Invited for lateral interview in 2 days

Hi there,

I’m assuming that because you have 2 interviews, you’ve already submitted your CV and cover letters, so this is about the case interviews only (noting that the fit interview will happen at the same time as the case interviews).

My perspective is that searching for advice/videos/content on how to do case studies is a fool’s errand. I would recommend that you do 2-4 cases initially (there are plenty practice partners available on this platform, as well as practice cases), get feedback (as well as doing a self-diagnosis) on what you’re weaknesses are, then hire a coach to target those areas.

I can’t overstate how important practice and diagnosis is. I really don’t think you can become an ace case-cracker by watching videos, reading blogs, talking to folks, etc. Sure, those things are helpful but fundamentally you need to do cases lots of times to get better at them, and you need to focus on your weaknesses. There are no short cuts unfortunately.

Let me know if I can help.

B.

Hi there,

Q: Invited for a lateral interview in 2 days. It's been two years since I've practiced case interviews in undergrad. Looking for advice / videos / content to bring me up to speed.

If you don’t feel ready I would recommend asking to postpone the interview, there is no penalty for that.

In general, I would recommend the following:

1. Define a calendar for your preparation. Identify how many hours you have before your interview and allocate a time slot for preparation in your calendar for each day, working on the points below. Many candidates need 100+ hours to be ready before the interview starting from zero so you can keep that as a benchmark.
2. Start reading good MBA Consulting Handbooks – you can find several for free online (INSEAD is a good one to start). Read the cases and try to apply your structure to solve them. Whenever you see there is something missing, upgrade your structure with the new insights. Try to read a new case per day – in this way you will absorb better the information with constant learning.
3. After the first 5-10 cases in books/handbooks and basic theory, start to practice live. PrepLounge can be helpful to connect with other candidates for that. There is a relevant part of the interview score that is based on your communication, which you cannot practice at all if you read cases only.
4. Keep track of your mistakes and see which ones you are repeating. If so, try to identify the source of the mistake (feedback from experienced partners would be particularly useful for this). Be sure to focus on both the behavioral part and the case part during the mocks. The case part should also cover market sizing, math and graph analysis.
5. Before the interviews, be sure to prepare your questions for the interviewer  – a great way to show you prepared in advance and to connect with the interviewer for a good final impression. Ideally, try to get information on who they are and study their profile to have good questions to ask.

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If you want to spend a few hours only instead of 100+ and cover everything mentioned above, I developed a program precisely for that. 

You can check the program at the following link to learn more:

▶ GYM Program

If you have any questions please feel free to PM me.

Best,

Francesco

Hi there,

That's a bit of a tough ask. Your best bet is a coach, though might be tough to book last minute especially with holidays.

My #1 advice is to ask for a delay in the interview, if you can (I'm assuming you basically are at minimum casing readiness)

Here's some quick reading to help (and some videos!)

Crash course (click the embedded cases + the videos in the cases): Candidate-Led Cases: What to Expect With Example Cases

Other helpful reading:

The Most Common Pitfalls in Case Interview Preparation
 

Dos and Don'ts in a Case Interview
 

How to Shift Your Mindset to Ace the Case
 

That's rather soon. 

If you haven't practised in a while and are not confident, I recommend you reschedule the interview for after the holidays. 

Then you should leverage resources on youtube, here on the platform, peer practice and expert support. Sorry, but there isn't really a shortcut to making you interview-ready in 2 days. 

Sharing two resources that you might find helpful for your prep:

• Expert Guide: Mastering Structuring & Brainstorming
• Expert Guide: The Must-Know Consulting Terms for Interviews

Best,
Cristian

Hi,

I agree with the others here - if you don't know how to prepare for case interviews at this point, it means you haven't prepared for case interviews. So the chances of you passing the upcoming 2 interviews are slim to speak the blunt truth.

If you want to preserve your chance, postpone the process and allow yourself enough time to get up to speed. This entire platform is designed to prepare candidates for such interviews. There is a lot of relevant content and advice on here - take a look at the different example cases and articles. Book a practice session with a coach to get additional tailored feedback. 

If you cannot postpone your interviews, then take them as a learning experience for the future.

Best of luck

Hi,

To progress quickly, I suggest you take this approach (in the following order):

1. Getting coaching when you are a complete beginner to learn the basics;

2. After you've learned the basics, practice cases with peers to polish your case solving process and acquire understanding of a wide range of industries and problem types;

3. Before the interview, ask a few acting consultants to give you cases in a mock-interview format to assess your readiness.

Good luck!
Nick

Hi,

Plenty of great resources here on Preplounge. The reality however is that it can be very overwhelming to sort and sift through what you need and how it could fit your timeline.

Suggest you speak to someone who can give you guidance - be it a friend in consulting or a coach. That is typically the most effective way in a very short amount of time. 

All the best!