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1、Cracking the Case: A Consulting Interview PrimerWeb ExclusivePage 1 of 3You dont have to be Sherlock Holmes to ace thecases in a consulting-firm interview. In fact, a little preparation can make solving them seem, well, elementary.Remember your seventhgrade algebra teacher s three favorite words?Sho
2、w your work. At the time, it seemed silly: Why not justshow theright answer ? Now that youre older and wiser, however , you know that inmany cases how you get to the right answer is moreimportant thansimply knowing the answer itself.you. Consulting is a demandingjobwithfew correct answers; thismetho
3、d of interviewinggaugeshowwellyou manage the process ofgetting to an answer andhowyouperformunder simulatedThe same goes for the case questions that consulting recruiters lob atclient-engagement conditions.We talked to consultant-hunters at several firms to glean their advice oncracking the case int
4、erview. Heres what the recruiters revealed andhow you can best prepare.Why the Case Interview?Case interviews have long been used by recruiters to see a candidatesthought processes in motion. Can you deconstruct and analyze complex,open-ended business problems? Do you stay calm, or will you sweatbul
5、lets under pressure at a client site?At themost basiclevel, a case interviewis about asking therightquestions, developing a logical way of working through the relevant issues,and arriving ata recommendation.Your structuremaybe apackaged framework or it may be various frameworks strung together;you m
6、ay even choose not to use frameworks at all. Whats important is that you demonstrate some defined structure.“ Case studies are an imperfect science,” concedesMichael Gibney,project manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers,“ but are easilyimplementable in the 30 to 45 minutes we have for each interview.” Si
7、ncethey measure your analytical skills, theyre an improvement over simplefit or resum interviews.In most case interviews, the recruiter gives you an example of a real-life client problem. Some typical categories include:Company Strategy:“ My client is thinking of making anacquisition, and”Brain Game
8、s: “ How many tennis balls are in the UnitedStates? ”Operations Improvement:“ Why is my client s factory runningbehind? ”Market Size:“ How big is the global air conditioner market?”Although each requires a slightly different approach, all are meant mainly to evaluate the process you use, not the ans
9、wer you come up with.Practice Makes PerfectYou absolutely, positively must prepare in advance for case interviews.“ It becomes pretty clear pretty fast who has and who has not practiced, ” says Gibney. “ I know there is a basic so rt of business acumen that may not be able to be practiced, but candi
10、dates must havean understandable approach to solving problems. That s what our clientsdemand of us. If we can t relate solutions to the client, it s a problem.Don tassume that atte nding a case-oriented business school will give you an upper hand. John Flato, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young snational direc
11、tor of university recruiting, says these candidates don t seem to doany better or worse than candidates from non-case schools.Study different kinds of case questions. Just because your buddy interviewed before you and gave you a heads-up on the questions doesn t mean you have a leg up. Recruiters ha
12、ve tons of case questions in their repertoire, and the chances of their using the same question multiple times on one campus visit are slim to none.Get a classmate or friend to role-play the interview with you, and use any resources (such as a casebook) that your schools consulting club provides. Th
13、e more mock cases you sink your teeth into, the more likely you are to be relaxed and poised for the real thing. Sometimes you learn more by presenting a case question to someone than you do when solving the case yourself.Deliberately pick industries youre not familiar with so as to test your analyt
14、ical skills, not memorized facts; for instance, if your pre-B-school experience is mostly in media and entertainment, ask your case buddy to ask you about steel production or medical device marketing. That said,do consider brushing up on the basics in several industries for instance,know the product
15、 development cycle in pharmaceutical research, andonunderstand current trends in technology. (For more information various fields, check out our industry guides.) Although each case is different, with practice you will improve your analytical reasoning skills and solution method.Think Through the Pr
16、ocessWhen it comes to strategy or product marketing questions, the interviewer will often give you only the bare bones of a case and will wait for you to request further details: How many competitors does the company have? What are the major cost and revenue drivers? Who arethe major clients? And do
