Has anyone done a case interview with Merck Group's in-house consulting team? Are cases more quant or qualitative?

Hello Melanie!

Unfortunately, I don´t have experience with them in praticular. However, I have prepared quite many candidates to in-house consulting and the conclusion is that the best use of your time is actually do prep as if it was for MBB. 

Hence, you have 2 main workstreams ahead:

1. FIT INTERVIEW

The "Integrated FIT guide for MBB" has been recently published in PrepLounge´s shop (https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-2/integrated-fit-guide-for-mbb-34)

It provides an end-to-end preparation for all three MBB interviews, tackling each firms particularities and combining key concepts review and a hands-on methodology. Following the book, the candidate will prepare his/her stories by practicing with over 50 real questions and leveraging special frameworks and worksheets that guide step-by-step, developed by the author and her experience as a Master in Management professor and coach. Finally, as further guidance, the guide encompasses over 20 examples from real candidates.

You can see plenty of reviews from candidates who purchased it already.

Furthermore, you can find 2 free cases in the PrepL case regarding FIT preparation:

Intro and CV questions > https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/introduction-and-cv-questions-fit-interview-preparation-200

Motivational questions > https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/motivational-questions-fit-interview-preparation-201

Behavioural questions (ENTREPRENEURIAL DRIVE) >https://www.preplounge.com/en/management-consulting-cases/fit-interview/intermediate/behavioral-questions-entrepreneurial-drive-fit-interview-preparation-211

Feel free to PM me for disccount codes, since we still have some left from the launch! :)

2. BUSINESS CASE

You don´t have any more time to the classics of Viktor Cheng, "Case in point" book, etc. You need to get hands on asap:

1. Practice cases with partners asap, as many as you can do.Find experienced partners who can provide a good feedback

2. Practice your math skills, both in your cases and with ad hoc exercisess, such as:

1. ​Multiplying double digit numbers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ndkkPZYJHo

2. Leveraging math tools (Mimir math for iOS), Math tool on Viktor Cheng website to practice

Furthermore, you should practice as much as you can, and ensure that you cover:

1. Profitability cases- basic profitability framework.

2. Idea generation cases: for any specif issue

3. Growth cases: market penetration, new product launch, product mix change, etc.

4. Pricing cases

5. M&A cases

6. Valuation cases

7. Value chain cases

Given you are under this much time contraint, consider working with a coach to foster speed and ensure you have a tailored plan to be very targeted. PM me interested!

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Hi Melanie,

I've actually coached a number of candidates applying to Merck's in-house consulting (as well as other Healthcare practices such as ClearView Healthcare partners and LEK Life sciences)!

The cases are very much a mix, probably leaning a bit more qualitative/brainstorm-y. They're really testing to know if you understand/know the healthcare/life science industry.

Feel free to PM me and I can give you a few cases that closely mimick what you would likely get!

Hi Melanie,

have not interviewed there personally but I d be careful with paying too much attention to what anyone will be saying about this. It is unlikely that their cases will be consistenyl more qualitative or more quantitative. As a candidate going for excellence, you should be assuming that they will be very advanced on both metrics (i.e. very quantitative and very quantitative). 

I do not see a reason why their cases should be different in complexity vs other non-MBB or MBB cases (except more focused on healthcare, pharma, etc).

In-short: prep according to your potential (i.e. realize ideally 100% of it or even expand your potential through smart training) and not according to arbitrarily set benchmarks by a limited sample size of people.

Best,
Denis

Hi Melanie, 

the case interview with Merck Group's is not significally different from the standard case interview. But it's true they need you to be really into health care industrie. 

The interview consists of

• Personal fit (Why consulting / why company XX / Tell me about your biggest achievement or biggest mistake etc.)
• Case part. There is a preplounge case library you can practice with.
• Your questions to the interviewers 

You can find more by going through the Q&A section on Preplounge. 

Hope it helps! Hit me up if you have any further questions. 

Cheers, 

GB