Interview Scheduled

If you're interviewing with a company that is using some kind of case interview, and you haven't started preparing yet, I would conisder asking them for a delay. 4 days is just not enough to prepare when you're starting from 0.

To prepare for case interviews, you should aim at practicing 15-20 cases, if you do it strategically. My recommendation is as follows:

• Read up on the typical approaches and standard frameworks to get the concept.
• Then, do 5-6 cases to get a practical feeling for what a case is like. Start with easier ones - e.g. market size mini cases, simple profit tree cases, etc. This will help you develop a rudimentary sense for how cases work
• The next 5-6 cases should cover cases from all major types and help you gain the experience and comfort with standard frameworks and the thinking required for solving the cases.
• Lastly, you will want to do 6-7 cases to hone your skills. Practice with people who understand what they are doing - experienced interviewers, coaches, etc. that can give you 1-2 main items of feedback after each case that you can then practice to apply and improve on in the next case. During this time, you should also practice to move away from off-the-shelf frameworks and tailor, or - even better - develop your frameworks specifically during the case.

The further you move towards the final interview, the more important it is to practice with experienced interviewers. While you can easily ask any friend or practice with peers for the first few cases, you should aim for qualified, professional feedback as you approach the finishing line.

However, keep in mind, that this requires a strong plan and strategic approach to the preparation. I regularly see people doing 30-40 or even more cases. While this can also lead to success, in my eyes, it is a bit of a waste of time, especially for experienced hires that often also have a regular job to do while preparing for the consulting interviews.

Let me know if this helps. I'm also happy to elaborate any of the above in more detail. DM me if you like.

Hi there,

You need to reschedule if you can!

If you can't delay, you need to hire a coach.

Otherwise, the odds are really stacked against you.

The very fact that you are calling market sizing "guesstimation" shows how unprepared you are!

Here are some Q&As to help you further:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/when-would-you-use-a-top-down-approach-to-market-sizing-7630

https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/market-sizing-6720

Hi all,

I think Hennings advice is spot on. Prio 1: delay, Prio 2: prep correctly, there is no short cut to this. What he explains is the baseline. Also make sure you prepare excellenty for fit questions and become an EXPERT on Bain (know everything there is to know about your local office, know a lot of Bain's intellectual property on their website (i.e. frameworks Bain uses), current trends that Bain is focusing on and supporting, read publications of Partners on practices / industries you are interested in). Why Consulting, Why Bain, strengths weaknesses, 5-8 stories to answer all sorts of fit questions are key. If not, your interview replies are likely to be too generic and wont catch up with the incredible competition you can expect in MBB.

Best,

Denis

Hi,

There are plenty of resources available on guesstimates online, and I would start from there. Practice the most common ones (e.g., how many ping pong balls in a Boeing, or how many gas stations in Country X).

If it's about market sizing, then a more structured prep plan is needed.

Don't hesitate to reach out to me if you want to know more about my approaches to market sizing and how to solve them as a top performer.

Best,

Antonello

If I had to be very specific in my feedback and give you 1 tip, it's be clear in what you are trying to communicate. Add details.

All the best.

Hello!

If you don´t feel 100% ready, you should try to re-schedule. You only have one bullet at these things, and it´s better to use it wisely. 

I am exhibit A here myself, I did it and it´s the only reason I could have a solid performance. I have also advised this to many coachees, and it always worked (and it was never regretted!)

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara

Hi there, 

The interview consists of 3 parts:

• Personal fit (Why consulting / why company XX / Tell me about your biggest achievement or biggest mistake etc.)
• Case part. There is a preplounge case library you can practice with.
• Your questions to the interviewers​

In any case, unfortunately, 4 days are not enough to prepare for the interview! I hope you were able to postpone it. 

Over the past 12 years, I helped 500+ students to get into MBB and other consulting firms around the world - would be happy to help you as well.

Write me if you have any questions.

Cheers,

GB