Most of our competitors are losing money. These are similar to the market-sizing and guesstimate questions asked in interviewer-led cases demonstrate your calculations in structured, clear-cut, logical steps and youll nail the case. The company just raised a big amount of cash through IPO. Second, this is not a must, but I always try to make my hypothesis as explicitly clear as possible. This case is about a client considering outsourcing a part of their activity. Case Interview Question #00603: Our client is The Ministry of Railways (MOR) of China. I liked the solution presented in this case because it illustrates how specific good candidates should be. This is an investment case (should you invest in a new bar). Subscribe to our Newsletter to receive exclusive posts directly in your Inbox. The question asked in the problem statement is very broad, which makes this case difficult. Interviewer: Yes. where the candidate (and you) can improve: The candidates opening of the case feels unstructured. 
If you are overcoming hardships, we wanna help! You will work long hours, travel a lot and be under stress. 
If you dont want to spend hours searching the web, this article presents a comprehensive and convenient list for you with 35 example cases, 16 case books, along with a case video accompanied by detailed feedback on tips and techniques. Actually, we dont. No.3. For simplicity reason, lets call them Pandora! 
With over Read the rest. This case study asks you to help your client assess different business models. There are three of them: Thats a very interesting problem and I am happy to get a chance to solve it. But its worth-noting here is not only that. This habit is extensively taught at McKinsey, Bain and BCG, so therefore interviewers would love somebody that exhibits this habit often in case interview. Like for the BCGs section above, Deloitte website clearly states that in case interviews, it is much more important to show how you think and interact with your interviewer than to find the right answer to the case. Pandora broadcast music through couple of channels: the website, mobile apps and built-in car radio. Try to solve it by developing a structure as MECE as possible. I liked the broad range of questions asked in this case, covering key skills assessed by consulting firms during case interviews: brainstorming skill (or creativity), quantitative skill & business sense. Try to solve it by developing a structure as MECE as possible. This is a profitability case. Most of these case study examples are based on case interviews used by consulting firms in real job interviews. So, only good candidates will be able to have a structured case discussion here. This seems trivial but very beneficial in multiple ways: I bought myself a couple of seconds to calm down and get focused. Please download the complete archive here (password: thinkinsights.net). There are three things I would like you to pay attention to: First, it took the candidate up to 72 seconds to gather his thoughts. It is better to show the habit of aligning here too. I would like to introduce to you the perfect habit of what you should react and do every time you have any piece of data during case interviews. I can show you how to get it right if you watch this video on. No.2, with that said, I have told I really like the fact that this candidate exhibits the map habit. This is a habit that every consulting manager loves for young consultants to do. I will stick to the approach. I liked the solution presented for this case, in particular how it started first by isolating the problem of declining sales (what range of products?
I can show you how to get it right if you watch this video on Case Interview Note-Taking. To show of this habit in a case interview is very good! Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below. Not only does it help reduce chance of going into the wrong direction in case interviews, but it also creates a good impression. Once youve mastered them, you can nail any case they throw at you! - Career in Consulting, Your email address will not be published. Capital One Business Analyst Case Interview, Do keep in mind: dont base your study on frameworks and individual case types, but, The limitation of most official case interview examples is that they are, To solve that problem for you, weve extracted a 30-minute-long, feedback-rich case sample from our, In 30 minutes, this candidate demonstrates the exact kind of shortcoming that most candidates suffer during real case interviews they come in with sharp business senses, then hurt their own chances with. I would like to look deeper into Revenue. See Capital One Business Analyst Case Interview for an example case and answers. Besides the leading ones, we have some examples from other major consulting firms as well. The candidate was going into the first branch of the analysis which is Revenue. Third, you hear this a ton of times in our End-to-End program but I am going to repeat it again and again. The ministry is responsible for the development of the rail