So say you are completely ready for your case interviews, having done all the prep and live cases in English, but your actual interview will be in a different language.
What steps/timeframe would you suggest to comfortably be ready, and how many live cases in the second language would be necessary?
Thanks.
Hi there,
Q: What steps/timeframe would you suggest to comfortably be ready, and how many live cases in the second language would be necessary?
For steps: the easiest approach is to find partners in your local language (you should be able to do so in the case partner section on PrepLounge by selecting your target language).
For timeframe and live cases: it depends on your current fluency level, so it is not possible to provide an exact answer without more information. If your level is good, 5-10 cases in the target language could be enough, you can do more if you see you are still struggling after that.
Good luck!
Francesco
Hello,
I think what Dennis mentioned is really important - especially on the part on business terms.
The terms that you might use in the consulting interview, especially business terms are really not ‘everyday’ terms. This is also applicable to industry specific terms.
As for the specific timeframe, I don't think anyone can give you an estimation because as others have said it really depends on your baseline. What we could give you is several actions/steps that will help you get more comfortable with working in a different language
All the best!
Hi there,
You need to remember here that everyone is different. So:
Number of cases: The number that you need to feel comfortable!
Timeframe: The amount of time until you feel comfortable.
How can you get ready?
Good luck!
Hi there,
I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:
If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.
Best,
Hagen
What is your level of proficiency in that second language? Are you fluent? Do you know business and technical terms in that language already?
The question you are asking does not allow for a useful answer unfortunately. It depends on a variety of factors. If you are pretty fluent and you can navigate business lingo, I'd say do one or two cases with someone in that language and see how that goes and if you still feel “completely ready”. If not, it becomes a function of how fast you can ramp up your language skills.
Fluent, I’m asking more about the muscle memory mostly. I know business terms, but I’m not sure they’d come out as “easily” as in English in the moment.
Hi there,
It really depends on how effective is your command of the other language. My expectation is that if you control it as well as the primary language, 5-10 live sessions should be sufficient.
The most important point is to get the confidence that you can navigate both languages comfortably. Additionally, it helps to know the business terms in both languages so you don't end up stumbling over your own words.
Best,
Cristian
Hi there,
That is a great question and I can relate to that.
I remember that I had a ton of projects with English-speaking clients at McKinsey and then after two years, I was working with a German client for the first time.
You would guess that since German is my native tongue it would have been business as usual but it took me a couple of meetings to adjust and get into the German top-down presentation/Pyramid Principle communication and it felt uncomfortable initially.
The same applies to case interviews. You want to reduce any cognitive load that does not contribute to thinking about and solving the problem.
Communication should not be an additional burden and come naturally. Hence, practice as much as possible with partners and on your own in drills with your interview language.
Trust me, this makes a huge difference!
All the best,
Florian
