In MBB interviews, do you have to show your notes to the interviewer either during or after the interview?
(edited)
Virtual interview notes
Overview of answers
Upvotes
Best answer
Hi there,
You don’t have to, but I always recommend to ask the interviewers if it is ok to show the initial structure in virtual interviews. The reasons are:
- They can understand better the structure you are presenting if they have a visual support
- They are less likely to miss something. The interviewers may miss a point of the structure for their own fault. This will count against you though. If they can see the notes, that’s less likely to happen
- If the interviewers really don’t care about it, they can say no when you ask, so there is no possible disadvantage
Best,
Francesco
Was this answer helpful?
Hi there,
You do not - don't worry about this! However, far more important is that you can clearly communicate your notes with structure and conciseness. Your notes should be organized in the sense that they help you navigate the case!
Was this answer helpful?
Hey there,
No, there is no need for this and I found that with the typical laptop cameras + the blur function of Zoom or Google Meets this leads to more confusion than anything else.
Focus on your communication to be
- top-down
- numbered
- signposted
- presented with a high-energy level
That way, the interviewer will be able to follow your thoughts easily and you will score high on the communication and maturity scales.
Cheers,
Florian
Cheers,
Florian
Was this answer helpful?
You dont have to , but there is no harm in showing in camera if your handwriting is good & clear. Use blank A4 papers and black/blue thick pens.
Was this answer helpful?
No. And if it's a virtual meeting I would not do that. Trying to hold notes into the camera doesn't work.
In a physical meeting, you can actually use your notes to facilitate the conversation. But if you do, you should make sure your writing is actually legible.
Was this answer helpful?
Related Cases
Expert case by Ian
Style:
Our client is Energy England, one of northern England’s largest electric utility companies. They were created over the past decade through an aggressive series of mergers of existing utility companies each specializing in a single energy generation source.Recently, the CEO has embarked on an initiat
...
Our client is Energy England, one of northern England’s largest electric utility companies. They were created over the past decade through an aggressive series of mergers of existing utility
...
(Open whole case)
7.3k
Times solved
Intermediate
Difficulty
Content Creator
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.500+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ interviewoffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching
4,522
Meetings
44,945
Q&A Upvotes
392
Awards
1618 Reviews
What about taking notes on the computer instead of pen & paper (eg. on powerpoint, easy to draw sketches if needed), and sharing the screen with the interviewer?
Hi there, I would personally use pen and paper, it start to be cumbersome if you have to do screensharing to show the notes. In any case if you want you can align with the interviewer at the beginning on that. Best