network and rail infrastructure in mainland China, passenger services, and regulation Read the rest. Both of these are to make sure that I will be solving the right problem. In this case, we should point out that revenue actually grew by more than 50%. This case study asks you to help your client assess different business models. Its a very unconventional. Third, right at the beginning of the case, I try to be crystal clear and easy to follow. Even though I dont know if this type of case study is very common, I had many case studies like this when I passed my interviews a few years ago. Bain & Company website highlights something else that is very important: successful applicants manage to turn a case interview into a conversation between two consultants. I liked the broad range of questions asked in this case, covering key skills assessed by consulting firms during case interviews: brainstorming skill (or creativity), quantitative skill and business sense. This is an investment case (should you invest in a new bar). This is a profitability case. I liked this case study because the case prompt is uncommon: your client has been facing a very high attrition rate among its population of Engineers. So the clients business model is to deliver music to customers through three channels: internet website, mobile apps and built-in car radio. If youre in a graduate school or an MBA program, practice cases on a regular basis, say 1 case per day. the rest of the transcript is available in our End To End Case Interview. Fifth, after playing the case context and objectives, I pause for a second and ALIGN with the interviewer: Does it correctly and adequately summarize the case?. The more you practice, the more confident you will automatically feel. And I always found them difficult! Even if the solution presented in this case book is not MECE, it covers the most common quantitative questions you might have in such a case. We will use your feedback to improve the quality and diversity of our content. Profitability. Again, this is a very common type of case (how to reduce costs). Secondly, I did what I refer to as the map habit, which is to always say what you are about to do and then do it. Case Interview Question #00627: Our client China Southern Airlines Company Limited is an airline headquartered in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, Peoples Republic of China. One of the best ways to prepare for case interviews at firms like McKinsey, BCG, or Bain, is by studying case interview examples. Sorted in descending order of popularity, they are: These are similar to candidate-led cases at Bain and BCG. These cases have you sort through a deluge of data to draw solutions; however, this type of case is rare. Ill provide you with techniques to stand out at every step of the recruiting process. This is a habit that every consulting manager loves for young consultants to do. Here are some DEF facts about the situation we just talked about. By nature, we as human unconsciously like those who give us compliments. Moldovan Coffin Maker to Exit Coffin Manufacturing Business, 3M Company Invests $400 Million to Build a New Steel Plant, China Southern Airlines to Fly New Guangzhou-Perth Route, Ghanas Busy Internet Cafe to Build a New Copy Center, China to Build Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway. The 2013 revenue was $425 million. Volumes or prices or both?). Making one mistake twice is a big no-no in consulting interviews; one key part of the consulting skill set is the ability to learn, and repeating your mistakes (especially if the interviewer has pointed it out) makes you look like someone who doesnt learn. Since the questions can be grouped into predictable types, an efficient approach is to master each question type. To do this, you need to master the main problem-solving techniques that consulting firms want to see. Consulting interviewers love people doing it often! Well yes. In other words, you dont want to show up as a candidate, but as a consultant! Strategy& doesnt provide case study examples on their website, but does share insights on how career progression looks like or their values, which I recommend reading when you prepare for your fit interviews. These are only part of the ninja tips taught In our Case Interview E2E Secrets Program besides the math and business intuition for long-term development, a key feature is the instant-result tips and techniques for case interviews. Fourth, in playing back the case, each person would have a different way to re-phrase. However, rescheduling should only be used as a last resort. Here we see a not really bad response that for sure could be much better. At McKinsey, case interviews often follow the interviewer-led format, where the interviewer asks you multiple questions for you to answer with short pitches. If this is not possible in certain situations, you may skip telling how many items you have; but you should definitely still number your question: No.1, No.2; and so on. Say it and accompany it with the best smile you can give.
