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As part of the interview process, we will ask you to discuss a business problem. As you work through the business case with your interviewer, you will also become better informed about our firm and the kinds of problems we solve. This section will deal with the following topics;
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If you want to practice, please try our on-line case study.
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Why We Use Case Studies
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- Your ability to deal creatively with complex or
ambiguous problems in unfamiliar businesses, to structure
your thinking, and to reach sensible conclusions with
the available facts in a short time is a your most
important asset as a consultant.
- Since no particular background or set of qualifications
necessarily prepares you to do this, we've come to
rely upon the case study as an integral part of our
interview process.
- If you want to practice, please try our on-line
case study.
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How You Should Approach the Case
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- The cases you discuss in each of your interviews will be different. Generally, they are based on the interviewer's professional experiences and will usually describe situations with which you are not familiar.
- In addressing the case, it is important that you take a logical, well-structured approach and reach a reasoned conclusion. At a minimum, you should be sure that you:
- Understand the underlying problem and the question. Ask for clarification on the points that you feel unclear.
- Think broadly and break the problem down into a logical structure. Do not get bogged down on one particular issue before you have explored other areas that may be important. There may be several issues to be addressed in order to reach a conclusion. However, candidates often focus too much on their own area of expertise rather than the important issues.
- Address the issues one at a time. Focus on the most important issues first. Your interviewer may not expect you to get through all of them in the allotted time.
- Address important issues, not just ones you feel comfortable with. Candidates often focus too much on their own area of expertise rather than the important issues (for example, accountants focusing on the financial aspects of new product development without mentioning customers).
- Test your emerging hypotheses. Keep coming back to check that you are addressing the question you were asked.
- Request additional information. As you build an understanding of the problem, there may be more information that you need.
- Reach a conclusion. Synthesize your thoughts concisely and develop a recommendation.
- If you want to practice, please try our on-line case study.
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Case Study Tips
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- Do's and Don'ts
- Listen to the problem. Make sure you are answering the question that you have been asked.
- Begin by setting a structure. Think of four to five sub-questions that you need to answer before you can address the overall issue.
- Stay organized. Finish one key question and arrive at a point of view before you go on to the next.
- Communicate your train of thought clearly. If you have considered some alternatives and rejected them, tell the interviewer what and why.
- Step back periodically. Summarize what you have learned and what the implications appear to be.
- Ask for additional information when you need it. But make sure that the interviewer knows why you need the information.
- Watch for cues from the interviewer and keep an open mind.
- Don't fixate on "cracking the case". It is much more important to demonstrate a logical thought process than to arrive at the solution.
- Use business judgment and common sense.
- Relax and enjoy the process. Think of the interviewer as a teammate in a problem-solving process and the case as a real client problem that you need to explore and then solve.
- Some Common Mistakes
- Misunderstanding the question or answering the wrong question.
- Proceeding in a haphazard fashion. For example, not identifying the major issues that need to be examined or jumping from one issue to another.
- Asking a barrage of questions without explaining to the interviewer why you need the information.
- Force-fitting familiar business frameworks to every case question, whether they are relevant or not, or misapplying a relevant business framework that you do not really understand, rather than simply using common sense.
- Failing to synthesize a point of view even if you don't have time to talk through all the key issues, be sure to synthesize a point of view based on where you ended up.
- If you want to practice, please try our on-line case study.
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The continuous challenges and opportunities you are faced with may not always be an easy road to follow but at the same time, it helps you to become an independent leader and professional in a relatively short period of time. |
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