Preparing for the Consulting Case Interview

Preparing for the Consulting Case Interview

The case is not something you want to try without careful preparation and practice.  It is important for students interested in a consulting position to take advantage of every opportunity to practice case interviews.  There are a variety of guidebooks available that offer helpful strategies for answering case and finance questions, many of which are available at OCS. 

OCS Case Interview Resources:

• Case in Point...Complete Case Interview Preparation
• CQ Interactive on-line tool (PIN-protected)
• Vault Case Interview Practice Guide

In addition, OCS offers a number of opportunities to learn more about Case Interviewing and to practice these techniques. Refer to the calendar section of the OCS website for dates and times.  It is also a good idea to practice with friends, members of business focused student groups and people you have connected with at the firms where you are applying.

Many firms are now providing insight into their recruitment and interview processes by publishing interactive case studies on their websites. If you are preparing for an interview with a particular firm, it is worth checking to see whether they offer any interview advice for candidates (see links below for examples) on their websites.

Consulting Firm Case Prep Resources

• Bain & Company -  online practice cases
• Boston Consulting Group - interactive case
• Oliver Wyman- step by step preparation for tackling a case studies
• McKinsey & Company - practice case studies
• Deloitte Consulting- Interactive practice cases

Check out this series of blog post for Vault by industry experts on preparing for the upcoming consulting recruitment cycle.  
Vault Case Interview Advice:

• Case Interviews: The Dangers of Too Much Practice
• Case Interview Advice: Doing 'Public Math'
• How to End a Case Interview on a High Note

More information on consulting interviews and top consulting firms can be found on Career Intelligence (Vault).

 

(Source : ©2015 The President and Fellows of Harvard College )