Interview preparation for OC&C strategy consulting firm

Hi!

OC&C interviews are quite similar to MBB, so your prep should largely follow the same approach.

You can expect two main parts:

1. Case interview (core part)
Very similar to MBB-style cases:

• profitability / growth
• market entry
• commercial due diligence (very common at OC&C)

OC&C is particularly strong in commercial due diligence, so expect cases like:

• “Should a PE fund acquire this company?”
• “Is this market attractive?”
• “How can this company grow revenues?”

They tend to be quite commercial and market-focused, sometimes more than MBB.

What they look for:

• clear structure (this is key)
• ability to prioritize (not listing everything)
• comfort with numbers
• practical business sense

2. Fit / personal questions
Standard questions:

• why consulting / why OC&C
• your past experiences
• leadership, teamwork, challenges

Nothing unusual, but they expect clear and structured answers.

How to prepare

• Practice standard case interviews (MBB-style is perfect)
• Spend a bit of extra time on market sizing and commercial thinking
• Be comfortable with quick math and interpreting data
• Prepare a solid answer on why OC&C specifically (they’re more specialized, more focused on strategy vs implementation)

One difference vs MBB
OC&C often appreciates candidates who are a bit more direct and commercial:

• get to the point
• make clear recommendations
• don’t overcomplicate

If helpful, happy to run through a case together or give you some targeted feedback on your prep :)

Hey,

Happy to share what worked for a coachee I helped land an offer at OC&C in London.

The short answer for OC&C: prep like you would for MBB, with one important twist: dedicate ~40% of your case practice specifically to PE/M&A cases.

The three pillars of case prep:

1. Handling different case types: Get comfortable with all six main frameworks: profitability, market entry, M&A, PE, comparison, and operations. For OC&C specifically, PE and M&A aren't just nice-to-have: they're the bread and butter. Many of their real cases are drawn from actual Due Diligence work, so understanding what a commercial DD looks like (market sizing, competitive dynamics, growth sustainability) is genuinely useful. If you can, speak to someone who has worked on a DD, like a coach: even a 30-minute conversation will give you context that no case book will.
2. Managing communication with confidence: Cases aren't just about the right answer. Practice being top-down: lead with your recommendation, then support it. The Pyramid Principle is the mental model here. Interviewers at OC&C and other PE-oriented firms can indeed be more direct (as Mauro was correctly pointing out), so they will notice if you're burying your punchline or taking too much time to express a key concept.
3. PEI / Fit: Use the STAR framework, but make it personal. The goal is for the interviewer to walk away thinking: this person would perform well, is hungry to learn, and brings good energy to the team room. Pick stories that show genuine impact and self-awareness, not just impressive job titles or results.

If you wish, DM me to continue this conversation with a free 15-min call. In any case, good luck on your process!

Best,
Tom

hey there :)

you can expect a classic mix of fit and case, with cases often being very commercial and consumer focused like market sizing, growth or profitability, typically a bit more hypothesis driven and less “framework heavy” than other firms; what matters most is being sharp on structuring, quick with numbers and very clear in your communication, fit is also quite important so make sure your story for “why consulting and why OC&C” is crisp and tailored, I also interviewed with them and the process was very fair but detail oriented, so precision really helps

if you want, happy to do a quick session to prep you specifically for their style

best,
Alessa :)