Just like somebody in the car showing the drivers the route before cruising on the road. So here is my understanding of the case: The client is ABC. Deep-dive into the secrets of case interviews at top consulting firms, with extensive materials on business intuition, tips and techniques, as well as consulting math! Its just that he did all of these implicitly on his head. As I just said on the previous comment, this is a great habit to have. I liked this case study because the case prompt is uncommon: your client has been facing a very high attrition rate among its population of Engineers. I really like the examples of case studies presented on the Roland Berger website. Use the resources available in this blog to prepare for your case interviews. Because the two examples of case studies are very detailed and illustrate the kind of solutions that your interviewers expect during case discussions. Please enter your best email address and get access to your free content: To begin with, you can find the complete 253 case interview examples hereafter: From this list, and confirmed by the feedback I received after the 200+ candidates I coached passed their interviews in top consulting firms, the, which case studies you are likely to have in interviews, In short, whether you are just starting out or have already made good progress in preparing for your, free case interview examples (with solutions). As a result, its very unlikely that your solution fits a well-known framework, & youll have to demonstrate your problem-solving skills by developing a specific solution. Now its time to tell you something you could have heard a hundred times. 10 example cases with 100+ real-time feedbacks on tips and techniques, 50+ exercises on business intuition and 1300+ questions for math practice! Volumes or prices or both?). This is a typical market sizing question. The best way to improve your case interview skills is to put yourself in a case interview situation. One way is to take timeout often to carefully plan your pitch. Based on comparisons, I can draw conclusions as to why the company is losing money and propose solutions to turn over the company net loss. Nonetheless, this being one of the biggest banks in America, its interesting to see how its cases differ from the consulting ones. Now lets go ahead and get started! Case Interview End-to-End Secrets Program. The facts regarding the client and the situation and (c) The key question and the objective of the case. In consulting case interview, its always good to do everything as explicitly as possible. To learn more about this, check the What Not To Do section on the AT Kearney website. Probably its an industry-wide problem, and as the market leader, we have got to solve it first. I intentionally leave the 72 seconds of silence in the recording so you get an idea of how long that is in real situations. This is a typical market sizing question. This is Kim and welcome to another performance in the Tips & Techniques part of our amazing End-to-end program. Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to Read the rest. This habit is extensively taught at McKinsey, Bain and BCG, so therefore interviewers would love somebody that exhibits this habit often in case interview. But this is a habit management consultants have to have every day when talking to experts, clients, or key stakeholders. You are about to hear a really interesting performance. Make sure to suggest an alternative day & avoid rescheduling multiple times at all costs. Ok. Consulting entails ceaseless learning. I distinguish between the two really carefully. It shows that you are not afraid of any problems. The driver would love it. I am a former Strategy Consultant and for the last 6 years, I have helped 200+ people get a job at McKinsey, BCG, or Bain & Company. Capital One is the odd one on this list it is a. company. In this case, I actually give out an important piece of data. How would you help your client? Do you want to get access to over 280 free case interview examples (with answers)? To solve that problem for you, weve extracted a 30-minute-long, feedback-rich case sample from our Case Interview End-to-End Secrets Program. Industry Coverage: railroads & trains; transportation; government & public sector. The capital and largest city is Accra, with an estimated urban population of 2.3 million Read the rest. Case Interview Question #00689: Our client Moldovan Coffins is a high-end coffin maker in the country of Moldova. Industry Coverage: mining & metals production; conglomerate. The candidate performs a reality check on whether his actions match the issue tree; in a case interview its easy to lose track of what youre doing, so remember to do this every once in a while. which not only test analytical skills but also place a great deal on interpersonal handling. In 30 minutes, this candidate demonstrates the exact kind of shortcoming that most candidates suffer during real case interviews they come in with sharp business senses, then hurt their own chances with inadequate techniques. Consulting is intense. Here the candidate just implicitly made a hypothesis that the problem is on the revenue side. This article contains incorrect information, This article does not have the information I am looking for. I recommend doing this case. A clear understanding of what is a case interview is essential for effective use of these examples. My sample pitch for this step 3 would sound like this: Its interesting that revenue went up quite a bit. Given the mistakes this candidate makes, hes probably not taking his notes well. Candidate: Thanks! First of all, you hear me say: Thats a very interesting problem and I am happy to get a chance to solve it. Before going straight to the approach he draws the overall approach first. And the CEO wants to at least break-even? You also see here that the candidate tried to align the approach with me by asking my thoughts on it. As a result, its very unlikely that your solution fits a well-known framework, and youll have to demonstrate your problem-solving skills by developing a specific solution. Alright, lets break down the perfect opening. The profitability case we are about to watch will show that. Compare that with historical data and data (if available) from the competitors. Then I would like to ask a few clarifying questions regarding a few terminology and concepts. However they do give an overview of what they are looking for: they want entreprenarial, self-starter and analytical candidates, which are skills that are highly appreciated by all consulting firms. I liked the solution presented for this case, in particular how it started first by isolating the problem of declining sales (what range of products? Do we have any data on the revenue?. Does that sound like a fair approach to you? Step 2: Describe the data, how it looks, is there any special noteworthy trend? The Deloitte consultant recruitment process also features group case interviews, which not only test analytical skills but also place a great deal on interpersonal handling. The more perspectives you can get, the better. Studying case interview examples is one of the first steps in preparing for the management consulting recruitment process. Capital One is the odd one on this list it is a bank-holding company. This shows that the candidate does have a good intuition and thought process. Finally, you can read the articles in the blog section of my website. The question asked in the problem statement is very broad, which makes this case difficult.
