Oliver Wyman Dubai - Principal and Partner rounds advice

Question

Hello everyone!

I’ve been going through the recruitment process with Oliver Wyman Middle East for the past few weeks and am now moving into my third round of case interviews, most likely with a Principal or Partner.

For those who have been through this stage, is there anything specific you would recommend focusing on in preparation? I understand the expectations may be different at this level, but I’m not entirely sure what changes compared to earlier rounds.

So far, I’ve completed around 50 cases with peers and 10 coaching sessions. I feel fairly comfortable with cases overall, although I’m obviously not perfect. At this point, the marginal improvement from doing another case seems to be decreasing relative to the time and energy involved, so I’m trying to figure out how best to prepare more strategically.

My coaches have told me I’m in good shape, but I genuinely care about this opportunity and would love to give myself the best possible chance. I’ve spent quite a bit of time researching OW’s projects and its work across the Middle East, and I’m genuinely excited about the possibility of joining the firm.

Any advice on what to expect at this stage, what Partners tend to look for, or how to make the most of the remaining preparation time would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help!

Answer 1

Congratulations on your achievement so far.

On this level, it is up them to decide what they want to do during the session. Some prefer a case, some prefer more the personal perspective.

As you made it to this stage - no need to prepare more cases, you already know how to solve them.

Shift your focus to a more classical interview approach and get used to have a conversation about you as a person, your goals, where you see yourself in the future, why you want to work there.

They have your CV and they do not want to just hear it from you again. It is a chance to explain the hidden moments behind the different stations. Why you chose that, why you did that, a special achievement in between, what you are most proud of.

I would recommend to prepare and train that. It is harder than you might think to have "your perfect pitch" ready but it makes all the difference.

Additionally: Listen carefully what your interviewer is asking or saying. Do not assume the direction from what you heard from others, like they want to talk about a or b or c. Be open to follow the guidance.