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Where shall I start for the case interview

Case Interview
Recent activity on Aug 21, 2017
2 Answers
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Cassie asked on Aug 19, 2017

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Anonymous I replied on Aug 21, 2017

Hi Cassie,

For preparation, I recommend 3 three things:

  1. Read Case Interview Secrets from Victor Cheng. I would almost go as far as to say: you have almost no chance in getting through the day without it. Think about his LOMS (Look over my shoulder) package.
  2. Leverage the boot camp from PrepLounge to get up to speed on the basics both in terms of structure and content.
  3. Do as many meetings with fellow interviewees as possible (through the PrepLounge meeting board) and think about investing in a coaching session (Francesco is amazing, e.g.). Ultimately, the “right” number of cases depends on a) your previous knowledge, b) your available time and c) your progress. Note, like preparing for a big competition in sports, there is a plateau for case performance after which the marginal value of doing one more case becomes negative.

Finally, to help you put my recommendation into perspective, I was preparing for several final round interviews. I had done a tone of reading, watched free YouTube videos (Firmsconsulting, MasterTheCase, etc.), talked to people, and booked coaching sessions. I arrived at the conclusion that without decent preparation it's exceptionally difficult to pass. It's very transparent on what the consultancies expect from you so everybody has a fair chance to convince the interviewers. While that is generally good, it means that most interviewees have practiced a lot and, as result raised the average.

Doing what I did, helped me secure a Sen. Associate position at McKinsey. Keep in mind, this is n=1.

Good luck

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Anonymous replied on Aug 21, 2017

Hi,

I managed to get offers at all consultancies I applied (Bain, BCG, GoetzPartners, Strategy&, etc.) by using the following approach:

1) Cross-read a case prep book (e.g. Case in Point) - around 5h

2) Apply for a consultancy which is not your first choice and see where your improvement areas are

3) Derive a case prep plan depending on your improvement areas as realized in a very early interview process

4) Join Prep Lounge and do 5-10 cases and derive your improvement areas again

5) Prep with a Prep Lounge expert to tackle your remaining improvement areas and refine your forward prep plan together

6) Continue with Prep Lounge for 10-15 cases and listen to Vitor Chengs cases

7) Apply for 3-4 consultancies and manage to organize the interview sequence, starting with least desired company and finishing with the most desired one

I hope this provides some ideas for your interview preparations! Good luck!

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Cassie on Aug 21, 2017

Thank you very much for you detailed answer. really appreciated :D

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