Sometimes, the amount will be calculated based on the number of displayed ads but sometimes it is calculated as a certain percentage of the revenue that our partners generate through the ads. Ok So solutions if any have to work within 12 months? Keeping track of your improvements will keep you motivated & make sure that you dont repeat the same mistakes. Does it prove, disprove, or open up new investigation to really test the hypothesis? I see Can I have a minute to gather my thoughts? Step 3: Link the trend identified back to the original case question and the hypothesis you have. After a few days, redo the case & apply your learning to ensure that you are making progress. For this very approach, I think no more than 15 to 20 seconds should be used. The candidate does not distinguish between the two and do both at a same time. Is there anything else we should be aware of? So your client today is an internet music broadcasting company. This is a market entry case. If you have an upcoming case interview & don't feel confident about your chances, dont hesitate to reschedule. The key to acing candidate-led cases is to master the case interview fundamental concepts as well as the frameworks. The case collection includes cases which have been used in actual case interviews in the past. He went straight into the next question without at least acknowledging the data received and also without briefly analyzing it. Candidate: (silent 2 seconds)And do we have any data on the revenue of competitors? Case Type: improve profitability. If you take this course of action, take a few things into consideration. As a result, assuming youll have 6 interviews (and therefore 6 case interviews) during the recruitment process: Over 250 examples of case interviews is a great list and you may not know where to start. So, only good candidates will be able to have a structured case discussion here. Then ABC. So, summarizing the above insights, my pitch would sound something like this: So as we just discussed, a profit problem is either caused by revenue or by cost. There are three of them: You may see above pitch as obvious but thats a perfect example of how you should open any cases. As a result, you can have a good idea of the case study questions you can have when interviewing at these firms. Hence, consulting firms, such as McKinsey, BCG & Bain use case interviews to assess candidates in their recruiting process. Notice here that I ended up asking the same question the candidate did. In this case, the approach as proposed by the candidate is very simple. I have sorted this list of 253 case studies by type:profitability, market expansion, industry analysis, pricing, investment or acquisition, and guesstimates (also known as market sizing question). Yes, I Want To Secure A Consulting Job In 2022. But competitors data is not going to be helpful anyway. Like Strategy&, Alix Partners doesnt provide case study examples on its website. However, to be able to fully reject our hypothesis on the revenue, I would like to compare our revenue to that of the competitors as well.. McKinsey & Company website is definitely one of my favorites. - Career in Consulting. As a result, this will only take you to a place you dont want to go: the pool of rejected candidates. The candidate prompts the interviewer to give out more data than he asked for; if anything, this actually matches a habit of real consultants, and if youre lucky, your interviewer may actually give out important pieces you havent thought of. Looking for case interview practice partners? It is the worlds sixth largest airline measured by passengers carried, and Asias largest airline in terms of both fleet Read the rest. This is a candidate-led, profitability case on an internet music broadcasting company called Pandora. And I always found them difficult! The case is talking about wine, so a good candidate should mention the quality of lands & grapes as important factors. Industry Coverage: airlines. The candidate relies too much on the interviewer (e.g: asking for data when it can easily be calculated); you dont want to appear lazy before your interviewer, so avoid this. So clearly that the objective here is to have a break-even net income within 12 months. So three things you need to do: Step 1: Say thats an interesting piece of data. Unique more comprehensive, more detailed, and more intuitive than ANY other products on the market, Instant access available automatically after purchase, Case Interview 101 The Online Guidebook. This is a little too long in a case interview. I am Mithun Sridharan, Founder & Author of, Practice Resources Sample Consulting Case Studies, Stern case book: Drinks Gone Flat (starting at page 24), Stern case book: Sport bar (starting at page 46), NYU Stern case book: MJ Wineries (starting at page 85), AGSM case book: Piano tuners (starting at page 57), Darden case book: National Logistics (starting at page 49), Stern: The pricing games (starting at page 55), Wharton 2017: Engineer attrition at SLS Oil & Gas Services (starting at page 55), Wharton 2017: Pharma Company Goes International, Outsources Benefits, Integrates New Technology (starting at page 95), INSEAD: Gas retail case (starting at page 73), https://thinkinsights.net/consulting/practice-resources-sample-case-studies/, Australian Graduate School of Management (2002), Connect with us on our Social Media channels to stay up-to-date on the topics we cover, or. Additionally, there seems to be a greater focus on the numbers. I liked the solution presented in this case because it illustrates how specific good candidates should be. I am good. There are a lot of free case interview examples on the Internet & its hard to know where to start.