17、nt forget to ask for the firms mission if youdont know what a companys goals are, you might come up with a valid but misguided solution. Use some basic frameworks to drive your questions the four Ps and the three Cs, for instance.A sample question Gibney used recently involved a manufacturer/distrib
18、utor/retailerof computer products. This client hastraditionally gone directly to the consumer and has developed a solid brand image. The client now wants an assessment as to the issues relating to the core business, as well as the opportunities for the companyto get into the services side, which it
19、views as a high-margin/high-growth-ratebusiness. The candidate now needs toprovide an approach or evaluative framework for analyzing each of the two different problems.As long as its permitted, work your answers out on paper. Pencils andpens, plus a notebook or legal pad should be standard equipment
20、 in anyinterview.It s amazing how many people show up without a pen andpaper , marvelsKamennaRindova,a senior associate at MercerManagement Consulting. Thinking through all the facts is a must, and you e not going to do it all in your head.Web ExclusivePage 2 of 3You dont have to be Sherlock Holmes
21、to ace thecases in a consulting-firm interview. In fact, a little preparationcan make solving them seem, well, elementary.May the Five Forces (Not) Be with YouSome recruiters are turned off when potential hires draw on a packaged analytical framework (such as the five forces) to solve a problem. Oth
22、ers, however , are impressed. To be on the safe side, if you use a framework, don t stray too far from the issue.Eileen Coveney,vice president at L.E.K. Consulting, warns candidates easy and obvious solutions.about the perilsof frameworks:“When people dependtoo much on apre-establishedframework, the
23、y may not be thinkingdeeply enoughabout the problem at hand. This may indicate that when presented withan actual client issue, they are not going to focus onthe details andspecifics of the clients problem. Raheyrmay be inclinedto jump intoIf you do use one, choose wisely. If the case is about a busi
24、ness thats considering entry into an industry, Porters five forces may indeed be your best bet. If youre talking about how products get from suppliers to end consumers, consider the value chain. Companies that are falling short on sales could use a profitability or cost vs. revenue analysis. If your
25、emarketing a new pharmaceutical product, think about the 4 Ps and the 3 Cs.Is That Your Final Answer?Don t be afraid of pausing. T ake the time to draw up notes and sketch out the problem. Don t blurt anything out unnecessarily to end a period of silence. You re not on a game show;you re interviewin
26、g to be aconsultant, which is a businessas much about thinking as it is aboutcommunicating. Above all, be calm.If you do respond to a question too quickly, before understanding all the facts, you may end up contradictingyourselfhalfway throughyourresponse - whichcould be disastrous. In our envir onm
27、ent and ourindustry, says Sean Huurman, national recruiting director of KPMG Consulting, “ we need to make sure we re saying the right thing the first time.After allthe analysis,however , dont forget tocome to some kindofconclusion as to whatthe companyshoulddo.Consider presenting adecision rule tha
28、t the imaginary organization could use to figure out what the best option is e.g., if revenues outstrip costs, then dox .Follow the LeaderMany firms use a group exercise in their second or subsequent rounds tosee how well you work with others. If you re assigned a role other thanteam leader , don tf
29、ret. It doesn tmatter what your role is in theexercise just do it well. If you and the team members are told to settle between yourselves who g ets to do what, don t fight over who gets tomake the presentation or lead the group. Likewise, don tplay the shrinking violet. Remember , the recruiter is w
30、atching.Whatever you do, show confidence, not arrogance. A display of ego before John Flato at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young is a certain red flag.“Obviously, those who go tobusinessschools arebright andtalented - they wouldn be thereotherwise,Flatoremarks. Wehirebright and talented people, but only thos
31、e who can work well with team members an d not display arrogance.”Page 3 of 3Web ExclusiveYou dont have to be Sherlock Holmes to ace the cases in a consulting-firm interview. In fact, a little preparationcan make solving them seem, well, elementary.Ready for some company-specific advice? Heres what
32、five recruiters told us about interviewing at their firms.Recruiter No. 1: Eileen Coveney, vice president, L.E.K. ConsultingThe Questions:Testing a candidates skill across a range of areas is the primary reasonL.E.K. uses case interviews. Coveney indicates that the case interviews are meant to (1) a
