Hi there,
I have an interview with BCG in a month. I've done over 50 cases as interviewee with other people here on preplounge so far. However, I don't feel that I am on the level of getting an offer (especially with BCG cases, which are a little tougher).
I have definitely improved since my first case here, but I feel that I'm still too weak. Many times I draw poor issue trees, but mostly I get stuck during the analysis, typically when observing a graph, and give weak recommendations. Many times I run out of time, and either the interviewer tells me to come up with a recommendation, or I have to extend around 10-15 minutes.
What I've done so far beyond practising with other people is drawing out general frameworks for the typical case categories market entry, profitability and growth strategy, and treat each other case type however it comes to my mind as logical while solving it. For asking questions before drawing out my framework, I use BGOT = Business (product portfolio, revenue model and streams, B2B or B2C) Geography Objective & Timeline, plus whatever I don't understand or am really curious to know more specific things from the problem definition.
I started practising mostly with novices/advanced and preplounge cases, in the middle of my prep or so I only practise with pros and some advanced members, and since a while I switched to non-preplounge cases only (which I think are more representative for the real case interviews).
Is there any way to practise maybe structuring the cases by myself without time frames, just to get more comfortable with the procedure? Business intuition and knowing the procedure are not the problem, I read a lot before I started practising here and got used to the procedure, the problem is just that I suck when I have to do it by myself under real conditions.
I'm just getting nervous because usually people are ready for an interview/offer after between 30 and 60 cases, so that I feel a bit stupid and untalented right now...