If you are overcoming hardships, we wanna help! You will work long hours, travel a lot and be under stress. If you dont want to spend hours searching the web, this article presents a comprehensive and convenient list for you with 35 example cases, 16 case books, along with a case video accompanied by detailed feedback on tips and techniques. Actually, we dont. No.3. For simplicity reason, lets call them Pandora! With over Read the rest. This case study asks you to help your client assess different business models. There are three of them: Thats a very interesting problem and I am happy to get a chance to solve it. But its worth-noting here is not only that. This habit is extensively taught at McKinsey, Bain and BCG, so therefore interviewers would love somebody that exhibits this habit often in case interview. Like for the BCGs section above, Deloitte website clearly states that in case interviews, it is much more important to show how you think and interact with your interviewer than to find the right answer to the case. Pandora broadcast music through couple of channels: the website, mobile apps and built-in car radio. Try to solve it by developing a structure as MECE as possible. I liked the broad range of questions asked in this case, covering key skills assessed by consulting firms during case interviews: brainstorming skill (or creativity), quantitative skill & business sense. Try to solve it by developing a structure as MECE as possible. This is a profitability case. Most of these case study examples are based on case interviews used by consulting firms in real job interviews. So, only good candidates will be able to have a structured case discussion here. This seems trivial but very beneficial in multiple ways: I bought myself a couple of seconds to calm down and get focused. Please download the complete archive here (password: thinkinsights.net). There are three things I would like you to pay attention to: First, it took the candidate up to 72 seconds to gather his thoughts. It is better to show the habit of aligning here too. I would like to introduce to you the perfect habit of what you should react and do every time you have any piece of data during case interviews. I can show you how to get it right if you watch this video on. No.2, with that said, I have told I really like the fact that this candidate exhibits the map habit. This is a habit that every consulting manager loves for young consultants to do. I will stick to the approach. I liked the solution presented for this case, in particular how it started first by isolating the problem of declining sales (what range of products? I can show you how to get it right if you watch this video on Case Interview Note-Taking. To show of this habit in a case interview is very good! Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below. Not only does it help reduce chance of going into the wrong direction in case interviews, but it also creates a good impression. Once youve mastered them, you can nail any case they throw at you! - Career in Consulting, Your email address will not be published. Capital One Business Analyst Case Interview, Do keep in mind: dont base your study on frameworks and individual case types, but, The limitation of most official case interview examples is that they are, To solve that problem for you, weve extracted a 30-minute-long, feedback-rich case sample from our, In 30 minutes, this candidate demonstrates the exact kind of shortcoming that most candidates suffer during real case interviews they come in with sharp business senses, then hurt their own chances with. I would like to look deeper into Revenue. See Capital One Business Analyst Case Interview for an example case and answers. Besides the leading ones, we have some examples from other major consulting firms as well. The candidate was going into the first branch of the analysis which is Revenue. Third, you hear this a ton of times in our End-to-End program but I am going to repeat it again and again. The ministry is responsible for the development of the rail network and rail infrastructure in mainland China, passenger services, and regulation Read the rest. Both of these are to make sure that I will be solving the right problem. In this case, we should point out that revenue actually grew by more than 50%. This case study asks you to help your client assess different business models. Its a very unconventional. Third, right at the beginning of the case, I try to be crystal clear and easy to follow. Even though I dont know if this type of case study is very common, I had many case studies like this when I passed my interviews a few years ago. Bain & Company website highlights something else that is very important: successful applicants manage to turn a case interview into a conversation between two consultants. I liked the broad range of questions asked in this case, covering key skills assessed by consulting firms during case interviews: brainstorming skill (or creativity), quantitative skill and business sense. This is an investment case (should you invest in a new bar). This is a profitability case. I liked this case study because the case prompt is uncommon: your client has been facing a very high attrition rate among its population of Engineers. So the clients business model is to deliver music to customers through three channels: internet website, mobile apps and built-in car radio. If youre in a graduate school or an MBA program, practice cases on a regular basis, say 1 case per day. the rest of the transcript is available in our End