logical, creative, and leads to an implementable
solution.
Still make
sure that you answer the question. Yes, the interviewer is
more interested in the approach used than the actual
answer, but you still want to make sure that you provide an answer to the question.
Use visuals
if appropriate. Don't be afraid to be creative if the question makes
you think you should be.
Treat the
interview as a client-consultant interaction.Always treat the interviewer as a client and give him answers that a high-paying
client would expect from a consultant.
Be professional
and try to hide your nervousness.Everyone is nervous in these situations, but a firm wants someone who will impress
their clients with confidence and professionalism.
Mimic the
interviewer's personality
and physical movements. If the interviewer crosses his legs, then you should,
too. If the interviewer is acting either nice or aggressive and demanding, you
should respond in the same manner.
Be prepared
to use different languages. If you mentioned that you could speak another language on your resume, don't be
surprised if you are interviewed in that language.
Watch for
deflections. Interviewers
will sometimes purposefully not answer a question to see how you react. If you
believe it is important, and unless they tell you otherwise, keep pressing for
the answer.
Watch for
feedback. Most case interviewers are willing to help you...watch
for body language and listen for verbal clues.
Benchmark
your progress. During the interview don't be afraid to ask if you're on the right track or if there's
any information you're missing.
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