Governing philosophy: volume-driven case interview practice does not work! 90% of candidates serious about consulting will practice ~50+ cases and 90% will not receive an offer. There is a more efficient and targeted way to prepare. My philosophy is geared around skills development required to crack any case and ultimately do well in consulting once you land the offer.
My own case preparation process - 6x cases to get my McKinsey offer (most of the hard work is on your own in between mock case interviews):
- Review (in detail) what success looks like for each phase of the case interview, from opening > structuring > quant (estimation + interpretation) > brainstorming > conclusion (there is plenty of publicly available info but I find key requirements are usually missing)
- Establish a performance baseline based on 2x mock interviews
- Diagnose priority problem areas and suggest a skills development plan to rectify weaknesses and close gaps (e.g. if structuring is a big problem area I will demonstrate how to effectively structure any situation and effectively communicate it, then I will suggest structuring drills to improve your skills before the next review)
- Review performance against baseline based on 2x mock interviews and identify remaining problem areas to rectify
- Recommend further action for skills development (e.g. structuring might now be a strength, but you might need to work on quant estimation, I will recommend drills to improve that skill)
- Final review and fine tuning before real interviews commence (2x mock interviews, behavioural coaching, flexible as required)
My coaching plan (option to flex as you prefer based on your level of preparation):
- Session #1 (75-90min):
- (Optional) 15-30min intro to case interviews and what success really looks like;
- 30min mock case interview;
- 30min feedback, diagnosis, suggested plan for targeted skills development
- Session #2 onwards (iterative as required) (60min):
- 30min mock case interview
- 30min feedback, diagnosis, suggested plan for targeted skills development
- Final session (60min):
- Fine tuning before ‘live’ interview including any behavioural feedback
- Mental preparation ‘on the day’
- Tweaks between 1st round and final round
Final thoughts: it is absolutely worth the investment to give yourself the best chance to break into your dream consulting role - whatever you decide to invest in (coaching, training programs, books, online courses etc) make sure you go all in! (PS: the signing bonuses alone will give you instant ROI 10-20x over). Thanks for considering me as one of your potential coaches and I look forward to working with you soon!
Pete