To End Case Interview. Fifth, after playing the case context and objectives, I pause for a second and ALIGN with the interviewer: Does it correctly and adequately summarize the case?. The more you practice, the more confident you will automatically feel. And I always found them difficult! Even if the solution presented in this case book is not MECE, it covers the most common quantitative questions you might have in such a case. We will use your feedback to improve the quality and diversity of our content. Profitability. Again, this is a very common type of case (how to reduce costs). Secondly, I did what I refer to as the map habit, which is to always say what you are about to do and then do it. Case Interview Question #00627: Our client China Southern Airlines Company Limited is an airline headquartered in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, Peoples Republic of China. One of the best ways to prepare for case interviews at firms like McKinsey, BCG, or Bain, is by studying case interview examples. Sorted in descending order of popularity, they are: These are similar to candidate-led cases at Bain and BCG. These cases have you sort through a deluge of data to draw solutions; however, this type of case is rare. Ill provide you with techniques to stand out at every step of the recruiting process. This is a habit that every consulting manager loves for young consultants to do. Here are some DEF facts about the situation we just talked about. By nature, we as human unconsciously like those who give us compliments. Moldovan Coffin Maker to Exit Coffin Manufacturing Business, 3M Company Invests $400 Million to Build a New Steel Plant, China Southern Airlines to Fly New Guangzhou-Perth Route, Ghanas Busy Internet Cafe to Build a New Copy Center, China to Build Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway. The 2013 revenue was $425 million. Volumes or prices or both?). Making one mistake twice is a big no-no in consulting interviews; one key part of the consulting skill set is the ability to learn, and repeating your mistakes (especially if the interviewer has pointed it out) makes you look like someone who doesnt learn. Since the questions can be grouped into predictable types, an efficient approach is to master each question type. To do this, you need to master the main problem-solving techniques that consulting firms want to see. Consulting interviewers love people doing it often! Well yes. In other words, you dont want to show up as a candidate, but as a consultant! Strategy& doesnt provide case study examples on their website, but does share insights on how career progression looks like or their values, which I recommend reading when you prepare for your fit interviews. These are only part of the ninja tips taught In our Case Interview E2E Secrets Program besides the math and business intuition for long-term development, a key feature is the instant-result tips and techniques for case interviews. Fourth, in playing back the case, each person would have a different way to re-phrase. However, rescheduling should only be used as a last resort. Here we see a not really bad response that for sure could be much better. At McKinsey, case interviews often follow the interviewer-led format, where the interviewer asks you multiple questions for you to answer with short pitches. If this is not possible in certain situations, you may skip telling how many items you have; but you should definitely still number your question: No.1, No.2; and so on. Say it and accompany it with the best smile you can give.
Just like somebody in the car showing the drivers the route before cruising on the road. So here is my understanding of the case: The client is ABC. Deep-dive into the secrets of case interviews at top consulting firms, with extensive materials on business intuition, tips and techniques, as well as consulting math! Its just that he did all of these implicitly on his head. As I just said on the previous comment, this is a great habit to have. I liked this case study because the case prompt is uncommon: your client has been facing a very high attrition rate among its population of Engineers. I really like the examples of case studies presented on the Roland Berger website. Use the resources available in this blog to prepare for your case interviews. Because the two examples of case studies are very detailed and illustrate the kind of solutions that your interviewers expect during case discussions. Please enter your best email address and get access to your free content: To begin with, you can find the complete 253 case interview examples hereafter: From this list, and confirmed by the feedback I received after the 200+ candidates I coached passed their interviews in top consulting firms, the, which case studies you are likely to have in interviews, In short, whether you are just starting out or have already made good progress in preparing for your, free case interview examples (with solutions). As a result, its very unlikely that your solution fits a well-known framework, & youll have to demonstrate your problem-solving skills by developing a specific solution. Now its time to tell you something you could have heard a hundred times. 