33、ssess a candidate s analytical ability, (2) evaluate acandidates communication skills and logic flow, (3) understand how a candidate responds to redirection, and (4) test his/her overall fit with the firm. Most questions L.E.K. recruiters ask center around strategic growth opportunities for potentia
34、l clients.Words of Wisdom:Coveney points out tha t she doesn t have a preference regarding how a candidate initially reacts to the case interview question. Some peopletake some time to formulate their thoughts, other people ask a few questions, and other people jump right in, Coveney says. Relax and
35、 take your time, focus on the specific issues of the case, remember there is no one right answer to the case, and don t use too many frameworks.Don tthrow in the kitchen sink, like Porter five forces, etc. Just be confident, and relax it will really hel p with the interview.”RecruiterNo. 2: KamennaR
36、indova,senior associate,MercerManagement ConsultingThe Questions: group exercises. Reflecting the firm fsocus, most questions deal with strategy issues, with occasional market sizing questions thrown in. TheMMC asks most candidates one-on-one questions and doesnt often dopurpose of the interview for
37、 MMC is to see the candidates ability to structure and think through a problem as they would on the job.Words of Wisdom:Rindova says practice and familiarity with cases is essential, and stresses that an interview can go south if the candidate loses sight of the structure he or she is building. Last
38、ly, beating a clear path to any response is more important than gettingit right. “ You can give (a re cruiter)a wronganswer , but if you thought out loud through the process, you could still have a stellar interview,” Rindova concludes.Recruiter No. 3: Scott Berney, head of U.S. recruiting operation
39、s, Monitor GroupThe Questions:Determining a perso n sanalytical skills, comfort with manipulating numbers, and ability to integrate different pieces of data is the purpose of the case interview for Monitor Group. For the first round of interviews, case questions are usually written and are two to th
40、ree pages in length.In the final round, a group event is used.Words of Wisdom:“ My takeon most other firms is that they put a premiumon thecandidate s ability to ask questions in the interview. Monitor cases put asayspremium on your ability to analyze data, manipulate numbers, integrate, and come up
41、 with an answer based on the data you ve been given,Berney. Like L.E.K. s Coveney, he doesn t like to see candidates use toomany frameworks to solve a problem.Recruiter No. 4: Sean Huurman, national recruiting director, KPMG ConsultingThe Questions:“ The case question helps get to a thinking process
42、 and various characteristics of a candidate you don tnecessarily get in an ordinary interview, ” says Huurman. “ When we use cases, we are really focusin g on things that tie into the client.” The typical KPMG consultant hunter wantsto knowhow a candidatecan communicate with the team, their leadersh
43、ip, and the client.Huurman favors group interviews, and knows a lot of candidates can be prepped in adva nce, but he notes that there s no amount of coachingthat can prepare you for a group project.Words of Wisdom:“ Toomany people jump right into the case study and don tput any thought into it,” say
44、s Huurman. “ I want the interviewees to think thingst hrough. ” KPMG recruiters are always told to let the candidate have sometime to think through the case, but Huurman indicates that very few candidates take advantage of it.Huurman admits that few recruiters would ask interviewees what KPMGstands
45、for (c urious? Its Klynveld, Peat, Marwick, and Goerdeler), but it important to do your homework on the firm s services, strengths, andculture.Recruiter No. 5:Michael Gibney, project manager,PricewaterhouseCoopersThe Questions:Some of PwC s competencies don t require that a case question be asked, b
46、ut it s probably best to plan for one. Interviews are typically one-on-oneand are meant to test the business acumen of a candidate. Seeing candidates insight into business problems and their approach to solving them (most questions are based on true-life client engagements) is the overall goal.Words
47、 of Wisdom:Gibney understands that many problems are too big to solve during the course of a half-hour interview, but wants to see a firm grasp of key issu es. “ The candidate must have an understanding of the overall situation and the overall problem, and then create an approach to solve it, ” Gibney says. “ For instance, if we re talking about a client getting intothe servicesbusiness,I would expect to see some kind of frameworkaround identifying what relevant servi