When preparing for a case interview, especially under time constraints, working with an experienced coach can significantly enhance your chances of success.
💡 Pro Tip: PrepLounge offers access to over 800 (former) management consultants from top firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain, who are ready to help you perfect your interview technique.
What Are the Key Advantages of Practicing With a Coach?
Personalized Feedback
One of the primary benefits of working with a case coach is receiving tailored feedback. Unlike general preparation methods, a coach can pinpoint your specific weaknesses and provide actionable advice to improve. This personalized approach ensures that your preparation is efficient and targeted, addressing your unique needs and challenges.
Realistic Simulation
Practicing with a coach allows you to experience a realistic interview setting. Coaches who have conducted numerous case interviews can replicate the pressure and dynamics of a real interview, helping you become more comfortable and confident. This experience is invaluable, as it prepares you to handle the stress and spontaneity of actual interviews.
Insider Knowledge
Experienced coaches often come from prestigious consulting backgrounds themselves. Their insider knowledge about what top firms are looking for can give you a significant edge. They can share insights about the interview process, common pitfalls, and the specific attributes that firms value, ensuring that you are well-prepared to meet these expectations.
Structured Approach
A coach can help you develop a structured approach to solving case problems. This structured thinking is crucial in case interviews, where clear, logical, and well-organized answers are highly valued. Coaches can teach you frameworks and methodologies that streamline your problem-solving process, making your responses more coherent and compelling.
Time Efficiency
For candidates with limited preparation time, coaching is a highly efficient way to get ready. Coaches can quickly identify areas that need improvement, helping you focus your efforts where they are most needed. This targeted preparation can save you time and help you progress faster than you would on your own.
Confidence Boost
Confidence plays a crucial role in interview performance. Regular practice with a coach can boost your confidence by familiarizing you with the interview format and helping you refine your answers. Knowing that you have prepared thoroughly with expert guidance can significantly reduce anxiety and improve your overall performance.
How PrepLounge Optimally Supports You With a Wide Range of Coaching Options
🚀 Flexibility and Convenience
PrepLounge offers a variety of coaching options to fit your needs and preferences. You can choose from individual sessions, CV reviews, or comprehensive coaching packages that include multiple sessions or focus on specific topics. Additionally, there are programs available that combine a premium membership with coaching credits, providing a cost-effective way to access top-notch coaching services.
📅 Workshops and Online Events
PrepLounge also regularly hosts workshops and online events led by experienced coaches. These sessions cover a range of topics and provide opportunities for interactive learning and direct feedback. Participating in these events can further enhance your preparation and keep you updated on the latest trends and techniques in case interviews.
How to Find the Perfect Coach to Suit Your Needs
To find the perfect coach for your case interview preparation, you can proceed in three steps within the coach overview:
Filtering: Begin by filtering the coaches based on your most important criteria, such as price per coaching session, or employer.
Selection: Choose up to 10 coaches whose profiles, ratings, Q&A contributions, and PrepLounge awards you wish to explore further.
Contacting: Reach out to 2-3 coaches to address any potential questions or concerns about their coaching approach. Feel free to ask if they offer a free intro call.
What Makes a Good Coach?
Good coaches are characterized by the following features:
Customization: they tailor the coaching to your specific needs.
Good rapport: They make you feel comfortable and work well with them.
Transparency: They offer you full transparency about the coaching process on PrepLounge.
Final Thoughts on Working With a Coach
Practicing with a coach is a strategic investment in your case interview preparation. The personalized feedback, realistic simulation, insider knowledge, and confidence boost that coaches provide can make a significant difference in your performance. With the expert guidance available on PrepLounge, you can ensure that you are thoroughly prepared and ready to excel in your case interviews.
By leveraging the expertise of experienced case coaches and taking advantage of the diverse coaching options and events available on PrepLounge, you can maximize your preparation efficiency, build your confidence, and increase your chances of securing a position at a top consulting firm.
Usually thank you emails are sent right after the interview, not a few days later, so sending one now might feel a bit awkward; in any case, it won’t really have any impact on the outcome (neither positive nor negative), so if you feel like doing it, there's no harm. I would also avoid putting pressure directly on the Partner. If anything, it’s better to reach out to the recruiting team, but I’d suggest waiting at least 10–12 days before following up. For now, I’d just sit tight. Best, Franco
I haven't personally done one, but I heard from friends that the Revolut problem-solving interview typically involves a case-style discussion focused on growth, product, or operational challenges. Think metrics-driven questions like: "How would you increase user engagement?" "How would you evaluate a drop in card usage?" Expect data-light cases, but with a strong focus on logic, structure, and business intuition. Be clear, structured, and explain your thinking step by step. Practice breaking down ambiguous problems and prioritizing fast; that's key. Best of luck!