10 example cases with 100+ real-time feedbacks on tips and techniques, 50+ exercises on business intuition and 1300+ questions for math practice! Volumes or prices or both?). This is a typical market sizing question. The best way to improve your case interview skills is to put yourself in a case interview situation. One way is to take timeout often to carefully plan your pitch. Based on comparisons, I can draw conclusions as to why the company is losing money and propose solutions to turn over the company net loss. Nonetheless, this being one of the biggest banks in America, its interesting to see how its cases differ from the consulting ones. Now lets go ahead and get started! Case Interview End-to-End Secrets Program. The facts regarding the client and the situation and (c) The key question and the objective of the case. In consulting case interview, its always good to do everything as explicitly as possible. To learn more about this, check the What Not To Do section on the AT Kearney website. Probably its an industry-wide problem, and as the market leader, we have got to solve it first. I intentionally leave the 72 seconds of silence in the recording so you get an idea of how long that is in real situations. This is a typical market sizing question. This is Kim and welcome to another performance in the Tips & Techniques part of our amazing End-to-end program. Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to Read the rest. This habit is extensively taught at McKinsey, Bain and BCG, so therefore interviewers would love somebody that exhibits this habit often in case interview. But this is a habit management consultants have to have every day when talking to experts, clients, or key stakeholders. You are about to hear a really interesting performance. Make sure to suggest an alternative day & avoid rescheduling multiple times at all costs. Ok. Consulting entails ceaseless learning. I distinguish between the two really carefully. It shows that you are not afraid of any problems. The driver would love it. I am a former Strategy Consultant and for the last 6 years, I have helped 200+ people get a job at McKinsey, BCG, or Bain & Company. Capital One is the odd one on this list it is a. company. In this case, I actually give out an important piece of data. How would you help your client? Do you want to get access to over 280 free case interview examples (with answers)? To solve that problem for you, weve extracted a 30-minute-long, feedback-rich case sample from our Case Interview End-to-End Secrets Program. Industry Coverage: railroads & trains; transportation; government & public sector. The capital and largest city is Accra, with an estimated urban population of 2.3 million Read the rest. Case Interview Question #00689: Our client Moldovan Coffins is a high-end coffin maker in the country of Moldova. Industry Coverage: mining & metals production; conglomerate. The candidate performs a reality check on whether his actions match the issue tree; in a case interview its easy to lose track of what youre doing, so remember to do this every once in a while. which not only test analytical skills but also place a great deal on interpersonal handling. In 30 minutes, this candidate demonstrates the exact kind of shortcoming that most candidates suffer during real case interviews they come in with sharp business senses, then hurt their own chances with inadequate techniques. Consulting is intense. Here the candidate just implicitly made a hypothesis that the problem is on the revenue side. This article contains incorrect information, This article does not have the information I am looking for. I recommend doing this case. A clear understanding of what is a case interview is essential for effective use of these examples. My sample pitch for this step 3 would sound like this: Its interesting that revenue went up quite a bit. Given the mistakes this candidate makes, hes probably not taking his notes well. Candidate: Thanks! First of all, you hear me say: Thats a very interesting problem and I am happy to get a chance to solve it. Before going straight to the approach he draws the overall approach first. And the CEO wants to at least break-even? You also see here that the candidate tried to align the approach with me by asking my thoughts on it. As a result, its very unlikely that your solution fits a well-known framework, and youll have to demonstrate your problem-solving skills by developing a specific solution. Alright, lets break down the perfect opening. The profitability case we are about to watch will show that. Compare that with historical data and data (if available) from the competitors. Then I would like to ask a few clarifying questions regarding a few terminology and concepts. However they do give an overview of what they are looking for: they want entreprenarial, self-starter and analytical candidates, which are skills that are highly appreciated by all consulting firms. I liked the solution presented for this case, in particular how it started first by isolating the problem of declining sales (what range of products? Do we have any data on the revenue?. Does that sound like a fair approach to you? Step 2: Describe the data, how it looks, is there any special noteworthy trend? The Deloitte consultant recruitment process also features group case interviews, which not only test analytical skills but also place a great deal on interpersonal handling. The more perspectives you can get, the better. Studying case interview examples is one of the first steps in preparing for the management consulting recruitment process. Capital One is the odd one on this list it is a bank-holding company. This shows that the candidate does have a good intuition and thought process. Finally, you can read the articles in the blog section of my website. The question asked in the problem statement is very broad, which makes this case difficult.
