In the case interview with interviewer led format, the opening question will usually be "what factors to consider". How do I get a comprehensive answer (structure) in the short time?
In the case interview with interviewer led format, the opening question will usually be "what factors to consider". How do I get a comprehensive answer (structure) in the short time?
Hi!
Great question, and good point from Gwennael!
I would add that even if you are not leading the interview, you will still be judged on your ability to drive an independant piece of work. You might be cut in your reasonning and brought to a completely different aspect, and this is fine (it can be positive and negative, don't jump to conclusions)
What you need to focus on, is how to structure the smaller pieces of a big problem. When you hear questions as:
A red alarm should ring in your head: you need to structure.
For instance for the second question, NEVERstart a list of costs such as "Oh we can think about labour costs. Hum, also, hummm, raw materials, maybe. Silence. Also, distribution costs and hummm".
Instead, ask for 5-10 sec to think about the main costs and come with a structured answer: "I have identified three main costs: two variable costs and a fixed cost. The two variable costs are X and Y and the fixed cost is Z. Have I covered the most important costs or should I investigate further?"
The content is similar but you will definitely tick the box "structured" on a interviewer led case. You will notice that I structured the costs further, and this is generally appreciated. Often, when you have a possibility to create buckets, do it!
Another example is for risks, that can be structured into for instance: financial risks (for example currency), reputational risks (for example brand), "people" risk (for example union-related risks) etc.
I hope it helps!
Ben
(editiert)
Hi,
It's exactly the same as with the candidate-led case. It's not important who leads the case if you can solve cases.
The structure really depends on the case. Here is some inspiration for you. Below you can find a list of the most common case types and some high-level recommendations on structuring:
So I recommend you to use a flexible approach depending on the type of the case. It definitely comes with practice. Here is an algorithm on how to develop this skill:
Best of luck!
Dear A,
in general a good structure can be evaluated by a certain depth and breadth. The “depth” should be at least 3-4 levels while the “breadth” should cover the entire solution space. You can cross-check this with the MECE principles (For details see respective article on Preplounge), but the CE (collectively exhaustive) part is basically defining your breadth.
Finally, make sure to check for inter-linkages in your structure and point them out.
Simon
You still need to prepare a framework just like you would in an interviewee-led case; only (major) difference will be the interviewer guides you and saves time by telling you what area of said framework you should dive into