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thanks for your questions. In my opinion both are equally important. In our assessment we apply different criteria whilst interviewing a candidate. Also we ensure that during the assessment day a variety of our colleagues get to know you in different excercises. Especially in a situation where a candidate slightly did not meet the bar in one or the other this allows us to jointly elaborate on the potential of the candidate and next steps in the process. However if in a fit interview e.g. team work, empathy and appreciation are not part of the candidates vocabulary the outstanding case won't make up for it.
I hope this answers your question. Feel free to reach out for further questions/ remarks.
I totally agree with the fellow consultants here that both are important. At ECON we normally allocate equal time between fit questions and the case solving in interviews. For the fit questions, we want to undestand the candidates from different angles and situations: e.g., in team work, challenges, conflict to ensure that the candidates will fit in ECON culture.
In terms of preparation, I personally wrote down different situations that I have faced in the past and tried to apply a good structure to my stories (one example is the “situation-complication-solution” framework). What also worked for me was to practice with my friends and get feedback from them.
I hope it helps. All the best in your preparation!
Our application process includes a telephone interview and personal interviews with the business unit. The case but also your personality plays an important role. I always find it important to behave authentically in these interviews.
Interview with Denisa Valsova, Senior Consultant at E.ON Inhouse Consulting
How did your application process work?
I got to know ECON during an “skill seminar” event at my university where I had a chance to meet several consultants from the team and also did a group case. After the event I was invited for an interview. I had a super smooth process where I felt really well supported by the HR team – I had a briefing call where the process and all the requirements were explained very clearly to me and I got helpful tips on how to prepare for my interviews. I also got immediate answers to all my questions and help in sorting out the logistics of coming to Essen for my interview. This really helped me feel more at ease during the whole process and enabled me to truly focus on my preparation for the interviews.
How did you prepare for your case interview?
I went through several case interview prep books and articles (like the famous Case In Point or Victor Cheng’s guides) to understand how the case interview works, what to expect and what frameworks might be helpful. I drew out the most relevant frameworks for myself to think about how they can be helpful to me. And most importantly, I practiced a lot. I did about 30 written cases by myself and about 20 live cases with my friends – especially those who had gone through consulting interviews themselves were the greatest help. Practice really helps you get your nerves in check, familiarize with the routines and also just improve your problem solving skills with every new scenario you encounter – I saw improvements with every singe practice case I did.
What was your best moment at ECON?
On the personal side of things it was definitely our Summer Strategy Days – a summer offsite where all ECONs gather for a lot of workshops, activities and fun (this has of course not been possible during covid times but hopefully we will all be able to gather soon again). On the professional side of things I really enjoyed an agile transformation project we worked on earlier this year in our Czech business – we were working with the local leadership on the overall strategy and understanding how we can best help the business move forward, but at the same time were coaching operational teams for working in a Scrum logic. I loved brining together the operational view of colleagues being very close to our end customers together with the view of the local Board to find the best approach to suit the business.
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