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Day of Phone Interview - What to do??

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New answer on Aug 31, 2020
4 Answers
3.3 k Views
Anonymous A asked on Nov 14, 2017

Hello Team!

Have about 20 cases practiced and 30 given. Feel decently confident given the amount of time that I had to study to begin with. My question:

What do you guys do the day of an interview?

i.e. Practice a case? Do some Math? Eat healthy foods? Exercise? Do nothing and just relax the brain?

Any tips or anyone want to share their "GameDay" routine?

(edited)

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Vlad
Expert
updated an answer on Nov 14, 2017
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

Just do these 4 things:

  1. Sleep as much as possible
  2. Do 10-15 min of quick math exercises
  3. Eat the right food (long carbs, no sugar. probably some sugar right before the interview)
  4. Brush up the FIT stories in front of the mirror

That's it!

Don't do any cases or anything that is consuming energy.

Good luck!

(edited)

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Antonello
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Aug 31, 2020
McKinsey | NASA | top 10 FT MBA professor for consulting interviews | 6+ years of coaching

Hi, I recommend to arrive at the day of the interview fresh and full of energy. No last minute preparation is needed, the work has been already done

Good luck :)
Antonelo

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Anonymous replied on Aug 28, 2020

Dear A!

My personal advice: have a rest and don't practice anything.

Below you can find some technical tips for the coming call, that you can do during the day.

  • Prepare the place for the call. A quiet environment is a must-have. Pay attention to what the interviewer will see in the background (sometimes when I do coaching via Skype with you I can see really strange stuff;) )

  • Prepare on the wall in front of you the material you might need (structures, tips for the fit part, etc) so you won't have to look for it during the interview

  • Prepare your own questions. Relevant questions at the end are a great way to show your interest in the company and get additional points. This is particularly important in a phone/video interview, as the interviewer will naturally connect less with you.

  • Smile during the call. Even if they cannot see you it's a good way to show energy

  • Use numbers when communicating your structure. This applies to both face-to-face and video interviews, but it is particularly important for the video ones. Good communication will make it easier for the interviewer to follow you since he/she cannot see you. As an example: “In order to help our client, I would like to focus on three main areas. First, I would like to focus on [FIRST TOPIC], secondly on [SECOND TOPIC], finally on [THIRD TOPIC]. Let me start with the first one."

Hope this helps,

Best,

André

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Anonymous B replied on May 03, 2018

Hi,

  1. Stick to your routine - wake up normal time, go for a walk.
  2. Don't drink coffee any closer than 45 mins before the call.
  3. Do 10 mins maths training - Victor Cheng or PrepLounge
  4. Do 20 mins of easy brainstorming- draw out your structure for 2-3 cases, write out some easy ways to increase revenues etc
  5. Get your room prepared and your materials - print your resume out and have it on the wall, draw up your paper into the prefered format ALSO have 1 blank paper to jot important notes down that you could clarify at the end of the call. "you mentioned this earlier and i just wanted to understand this a little more"
  6. Go over FIT stories
  7. Breath, relax and enjoy the process- They cant see you smile so try to use a nice voice and portray excitement. Tone and volume are important here.
  8. Do a lot of talking - Call your bank/ mobile company and ask some questions if you cant talk to anyone before the call. Get the voice ready.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

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JL on Aug 16, 2018

#8 is a great idea!!

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