mastering the case interview

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Mastering the Case Interviewfeaturing

Marc P. Cosentino

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• Practice 30 live cases• Read 30 cases• Start a case journal• Network• Attend info meetings• Read

DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!

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Candidates who receive offers do so for five reasons:

1. Committed to consulting2. Success-oriented3. Able to exhibit good analytical skills when

answering case questions4. Able to articulate their thoughts, create a

positive presence, and defend themselves w/o being defensive

5. Fit with industry and firm (airport test)

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Types of Case Questions

There are two main categories of case questions. However, ninety percent of the case questions will be of one type – business case

• Market-sizing (population, household, & ???)

• Business Case / Oral and Written

individual, team, presentation– Profit and loss– Entering a new market– Pricing– Growth– Strategy by numbers

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Most Popular Cases

Profit and Loss

Entering a new marketM&A, new product, new business

Analyze:• Acquiring company

• Client company

• New Industry

• How best to enter the market

E ( P = R – C ) M

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First Five Steps…

1. Summarize the Questions2. Verify the Objectives3. Ask Questions4. Layout Your Structure5. State Your Hypothesis

Steps 3 – 5 can be flipped around depending on the case.

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NEW PAIR OF SHOES

A PE firm bought a brand name shoe company for $2b paying $43/share. Stock was $30 a share. Shoe company generates $1.5B in sales and has 230 stores, 200 in the US. Last year it experienced a 30% decline in profits. Boss wants you to raise profits by 50%!

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CASE NOTES

Objective

Write the answers to the questions that you asked about the case.

Draw your structure

Case Notes

In this section write down all the information that the interviewer gives you

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CASE NOTES

• Graph or white paper, landscape

• One side of page, number each page

• Draw notes, graphs, arrows, boxes

• Lay them out in front of you

• Star most important points

• Constantly review 1st page

• Separate sheet for math

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CASE INTERVIEW EVALUATION FORM

AnalyticsStructured framework

Quant acumen

Good use of data provided

CommunicationEye contact

Articulation

Listening

Asking probing questions

Note layout

PersonalEnthusiasm

Self-confidence

Teamwork and engagement

Logic, original thought and intellectual curiosity

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The Things They do

• A or B / Let me tell you why you’re wrong

• Headings and bullets / When they cut you off

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MATH SKILLS

Math – flying w/o a calculator

Percentages, Breakevens, Weighted Averages, Net Present Value, Multi/Div with lots of zeros

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WAYS TO PREPARE

• Read Case in Point• Make a case journal• Read practice cases in other books (40 cases)

– University of Michigan

• On-line practice– CQI, Case Chase Clips– McKinsey, Bain and BCG website

• Practice live cases (30 live cases)– Form groups, alumni, career services, and

Evisors.com

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Q&A

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Questions & Answers

Question 1:

What type of case interviews can you expect as an MBA candidate versus an undergrad? What type do the different firms prefer?

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Questions & Answers

Question 2:

What do you do if you hit a dead end during an interview?

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Questions & Answers

Question 3:

Will interviewers ever give you trick questions?

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Questions & Answers

Question 4:

To what extent should you use anecdotal evidence?

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Questions & Answers

Question 5:

To what extent should you keep pushing your own opinion and when should you back off?

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Practice Your Case Interview Skills!

Stephen Tom Vanessa TamaraNicholasOr with any of our 100+ case interviewing experts:

www.evisors.com/expert/349

With Marc himself:

Visit us at careers.evisors.com

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