I asked an associate at an MBB firm on case interviews and he pointed me to victor cheng's YouTube videos.
I'm puzzled as to why coaches on PrepLounge don't really recommend Victor Cheng but MBB associates do?
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Question merged
This question is read-only because it has been merged with Case in point vs Case interview secrets(Victor Cheng).
This question is read-only because it has been merged with Case in point vs Case interview secrets(Victor Cheng).
Asked an associate about case interviews, he pointed me to Victor Cheng?
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Hey there,
Victor Cheng was mostly useful 10 years ago.
Mind that he worked at McKinsey before the turn of the century (pre-2000s) and while he is the OG of case interview prep (all credits to him), you can see that his methods are no longer 100% effective in today's case environment.
The reason is that he focuses very much on a framework/ cookie-cutter approach rather than on the creative and communicative approach that is needed nowadays.
MBB and especially McKinsey have moved away from the typical cases to more creative ones. It is not about pre-learned frameworks but you need to demonstrate your own thinking and creative process.
For instance, at the core, McKinsey wants to see creative ideas communicated in a structured manner, the more exhaustive the better.
Now the danger with Victor Cheng's approach is that candidates learn his frameworks and feel well prepared, then go into the real interview and receive the feedback that their approach was not broad or deep enough and lacked insights and insightfulness.
Your goal should be to come up with a tailored and creative answer that fits the question. The framework should - broadly speaking - follow these three characteristics:
- Broad
- Deep
- Insightful
You would need to go into more detail and qualify your answer with practical examples and more details at the lowest level. Learning frameworks will give you a false sense of security.
I'll leave you with a case I received when I was recruited:
Our client is a manufacturer and operator of self-check-in machines at different US airports. They break down at different rates in different locations. What could be potential reasons for this?
Now, try using a cookie-cutter approach on that initial case structure question.
That is why I am advocating the HOW of approaching cases much more than the WHAT. You want to be able to solve every case, no matter the industry, function, or context.
Cheers,
Florian
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Hi there,
You asked 1 associate...
If you've asked more than 1 and have a healthy sample size I'm all ears! Otherwise, it's very risky to generalize.
Victor Cheng is a well known name and is good (and easy) to recommend. He'll get you to an intermediate level.
(edited)
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Victor Cheng is a hygiene check in case interview preparation. His videos are a very nice systematic introduction to case solving. However, they are also fairly dated by now. Case interviews and interviewers have evolved in recent times. I would say Victor Cheng is always a good starting point - but it only teaches you the basics of case solving.
(edited)
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No harm at all in starting with Victor Cheng, but that alone will not help you be a top caser
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Hi, I confirm it is a good material to approach your preparation but it's not making you a top performer.
Best,
Antonello
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