Hi there, Here is what I would do in your shoes: Don't submit a half-ready application just to beat the deadline. A weak resume under a referral is not better than a strong one submitted cold! Contact McKinsey HR directly today. Explain the three issues clearly: wrong position, preferred office not available, and expiring link. They handle referral complications regularly and can often extend or reassign (your referrer on the other hand won't be able to do much on this regard). Bottom line: one email to HR today probably solves all three problems at once. Don't overthink it. If you'd like help polishing your resume before you submit or have questions on how to approach the application, feel free to DM me, happy to help.
The best thing is for you to speak with McKinsey Transformation consultants from your specific office/region as it can really vary. In response to your specific questions:
1. Your work will be largely execution/implementation focus and so you will find that your exit opportunities will be more focused on operational roles than say, strategy, M&A, etc.
2. Transferring internally is possible but it's not straightforward. You are being hired to focus on transformations which will be the bulk of the work and so creating a reason and support for you to become a generalist is not easy
3. I would be careful on this. You don't want the McKinsey Transformation recruiter to feel that you are not committed to the role you have been interviewing for. McKinsey Transformation will typically focus more on your specific profiles/experiences which may not be as deeply considered on the generalist track
4. This one really comes down to you and the type of work/role you prefer. McKinsey will more likely offer variability which may not necessarily be a good thing if you like your current company and team
The key insight: share is always relative. If bike share declined, it means bikes got less attractive, alternatives got more attractive, or both. That anchors your entire structure. The cleanest MECE split is to look at both sides of the equation: 1. Did cycling decline in absolute terms? Supply side: fewer bikes, worse infrastructure, higher cost, safety concerns Demand side: demographic shifts, more remote work, cultural change 2. Did alternatives grow faster? Even if cycling stayed flat, share falls if other modes explode, e.g. ride-sharing getting cheaper, car ownership becoming more affordable... The principle for all share questions: always decompose into your own performance vs. alternative performance, then go one level deeper into supply and demand for each. That keeps your buckets MECE. One last tip: always clarify the trend before diving in. Is the absolute number of cyclists flat or actually falling? That single data point tells you whether you have a relative problem, an absolute problem, or both.
Are there any case partner for BCG Inverto? Would also appreciate any guidance on type of Ops cases.
8 hrs
< 100
3
Best answer by
Franco
BCG INVERTO cases don’t differ much from traditional BCG core cases; the core skills you need are the same. The main difference is the operational focus, typically around procurement and cost reduction (from my experience and feedback from candidates I’ve coached, this is the most common type), and more broadly supply chain / ops. What changes slightly is the expectation: you should show more practicality and implementable thinking, rather than relying on abstract strategic frameworks. I’ve coached a few candidates applying to BCG INVERTO, so if you’d like to practice together, I’d be happy to help. Feel free to DM me. Franco
It means reducing the cash outflows of the business. Practically, it refers to minimizing both the opex (e.g. marketing, salaries, rent, suppliers, ...) and the capex: (i.e. investments) So it’s not just “cutting costs” but managing real cash outflows to preserve liquidity. Best, Franco
Are you ready for the long working hours you will face as a future consultant?
14 hrs
4.8k
44
Best answer by
Daniel
Answering this question it’s important not to show “ready-to-die” dedication, but rather your ability to approach things in 80/20 way.
What is 80/20? It’s a rule which basically states that 80% of the results come just from 20% of your efforts. So, in practice it means that you need to be able to prioritise and make trade-offs to complete more work in a given time vs striving for perfection in one specific task (and killing yourself and your team while doing so)
So, while answering the question, highlight that you are of course ready to work long hours. But you are also a fan of working smart vs. working hard and you are sure that for any situation there are shortcuts one can take to make sure you don’t kill yourself or your team.
Questions about market size are frequently asked in case interviews in consulting because they require a blend of logic, mathematics, and common sense. They can be asked as standalone questions or as part of a larger case. Applicants who are familiar with market sizing questions can really perform here.
Market entry cases are one of the key issues in the consulting industry and present consultants and firms with unique challenges and opportunities. These cases require deep analysis and strategic planning to successfully enter new markets.
Brainteasers are a type of problem that focuses on a single issue rather than complex business cases. They require out-of-the-box thinking, logic or math skills and can take the form of riddles, word problems or visual puzzles. These tasks are designed to test your problem-solving skills, analytical thinking and ability to remain calm under pressure.Typical problems cover everyday life's topics and might even include unrealistic assumptions. All necessary information is usually included in the question so that further assumptions are not necessary. This article explains in more detail why brainteasers are useful in case interview preparation and how to solve them.