If you had to choose only one between those 2 books, which one would you choose?
Case in point vs Case interview secrets(Victor Cheng)
(editiert)
If you had to choose only one between those 2 books, which one would you choose?
Case in point vs Case interview secrets(Victor Cheng)
(editiert)
Hello,
I would suggest Case in point. Victor Cheng could add value but could also be a bit confusin if you start from scratch with that.
Go for the Cosentino's book and then have a look to Case interviews secrets between your case sessions.
Best,
Luca
I would suggest the second one. ANyway, try to build your own frameworks and not be stucked to the ones proposed by casebooks.
Best,
Luca
Hi! Both books are good starting points, but nothing more. I recommend to read them to get an understanding of the general mechanics and dynamics of a case interview. However, none of the two will equip you with the required skills to robustly address strategic questions.
Cheers, Sidi
(editiert)
Hi!
Vlad is absolutely right - pick up the phone and reschedule your interview. YOU decide when you interview, not the firm! If you are serious about joining BCG, you prepare properly before walking into the interviews.
Cheers, Sidi
How should I propose rescheduling? "I'd like to reschedule because I realized that I need more time to prepare?"
You don't need to justify yourself. Just say you can't make next week and would be free to interview from October on.
Hi,
You should do both and much more (40+ personal interviews). Sorry, there is no world where you can just choose between the two
Best
Hi,
I strongly recommend you rescheduling the interview - the chances of preparing in one week are close to 0. Please save you time and the chances of getting an offer. There is absolutely no penalty for rescheduling if it's not the internship / on-campus recruiting!
Take a month or so. You can't imagine how many people have failed just because they didn't take enough prep. Again, there is absolutely no penalty for rescheduling.
Overall, I recommend the following approach:
1) Start with "Case in point" book - It's not the best guide on how you should approach the cases, however, it will give you the basic understanding.
2) Start practicing cases with partners here or find them locally. !!! Find experienced partners or coaches who can provide a good feedback!!!
3) Purchase and read Viktor Cheng Book (Amazon Kindle store) and listen to LOMS (his website).
4) Start with the following cases (in the order of priority, relevant for pwc) and apply some high-level recommendations on structuring:
Here is a good list of articles regarding the different parts of the case:
1) Start with clarifying questions:
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/clarifying-questions-1786#a3956
2) Communicating while structuring. Here is a long post by me on how to communicate the structure during the case study:
3) Using hypothesis. I made a post about hypothesis here:
4) Communicating while making calculations:
5) Communicating during the analysis of graphs / tables
6) Communicating while having questions on creativity
7) Communicating your conclusion. You can find a good example I've posted here:
8) Communicating your FIT stories
Use the top-down approach while communicating your stories. "The Pyramid Principle" is the must-read by ex McKinsey on this topic.
I recommend using the STAR framework:
Best!
(editiert)
Thanks very much for the detailed answer, much appreciated!
Hi,
First of all - using hypotheses is not mandatory. I would say - use the hypothesis if you are really good at solving the cases. If not - use the basic approach
There are two ways to use the hypothesis
First - presenting a structure using the hypothesis. For example, if you are having a PE (private equity) case, you should do the following:
1) Make classic structure (market, company, competitors, feasibility of exit)
2) Make subpoints (e.g. in market: size, growth rates, profitability, segmentation, etc)
3) Present your 1st level Hypothesis:
4) Present the main 2nd level Hypothesis:
Another way to use hypothesis is using the hypothesis to prioritize your analysis:
1) Make a structure: "Problem in sales may be related to Sales Motivation, Sales Strategy, Sales Coverage, and Sales Process:
2) Prioritize a part of the structure based on your knowledge / common sense / available data: "Taking into account that motivation is the core problem of the sales organization, I would like to prioritize this part of the analysis"
Good luck!
Hi,
Both are good starting points. Personally I prefer Victor Cheng's book. Found it easier to digest and more practical. But this is totally personal preference. So I suggest you read both, at least for the first a few chapters. And if you are really time bound, after reading both for a bit, you should be able to have a feel of which one suits you better.
Best,
Emily
Hi,
Agree with Ian that "exploring different dimension of the problem" and "verify hypothesis" is the same thing. It is both about how you break down a big problem into small pieces and test where the issue lies.
E.g. the problem could be "is it a good idea to enter market A", you can totally rephrase that to hypothesis of "Enter market A is a good idea" or "A bad idea". Then you would look into the same 4 dimension regardless how you state the problem/hypothesis. In the hypothesis approach, you can just rephrase the dimensions, e.g. "I would like to look into the company capability, to see if they have the right capability to enter; once we have that understanding we can prove or disprove the hypothesis from a capability point of view"...Same for other dimension.
It is the same thing, just how you phrase it. But remember to customise the framework according to the specific case context.
Best,
Emily
b
Hello!
You can gain good insights from both of them, but none is 100% holistic of enaugh!
They can be the 1st propedeutic layer of your prep, but the only way to really master casing is by casing.
Hope it helps!
Cheers,
Clara
Hello!
+1 to Francesco, don´t make the mistake at looking at this structures and thinking they would provide you a holistic toolkit, since they won´t.
Is good a pre-read to get up to speed tough.
Hope it helps!
Cheers,
Clara
If you are a beginner I would go with Cosentino
Hi, I confirm it is a good material to approach your preparation but it's not making you a top performer.
Best,
Antonello
I confirm the second approach is better.
Best,
Antonello
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