Beginner here; Need help with almost everything

Hi there,

From what you describe, I would not worry too much about the fact that cases feel difficult right now. You are probably trying to solve the whole case before some of the individual skills have become comfortable again.

I would approach your preparation in three stages:

• First, rebuild the fundamentals. Spend some time every day on mental maths, structuring, chart reading... PrepLounge is actually very useful for this because it has a lot of content and drills that let you work on these skills separately before putting everything together in a full case. The goal here is simply to make the mechanics feel natural again.
• Then start moving into full cases. Before jumping straight into peer practice, it can help to watch a few good case interview videos on YouTube so you get a clearer feel for the flow, pacing and interaction. After that, start doing 1-to-1 cases with peers. PrepLounge is also great for finding other candidates to practise with. This is where you begin combining structuring, maths, exhibits, business judgement and communication under pressure. After each case, write down the 2–3 things that actually held you back and make those the focus of your next sessions and when practising fundamentals
• Periodically get an external calibration. Every now and then, doing a mock with an experienced coach can help you understand whether the weaknesses you think you have are actually the ones an interviewer would notice. Then you can go back to peer practice with a much clearer idea of what needs to improve.

I would recommend don’t count cases, count skills you are becoming comfortable with. Doing 30 cases is not necessarily better than doing 15 if you keep repeating the same mistakes.

In parallel (if you haven’t already), it is also useful to start building a network in your target firms. Beyond helping later with referrals or access to processes, those conversations can give you a much better sense of how interviews are actually being run in each firm, so you can fine-tune your preparation when the time comes.

I also would not read too much into one McKinsey Solve attempt. You are still early in the preparation curve. You already have a strong enough background to pursue consulting. Now it is about rebuilding the mechanics, practising them consistently and letting confidence come from seeing yourself improve.

Good luck — and keep going!

Best,
Carlos

Hi Vikram,

I would run this in four phases, and I agree with Carlos that the order matters more than the hours.

1) Familiarization. A few days, one week at most. Videos and reading, only to understand what a case is.

2) Diagnosis. One session with a coach to identify your real gaps and size a plan against the time you have. Candidates are poor judges of their own weaknesses: what feels like a math problem is often structuring or prioritization. For transparency, I am a coach, so take that bias into account.

3) Skill building. Where a gap is large, drill that skill on its own; where it is small, train it inside full cases. Rusty mental math is a large gap, so give it one or two focused weeks before ramping cases back up.

4) Volume. 25 to 30 live cases, at least half of them with a real person, across different industries and different business questions.

Your master's gives you a recruiting cycle to aim at, so plan backwards from the application deadlines rather than from how ready you feel.

If you send me a message with your start date at Durham, I can help you place these four phases on the calendar.

Best,

Franco

Hi there,

I have good news and bad news.

Bad news: You will get no special treatment

Good news: You can learn

In terms of preparation the most important thing here is narrowing down the noise. There is a lot of content flying around, and you need to work hard to focus on what's important (much like when solving a case).

I recommend the following:

1. An initial planning session with a coach: 1 hour with a coach now will have a productivity multiplier effect on all your efforts moving forward. They will figure out what materials are best for you, guide you towards the best ways to learn, and come up with a preparation plan with you.
2. Leverage free resources first: PrepLounge Q&A and case library, Poets and Quants, SpencerTom, Google, etc.). Leverage these options, read-up, and over time you'll get a feel for what you really need and where you really need to invest your hard-earned $

Importantly, read The Economist and the Financial Times daily to build up your business acument.

1. Case with other PrepLoungers: Casing with other PrepLoungers is free. Not only do you get to practice casing, but you get direct feedback. Additionally, you learn a lot just from casing others. Finally, from other PrepLoungers you'll learn which materials/coaches are helpful.

For the math, practice every day in short bursts, but remember that case math is more than mental arithmetic: write the equation first, organize the numbers, track the units and explain the “so what.”

Generic preparation advice will only take you so far. The right preparation plan depends on your current strengths, weaknesses and timeline, so I recommend getting a coach to assess you and build a tailored plan.

Since you're looking for help across the whole recruiting journey, my 360° Consulting Recruiting Course Bundle also takes you through the process end to end.

Hi Vikram, 

Thanks for providing some context. 

I don't think you need specific advice at this point. It's rather a matter of exposure. Try to do cases, read different materials, read the Q&A, get a sense of what the prep consists of and how to approach it. 

Try a case session or two with a peer to get a sense of the case dynamics. 

And then you might consider having a session with a coach to get a sense of what it is that you instinctively do well and where you struggle. The coach might then be able to help you with a prep plan so you can move towards your goal in a more targeted manner.

In terms of how to approach the application process, you might find this useful:

• • Expert Guide: Build A Winning Application Strategy

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Best,
Cristian

Vikram, honestly, don’t worry too much about the mistakes at this stage. You’re coming from Goldman Sachs with a solid finance background, so you already have a good foundation. I’d go back to basics for a few weeks: 15 to 20 minutes of mental maths every day, then simple cases focusing mainly on structure, communication and getting comfortable thinking out loud. Don’t jump straight into difficult MBB cases. Also, making small mistakes and sometimes not knowing what to say is completely normal when you’re starting out. McKinsey Solve not going well also doesn’t define your consulting potential. Build the skills gradually and you’ll see a big difference quite quickly. You’ve got this.

best, Alessa :)

Okay, take a breath first. Brain fog after time away from analytical work is real and it goes away fast once you get reps in, this is not a sign you don't have it.

Start with mental math, not cases. Ten minutes a day of percentages, growth rates, and basic multiplication before you even open a case. That fog clears in two to three weeks of consistent practice, it's rust, not a skill gap.

Skip broad case prep right now. Do five to six cases slowly, review every mistake in detail, and don't move to the next until you understand exactly where you went wrong. Volume without reflection is what's making you feel scattered.

Solve not going well once means nothing at this stage. Keep it simple, math daily, one case every two days, and you'll feel the fog lift faster than you expect.