Case prep timeline; when will my gaps close?

Hi there,

It’s really hard, if not impossible, to tell you exactly how much time you need to be fully prepared without seeing you in action and properly assessing your current level; anyone giving precise timelines is essentially guessing.

What I can tell you though is this: you should start networking NOW. Networking takes time and it should happen before you apply, not after. 99% of the value of a referral comes at the CV screening stage, so you need to have those conversations and relationships in place in advance. Also, even in the unlikely scenario where you’re pushed to apply earlier than you’d like, you can usually ask to delay interviews.

On prep: keep your current pace of peer cases, and if possible increase it (ideally up to one case per day). Also, if your budget allows, one coaching session per week is probably the most effective way to accelerate, given your starting point.

One additional point: I’m not a big fan of isolated drills. In real interviews, skills like structure, math, exhibits, and communication are fully integrated. The real challenge is to connect the numbers and insights back to the core question and drive the case forward. If you train everything in isolation, you risk missing the development of overall case leadership.

Keep going; your progress so far is solid, and you’re asking the right questions.

Feel free to DM me if you want to discuss further,
Best,
Franco

Hello! Hope you're doing well!

Great to see you've started your journey; brings back memories :) 

First and foremost, and this is something I always tell to those starting off: this journey is long, and it is hard

Some people nail it quickly, but for most, myself included, it took real time to scale up. So before anything else, manage your expectations. Give yourself permission for this to take the time it takes

That said, you've clearly taken the right first steps. The structured approach, the honest self-diagnosis, the coaching sessions; good on you for that

On timelines for each gap, my honest take is that nobody can give you one, because it's person-specific. For example, comms took me far longer than I ever expected to fix. Someone else might flip that entirely. Trying to map your progress empirically may mess with your expectations

What I can say is that two months is a great timeline, with the right schedule and the right people

But, the routine and who you case with are really crucial for progress. The routine builds the case "muscle", but who you train that muscle with consistently is equally as importnat; you need to ensure that you have built a pipeline of individuals that you are casing with that can give you actionable feedback to help you (i.e., think friends and colleagues from your network that are already in the industry, that can case you every now and then - build a pipeline with those if you can to supplement your peer cases)

Let me know if you have any questions, happy to catch up over a quick chat!

Best,

Karim

P.S. It does not hurt to start networking now and introducing yourself to representatives in the companies you want. This will take time anyways so might as well get started in parallel. My two cents :)

Hey, 

First of all: no worries! As an experienced candidate, your brain just works differently than a 23-year-old business major (the average MBB candidate). If you are a good thinker, and I have no reason to doubt that, this will put you on an accelerated career path once you are in -- I have seen quite a few PhDs I worked with struggle to get in and then shine once at their Firm.

When I was coaching cases for UC Berkeley, I found a few similar instances with grad school candidates in their late 20s / early 30s. I learned that you cannot always use the same approach as the usual (younger) MBB candidate -- and unfortunately most coaches will do that, as they typically work with younger folks.

I would do the following:

• Move to a cadence where you isolate a specific improvement area (e.g. structuring) for 7-10 days
• Start with focused theory (0.5 hours) and specific "drills" (2 hours) where you don't solve the case but you just focus on building a structure for 10–15 cases
• Work on 5 mock cases where you only focus on structuring to set it up correctly: think a little bit longer than allowed to get it right, think on how you connect your work to the structure you set up
• Repeat this for the other 4-5 areas you mentioned (e.g., communication)

This should help you close your gaps in 40-50 days. However, as other coaches said, it is impossible to give you a precise estimate from the outside :)

My fiancée and my two best friends are PhDs as well, so I'd be glad to help you with a free info session. This way, we can dive deeper into the issues you are facing. Just shoot me a DM!

In any case, good luck on your journey!