Sometimes, the amount will be calculated based on the number of displayed ads but sometimes it is calculated as a certain percentage of the revenue that our partners generate through the ads. Ok So solutions if any have to work within 12 months? Keeping track of your improvements will keep you motivated & make sure that you dont repeat the same mistakes. Does it prove, disprove, or open up new investigation to really test the hypothesis? I see Can I have a minute to gather my thoughts? Step 3: Link the trend identified back to the original case question and the hypothesis you have. After a few days, redo the case & apply your learning to ensure that you are making progress. For this very approach, I think no more than 15 to 20 seconds should be used. The candidate does not distinguish between the two and do both at a same time. Is there anything else we should be aware of? So your client today is an internet music broadcasting company. This is a market entry case. If you have an upcoming case interview & don't feel confident about your chances, dont hesitate to reschedule. The key to acing candidate-led cases is to master the case interview fundamental concepts as well as the frameworks. The case collection includes cases which have been used in actual case interviews in the past. He went straight into the next question without at least acknowledging the data received and also without briefly analyzing it. Candidate: (silent 2 seconds)And do we have any data on the revenue of competitors? Case Type: improve profitability. If you take this course of action, take a few things into consideration. As a result, assuming youll have 6 interviews (and therefore 6 case interviews) during the recruitment process: Over 250 examples of case interviews is a great list and you may not know where to start. So, only good candidates will be able to have a structured case discussion here. Then ABC. So, summarizing the above insights, my pitch would sound something like this: So as we just discussed, a profit problem is either caused by revenue or by cost. There are three of them: You may see above pitch as obvious but thats a perfect example of how you should open any cases. As a result, you can have a good idea of the case study questions you can have when interviewing at these firms. Hence, consulting firms, such as McKinsey, BCG & Bain use case interviews to assess candidates in their recruiting process. Notice here that I ended up asking the same question the candidate did. In this case, the approach as proposed by the candidate is very simple. I have sorted this list of 253 case studies by type:profitability, market expansion, industry analysis, pricing, investment or acquisition, and guesstimates (also known as market sizing question). Yes, I Want To Secure A Consulting Job In 2022. But competitors data is not going to be helpful anyway. Like Strategy&, Alix Partners doesnt provide case study examples on its website. However, to be able to fully reject our hypothesis on the revenue, I would like to compare our revenue to that of the competitors as well.. McKinsey & Company website is definitely one of my favorites. - Career in Consulting. As a result, this will only take you to a place you dont want to go: the pool of rejected candidates. The candidate prompts the interviewer to give out more data than he asked for; if anything, this actually matches a habit of real consultants, and if youre lucky, your interviewer may actually give out important pieces you havent thought of. Looking for case interview practice partners? It is the worlds sixth largest airline measured by passengers carried, and Asias largest airline in terms of both fleet Read the rest. This is a candidate-led, profitability case on an internet music broadcasting company called Pandora. And I always found them difficult! The case is talking about wine, so a good candidate should mention the quality of lands & grapes as important factors. Industry Coverage: airlines. The candidate relies too much on the interviewer (e.g: asking for data when it can easily be calculated); you dont want to appear lazy before your interviewer, so avoid this. So clearly that the objective here is to have a break-even net income within 12 months. So three things you need to do: Step 1: Say thats an interesting piece of data. Unique more comprehensive, more detailed, and more intuitive than ANY other products on the market, Instant access available automatically after purchase, Case Interview 101 The Online Guidebook. This is a little too long in a case interview. I am Mithun Sridharan, Founder & Author of, Practice Resources Sample Consulting Case Studies, Stern case book: Drinks Gone Flat (starting at page 24), Stern case book: Sport bar (starting at page 46), NYU Stern case book: MJ Wineries (starting at page 85), AGSM case book: Piano tuners (starting at page 57), Darden case book: National Logistics (starting at page 49), Stern: The pricing games (starting at page 55), Wharton 2017: Engineer attrition at SLS Oil & Gas Services (starting at page 55), Wharton 2017: Pharma Company Goes International, Outsources Benefits, Integrates New Technology (starting at page 95), INSEAD: Gas retail case (starting at page 73), https://thinkinsights.net/consulting/practice-resources-sample-case-studies/, Australian Graduate School of Management (2002), Connect with us on our Social Media channels to stay up-to-date on the topics we cover, or. Additionally, there seems to be a greater focus on the numbers. I liked the solution presented in this case because it illustrates how specific good candidates should be. I am good. There are a lot of free case interview examples on the Internet & its hard to know where to start.