Hi there,

Non-business background consultant here – I feel your pain!

I agree with Yuval and Gero here and wanted to add a couple of other thoughts:

• Don’t apologies – I often hear STEM or liberal arts candidates ‘shy away’ from asking a clarification question or apologies and say that they’re not a business major. Its not a problem that you’re not from a business background and want to clarify but if you’re apologetic when you do it, it can come across as through you lack confidence. My tip is to attack areas you want to clarify with gusto. 

• Cheat  – ok, obviously I don’t mean cheat cheat, but when you’re clarify something its probably because you’re structuring your approach to a part of the case. Use this as an opportunity to gleam more info from your interviewer. E.g. I don’t know what a SKU is. Ok, ok so this chart is about revenue per type of produce, so in that context are you asking me to assess whether entering the market with a new SKU is about whether we’ll cannibalise sales from our other SKUs rather then assessing the attractiveness of that category outside-in? Oh that completely changes my understanding of how to approach this case.

• Think in your terms – sometimes it can be helpful to analogise things into terms you understand. Former maths major? Think of it in terms of rate of change. Biologist? Think of it in terms of a rate limiting reaction

Cheers,

B.

Just want to highlight Gero’s answer, you definitely can and should ask questions, especially for technical terms.

On the other hand the interviewer probably won’t give you the answer as to what insights can be drawn from the exhibit as the goal of the question is to test your analytical thinking. 

A good tip for this, and in general in consulting interviews, is to always let your interviewer know what is going through your head in regards to the case.

For example you could say something like “I understand this graph shows some information about sales but I’m not sure what exactly as I don’t understand <acronyms/business terms>”

or

”I am not familiar with this term, I imagine it has something to do with xxx”

This way you ask the question to get the information you need, but you show the interviewer you're thinking and trying to figure it out on your own.

Hope this helps, feel free to reach out with questions about presence and communication in the case interview, or any other topic.

Best,

Yuval

YES! And you should.

Think about it this way, is a strategy consultant an expert at the client site? Nope!

My first project was optimizing midstream+downstream internal processes for an LNG plant.

So, questions are what consultants do!

Now, remember that HOW you ask these questions is very important. As well as making sure you're asking the right ones.

How = assertively with confidence, proposing options/ideas. E.g. "So, when we have x here, what I'm understanding about it is x. Is that about right, or is there more to it"?

(editiert)

Hi there,

1) When given a chart or diagram during a case, if I do not understand something on it then am I allowed to ask questions? 

Absolutely. You actually need to clarify every part of the graph that you don't understand if you want to do a proper analysis. 

2) How would I do so?

After you have summarized the graph (see points below), you can ask clarifying questions by saying you would like to understand what XYZ means as you are not familiar with it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The approach I would suggest is the following:

1. READ THE GRAPH

• Ask for some time to understand the graph. Usually 30 seconds are enough, but there is no hard rule.
• Summarize the graph. Read in particular the graph title, the legend, and the footnote. Candidates quite often skip this part and then make mistakes.

2. ANALYZE THE GRAPH AND FIND THE KEY INSIGHTS

• Repeat the question. Some candidates don’t repeat the question and then answer the wrong one. If you repeat it, you can be sure that you will answer what was asked.
• Provide an analysis related to the question. Identify the key insights of the graph based on the question. This is the most challenging part of graph analysis to master, as it is different in every chart. You can improve it with drills on your own or with coaching.

3. PROPOSE THE NEXT STEPS

• State your hypothesis or suggestion on what to do next. Present what should be done next to help further the client reach the goal.
• Ask a question/propose an analysis related to what is needed to move forward. This will show you can drive the case forward.

Best,

Francesco

Absolutely. 

Unless you are applying for a specialist or expert position, then do not assume that you should know the terms. 

So feel free to ask. 

It also shows that you are curious and that you have a growth mindset, both matter for the outcomes of the interview. 

Sharing with you a list of the most common terms that come up in interviews:

• Expert Guide: The Must-Know Consulting Terms for Interviews

Best,
Cristian

Hi there,

it is of utmost importance to clarify anything that you don't understand - in your interviews as well as in your job as a consultant. This doesn't mean that you are “uneducated” but that you just want to remove any sort of ambiguity from the situation in order to properly address the objective at hand.

I think a good way to start with any chart is to first describe what you are seeing there. Start with the things you do understand and then clarify whatever you don't understand - but be specific in your questions as to what you need answers to. Don't make it sound like you want the interviewer explain the meaning of the chart to you. After all, it is your job to extract insights from it.

It is absolutely the right approach to clarify any terminology you don't understand.

Best

Hi there,

Yes, you are allowed to clarify business terms you are not familiar with. 

This might be different if you are applying to any expert or industry position (e.g., digital, banking) where the interviewer might be expecting a knowledge baseline from your side.

Best,

Alberto

—

Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

YES, you can ask questions about anything you don't understand on the slide.

That is perfectly fine (and sometimes even regarded as positive). What is being tested is 1) the interaction, not if you know everything; 2) the quality of your analysis.

So you cannot ask them to interpret the chart. But you can ask about anything that will help you understand (and interpret) the slide.

Hey,

Yes, you can clarify some things during a case, including the data on the charts. Just make sure you are not just asking questions without providing any reasoning / insights. 

Good luck!
Nick