Hi there. The short answer is no. Don't assume you will get a case on the same industry/practice your interviewer focuses on. For MBB, usually the case is from their regularly updated case library, especially for 1st round.

Be prepared to get any type of case from any industry before you walk into the meeting room. In this case, you won't be shocked if you get anything out of expectation.

All the best with the upcoming round :)

Hi there!

When I was a candidate interviewing, I got a short bio card on the day of the interview when I arrived - which was also the same when I was an interviewer. 
 

Also, the bio may or may not help predict the focus of the case. When I was first round interviewer, my case was on agriculture and farming even though I worked primarily in oil and gas and mining at the time.

Good luck with your first round interview!

(edited)

Hi there,

100% it gives a hint! Please don't assume and bank on this BUT absolutely do read up on those industries/functions.

There is certainly a higher probability that one of their industries/functions is incorporated in a case. That said, a higher probability does not mean a certainty, so please stay flexible!

Generally there is no specific trend in the profile v/s the interview case. 

Better to focus on your own prep rather than a reactive prep as it can sometimes throw you off-guard if a completely different case comes up.

Hello,

Not necessarily - some interviewers give cases about the industry that they work in while others don't, so there's no way of knowing. It might be a little more likely that you get a case in that industry, but your best way forward is absolutely to be flexible, prepare for all case scenarios, and not to assume that the case will focus on that industry.

Where it can help, however, is in establishing a positive relationship with the interviewer. This can be a good opportunity during small talk before/after the interview or when you get to ask the interviewer some questions. If you know what industry they work in, you can ask them a bit about some of their favorite projects within that, what they think are some interesting developments/challenges, and so on. If you are interested in that industry too, be sure to share that. 

Use it as one additional piece of information to leverage. But do not use it as a guarantee that the industry will be their industry or the type of case will be the function they specialize in (e.g., operations vs strategy)

Udayan

Hey there,

Not necessarily. It's a common misconception that you have to expect cases within their current industry/ practice.

Rather than focusing on a given industry or function, learn a method that will help you think comfortably and approach every scenario, regardless of the context of the case. 

Case interviews are mainly about evaluating how you approach unfamiliar problems in a structured and creative manner rather than remembering domain-specific knowledge.

Cheers,

Florian