Case interview and Case presentation

Why a case interview and a case presentation?

The case interview and case presentation gives us the opportunity to look further than just the information on your CV. We want to see how you analyze business problems in real life, whether you have a feel for strategic and business issues and what your numerical skills are like. A good way to find out about all these skills is to conduct several case interviews with different consultants and Partners

A good case interview/presentation is an interesting, lively discussion of a real-life case where you develop recommendations together with the interviewer. This method also gives you an initial impression of our work and the typical projects and problems you could face in consulting as we mostly base our cases on our own project experience

What is the difference between a case interview and a case presentation?

• A case interview is conducted "one-to-one" with an interviewer and may be used at each of our three interview rounds. The case interview takes the form of a discussion
• A case presentation is a more formal exercise where you get a written case and 45 minutes to prepare a presentation. You then give the presentation to two Senior Consultants or Project Managers who will act as clients and challenge your analyses and recommendations. The case presentation takes place in the second round and is very specific to our recruiting process

What happens in a case interview?

The interviewer begins with a brief explanation of the case information and provides relevant information for the case. You are not directed. We expect you to use your initiative to gather the necessary information on which to base your analysis. Consider it a role playing situation: you are the consultant and the interviewer is the client. There should be interaction between you and the interviewer, where you ask questions about the case in a structured way. The interview is not about finding perfect academic answers or about testing your knowledge of a specific industry. It is about using a clear structure, analytical skills, an inquiring mind and common sense to develop some specific recommendations for the client.

It is important that you take a structured approach to your work during the case:

• Listen carefully to the information you receive and the questions you are asked.
• Split the problem into smaller, easy-to-manage sections.
• State which sections you want to find out more details about and why.
• Create a plan of action and present it to the interviewer.
• Ask questions.
• Make assumptions but be careful to identify them as being assumptions as opposed to guesses.
• Check your solution (Is it plausible? Can you confirm or verify your solution in another way?)
• Collect information in a structured way.
• Give a clear summary of the problem and your conclusions once you have all the information you need.
• Come up with creative recommendations and set out how you will implement them.

What happens in a case presentation?

Our Recruiting Coordinator will give you a written case detailing business issues faced by a company and a set of questions you have to address. The business case will also include information on the context and relevant data for the case. You will have 45 minutes to prepare a presentation on slides or on a flip chart. After the 45 minutes, you present your analyses and recommendations to two Senior Consultants or Project Managers who will act as clients and challenge your analyses and your recommendations.

How can you prepare for a case interview/presentation?

Because there is no fixed framework for the various types of issues and industries, it is difficult to prepare for a case interview/presentation. It is better to be well rested, fit and alert during the interview than to spend a lot of time learning standard solutions by heart.

Tips:

• Think out loud.
• Ask questions about the information you are given.
• It is good to make assumptions, but communicate them clearly to the interviewer so that he or she can follow your line of reasoning.
• Bear in mind that there is no perfect solution to a case. A fresh look with a creative recommendation is what we are looking for.
• Try to have fun solving this case – it is an important part of a consultant's work!