Oliver Wyman interview process - Milan

Question

Hi everyone,

I am currently interviewing for an internship position at Oliver Wyman (Milan office) and I would like to have some insights about how the interviews are conducted. In particular, the next step will be the Team Assessment, what kind of problem will be asked to solve? Will it be an actual case?

And concerning the cases, are they usually candidate-led or interviewer-led?

Thank you in advance!

Answer 1

Hi there,

congrats to making it to interview stage. Here a few thoughts..

1. Case interview format: Typical at OW, you'll mostly find 45min case interviews with quite standard agenda - 5-10min short intro / fit questions → 25-30min case → 5min your questions.

2. Style of cases: tends to be more candidate-led but not exclusively (really depends on the specific interviewer). Cases are fairly heavy on sizing + quant, especially in R1. Occasionally, some of my OW coachees got brainteasers in the past (one of them at Milan office).

3. Team Assessment: yes, from what I've seen with local office, it's typically a case to solve. Ask to evelop a market entry strategy, solve profitability problem etc are examples I've seen - for candidates well-prepped in casing, nothing to worry about, but the teaming aspect & dynamics become important here.

Hope this helps - feel free to reach out via PM, if you'd like to learn more.

Regards, Andi

Answer 2

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the invite!

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

Based on the experience of coachees of mine, it is a case study that needs to be solved within a team. Therefore, in addition to all the relevant skills required to solve a case study, I would highly advise you to critically think about the type of work environment Oliver Wyman offers and how you can showcase your fit during the Team Assessment in the best possible way.
Moreover, I would highly advise you not to overestimate the difference between interviewer-led and interviewee-led case studies, as the only difference is that, after you make a proposal (e.g., for the initial structure or for a solution to a quantitative question), you will give the interviewer time to react to your proposal, which they will either follow or not. I have seen this misconception too often, that you would not need to show case leadership in interviewer-led case studies.

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

Answer 3

Hi there,

Try not to overcomplicate this! HEre's what you need to do.

1) Check with the recruiter/HR. Specifically ask them what you can expect.

2) Be ready for “anything”. That is, learn how to solve problems in an objective-driven way, no matter the case type, industry, or interview style.

Read this for casing: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case

This for your fit/behavioral: https://www.preplounge.com/en/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question

And this for your general prep: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/pitfalls-case-interview-preparation