Oliver Wyman Associate Interview

Question

Hey all,

I have an upcoming interview 1st round interview with OW for their Private Equity practice for the “Associate” role. I believe I have 2 interviews on the same day- a) Fit b) Case Interview.

Does anyone have any information on the OW Associate Interview- a) What types of case questions are generally asked by them - Market Sizing, Profitability, M&A, Operations? b) The role is sector agnostic, but I know that OW does a lot of Financial Industry work, should I focus more my time there? c) Is the interview interviewee/interviewer led?

Thanks! I am looking for case coaches as well that can provide me solid feedback. So please dm me with your updated discounted prices for 4 sessions atleast. Thanks!

Answer 1

Hey there !

First of all congrats on securing an interview xx

a) Types of case questions are generally asked by them - Market Sizing, Profitability, M&A, Operations?

I would say this depends on the office and the PE practice within that region. I would look at the interviewer linked in and understand what markets / projects he has done before. Another way is to reach out on linked in to a consultant working for that office and ask them about their projects and previous interview questions. usually very accurate !! Aside from that, most q are market sizing and profitability (so if i were you I would make sure I know how to answer these and practice practice practice)

b) The role is sector agnostic, but I know that OW does a lot of Financial Industry work, should I focus more my time there?

It's likley the market with be focused on FS but i woulndtmake this a general rule. The interview really depends on the interviewer - some interviewers have standard interview questions they ask regardless of their work, others prefer to draw examples from recent projects… your best bet is to look up the interviewer and ask people in their teams on linkedin about how to best prep

c) Is the interview interviewee/interviewer led?

As an OW hire in Dubai, all interviews were interviewer led. I would confirm this with your recruiter, they should be able to answer this q!

Hope this answer helps !

Answer 2

Hi there,

a) What types of case questions are generally asked by them - Market Sizing, Profitability, M&A, Operations?

It would be better to specify the office as there are differences related to that. If you need help please PM me, I know 90+ real questions they asked in different offices.

b) The role is sector agnostic, but I know that OW does a lot of Financial Industry work, should I focus more my time there?

You should be prepared for both financial services and other sectors. When I interviewed for OW Milan (which at the time was doing solely FS) I did have questions also unrelated to Financial Services.

c) Is the interview interviewee/interviewer led?

It depends on the office, it could be both and/or you could have a mix.

Best,

Francesco

Answer 3

Hi there,

It's going to be hard to DM given you have posted anonymously :)

Kindly shoot me a message and I can talk to you about sessions.

In terms of OW my #1 advice is to try not to overly predict. The variation across interviewers is often greater than across companies themselves! I train you to solve any case type, industry type etc.

OW specifically does interviewee (candidate) led, and does lean finance, but you should be wary of trying to focus on only that! See below for everything that is “fair game” (source: OW site)

See below for some reading on fit+case, but just note this is truly just scratching the surface of the content I offer!

Case: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case

Fit: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question