My question is in general to Interviewer-led cases. After receiving the initial info should we:
1) Ask clarifying questions
2) Start preparing framework
3) Wait for instructions/questions
Thank you in advance,
Anna
Hi Anna!
this question was just discussed here, this should provide all the answers:
Hi Anna,
In general:
First: Ask Clarifying Questions
Second: Ask for some time to prepare your framework
Third: Always "drive", even with interviewer-led. They'll tell you where to go, or have info for you, but you still need to aim to drive forward AND feel like you understand where the case is going.
Hi Anna,
In principle there is no difference to a candidate-led case, and no need to overcomplicate things - just think logically and practically what makes sense to do. Finally it should resemble a real-life interaction, so just behave and do as you would do in any reasonable business conversation. Also the interview is not a one-way street and you can clarify whenever required. In case of doubts, just clarify with your interviewer - don't assume anything implicitly about the interviewer's question and the client goals to achieve.
The general rule is:
If the interviewer immediately asks a specific question and you have still something to clarify, ask if it's ok to still clarify something before answering his question.
If the interviewer gives you the case outline without a specific question and he doesn't seem to ask a question in the next few seconds, then just ask and clarify if you should think about a general structure to approach this issue.
Hope that helps - if so, please be so kind to give it a thumbs-up with the green upvote button below!
Robert
Hi Anna,
To start preparing the structure you will need the information that you can find out after asking clarifying questions. Then you can ask for some time before finally presenting your structure.
Sometimes an interviewer can directly start asking questions. If so, you can either just wait and answer the interviewer's question, or say "I would like to clarify a couple of things first. They would be:..."
After all, you should clarify all the needed data first, to layout a suitable structure, and then dive right into the case.
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GB
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Hi Anna, This is a great question! I would like to add a couple of points to the answers already offered in the thread mentioned by Henning. - In the end, every interviewer will have his / her own style. During the interview, it is better to ‘trust your instincts’ in detecting how much the interviewer wants you to lead the conversation vs how much he / she expects you to ask clarifying questions. That is always a better approach than to go for one or the other from the start. - In my experience, there is an actual difference in what the ‘average interviewer’ expects from you between McK, BCG and Bain and the guidance given to you. It is therefore good to ask around and understand what these differences are ahead of the interview. I would be more than happy to provide you with my experiences if you’d like. - In general, try to go for what feels most ‘natural’ during the conversation and what you think would be a normal business conversation between two business people. Take care and good luck with your preparations! Pascal — Pascal on Oct 07, 2020