A case interview is a
job interview
A job interview is an interview consisting of a conversation between a job applicant and a representative of an employer which is conducted to assess whether the applicant should be hired. Interviews are one of the most popularly used devices for ...
in which the applicant is presented with a challenging business scenario that he/she must investigate and propose a solution to. Case interviews are designed to test the candidate's analytical skills and "soft" skills within a realistic business context. The case is often a business situation or a business case that the interviewer has worked on in real life.
Case interviews are mostly used in hiring for
management consulting
Management consulting is the practice of providing consulting services to organizations to improve their performance or in any way to assist in achieving organizational objectives. Organizations may draw upon the services of management consultant ...
jobs. Consulting firms use case interviews to evaluate candidate's analytical ability and problem-solving skills; they are looking not for a "correct" answer but for an understanding of how the applicant thinks and how the applicant approaches problems.
Method
During case interviews, interviewers are generally looking for the following skills:
* Numerical and verbal reasoning skills
* Communication and presentation skills
* Business skills and commercial awareness
Candidates are often asked to estimate a specific number, often a commercial figure (such as market size or profitability) or determine action plans to remedy a business problem (such as low profitability or decreasing market share). Questions are generally ambiguous and require interviewees to ask questions or make assumptions to make a reasonable, supported argument to their solutions. Candidates are expected to demonstrate reasoning rather than to produce the exact answer.
A case interview can also be conducted as a group exercise. Here several candidates are given some briefing materials on a business problem and asked to discuss and agree upon a solution. The interviewers normally sit around the exterior of the room as silent observers. They assess candidates' communication and interaction as well as analytical thinking and commercial awareness. Interviewers "red flag" candidates who try to dominate the conversation; consultants work in teams so it's important to be a team player.
Frameworks used by business analysts
An example of a framework used by business analysts is:
# Benchmarking: Comparison of metrics to competitors
# Balanced scorecard: Tracking key objectives as a prevention method
#
Porter’s five forces: Industry analysis to assess potential company profitability
#
The General Electric-McKinsey nine-box matrix: Used to help assess opportunities
#
The BCG growth-share matrix: Used to assess relative product line strength
# Core Competencies: Define proficiencies in areas unique to the company
See also
*
Case method The case method is a teaching approach that uses decision-forcing cases to put students in the role of people who were faced with difficult decisions at some point in the past. It developed during the course of the twentieth-century from its origin ...
*
Management consulting
Management consulting is the practice of providing consulting services to organizations to improve their performance or in any way to assist in achieving organizational objectives. Organizations may draw upon the services of management consultant ...
References
Further reading
*Chapter 5, "Mastering the Case Interview", in ''Management Consulting: A Complete Guide to the Industry'', Sugata Biswas and Daryl Twitchell, John Wiley & Sons (January 1999),
*Nina Munk and Suzanne Oliver, "Think Fast", ''Forbes'', March 24, 1997, pp. 146–51.
*Tim Darling, ''How to Get Into the Top Consulting Firms: A Surefire Case Interview Method - 2nd Edition'', 2011, page 21,
*Tom Rochtus, ''Case Interview Success - 2nd Edition'', 2011, page 27,
*David Ohrvall, ''Crack the Case System: Complete Case Interview Prep'', 2011, page 97,
*Mark P. Cosentino, ''Case in Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation, 8th Edition'', 2013, page 12,
External links
"Management Consulting Case Interview Sample Questions" by
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
Consulting Club
"The Case Interview" University of Maryland
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...
Student Career Center, retrieved January 1, 2008, via archive.org
"Case Interview Resources" (pdf) MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
Careers Office
"Case Interview Preparation Plan" by ConsultingCasePro
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Management consulting firms
Job interview