Heavy math cases - how to take a good "case note"?

Hi there!

I almost have the feeling that you asked another questions here recently just based on the formatting of your message. 

These are also great questions!

So, here's how I would approach note-taking in general:

1. Have one page where you only take down notes regarding the prompt
2. Then for each question / section of the case, you start on a new page and write the question at the top
3. Number each page
4. Keep on page aside for computations - this will be the ‘disorganised’ page where you just jot down quick computations

Then, in terms of how to approach calculation questions, here are the main steps:

1. Play back the prompt to the interviewer. Validate the data that you were given and the question you need to answer. 
2. Take time to develop an end to end, step by step approach of how to solve the problem. Then take the interviewer through it. Don't bring in the computations at this point. 
3. Once the interviewer agrees with the approach, then do the actual computations. On your own. You're not expected to do them on the spot. Take them through the exact same steps as the one you had in the approach.
4. Once the interviewer confirm the number, make sure you interpret it - contextualise it within the situation of the case and what the client wants to achieve. 

Feel free to reach out and I can also share a free guide on how to break down calculation problems. It's the methodology I use with all my candidates.

Best,
Cristian

1. Provided info + your math SETUP = 1 organized page
2. Actual calculations (messy) = 2nd, “random” throwaway page

• Always keep track of units
• Use a table for multi-dimensional info
• Keep approach/formula seperate from the actual calcs

Casing Sheets of Paper - Organization

Feel free to message me - I have a casing template that helps you nail interviews.

1) A seperate sheet for each "portion" of the case...with clear locations + methods for title/subject, notes, calculations, takeaways, etc.

2) Figuring out a location for everything and where each information type should go

3) Seperate sheet for math calculations

There's much much more, but you get the gist!

==================================

1) Decide physical vs virtual - are you a faster typer or writer?

2) If virtual, pick the best tool - try outlook draft emails (so you can store/organize with your email), try notepad, try a tablet so you can write on it, etc....find the one that works for you

3) Only write down what is important - you should know this! You don't need to capture everything. Just like in a case, figuring out what information is not needed is just as valuable as figuring out what information is needed.

4) And then, what you do write down, write it in shorthand!

I.e. If I say "Your client is Bills Bottles. They earn $800M in profits each year by manufacturing bottles to soda companies in the US and Europe. Over the past two years they've seen profits falling and have brought you in to investigate"

You should write:

• Bills Bottles
• Manufacture
• Client = soda comp
• 800M P
• P [down arrow] 2 yrs
• US + Europe
• Obj: Fix P

Hi there,

1) Do you recommend having one separate page stating the case structure / prompt / objective?

I would personally recommend it. However it is not compulsory if you are used to a different approach.

2) Is it better to write the math formula/approach vs. calculation on different papers? 

I would recommend using the same page for both formulas and math.

Best,

Francesco

Hello!

Precisely for the high amount of questions (1) asked by my coachees and students and (2) present in this Q&A, I created the “Economic and Financial concepts for MBB interviews”, recently published in PrepLounge’s shop (https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/prep-guide/economic_and_financial_concepts_for_mbb_interviews).

After +5 years of candidate coaching and university teaching, and after having seen hundreds of cases, I realized that the economic-related knowledge needed to master case interviews is not much, and not complex. However, you need to know where to focus! Hence, I created the guide that I wish I could have had, summarizing the most important economic and financial concepts needed to solve consulting cases, combining key concepts theorical reviews and a hands-on methodology with examples and ad-hoc practice cases.

It focuses on 4 core topics, divided in chapters (each of them ranked in scale of importance, to help you maximize your time in short preparations):

·        Economic concepts: Profitability equation, Break even, Valuation methods (economic, market and asset), Payback period, NPV and IRR, + 3 practice cases to put it all together in a practical way.

·        Financial concepts: Balance sheet, Income statement/P&L and Performance ratios (based on sales and based on investment), +1 practice case

·        Market structure & pricing: Market types, Perfect competition markets (demand and supply), Willingness to pay, Pricing approaches, Market segmentation and Price elasticity of demand, +1 practice case

·        Marketing and Customer Acquisition: Sales funnel, Key marketing metrics (CAC and CLV) and Churn, +1 practice case

Feel free to PM me for disccount codes for the guide, and I hope it helps you rock your interviews!

Hello,

Great question! In my experience as a candidate, coach, and interviewer, there is no one right way. It's all about:

• What makes the most sense/what is intuitive to YOU as the candidate?
• What helps you keep your structure, calculations, and reasoning clear?
• What helps you present your answer to the interviewer clearly and logically?

As long as you are thinking about those sorts of things, it matters much less what specific structure you use. 

Personally, what worked best for me was having the case question written out at the top of a page, with notes on the case prompt in the margin on the side (I would orient my page horizontally). I would usually also use that page to write out my framework, so it became the ‘organizing page’ for the case.

For the math, I found it helpful having a separate page (or section of a page) for rough working, exactly for the reason you say. Have one page/section for keeping notes on the numbers, clean formulae, etc., and another page/section for rough work where you can be as messy as you like.

The best way to figure out what works for you is to try these approaches in practice, and see what sticks!