咨询公司面试案例分析指南_咨询面试系列如何应付案例分析面试

1、CrackingtheCase:AConsultingInterviewPrimerPage1of3[WebExclusive]Youdon'thavetobeSherlockHolmestoacethecasesinaconsulting-firminterview.Infact,alittlepreparationcanmakesolvingthemseem,well,elementary.FirmsAreTheretoHelpYouConsultingIndustryGuideRememberyourseventh-gradealgebrateacher’sthreefavoritewords?Showyourwork.Atthetime,itseemedsilly:Whynotjustshowtherightanswer?Nowthatyou’reolderandwiser,however,youknowthatinmanycaseshowyougettotherightanswerismoreimportantthansimplyknowingtheansweritself。

2、.Thesamegoesforthecasequestionsthatconsultingrecruiterslobatyou.Consultingisademandingjobwithfewcorrectanswers;thismethodofinterviewinggaugeshowwellyoumanagetheprocessofgettingtoananswerandhowyouperformundersimulatedclient-engagementconditions.Wetalkedtoconsultant-huntersatseveralfirmstogleantheiradviceoncrackingthecaseinterview.Here'swhattherecruitersrevealed—andhowyoucanbestprepare.WhytheCaseInterview?Caseinterviewshavelongbeenusedbyrecruiterstoseeacandidate'sthoughtprocessesinmotion.Canyoudec。

3、onstructandanalyzecomplex,open-endedbusinessproblems?Doyoustaycalm,orwillyousweatbulletsunderpressureataclientsite?光华人向上的精神“Casestudiesareanimperfectscience,”concedesMichaelGibney,projectmanageratPricewaterhouseCoopers,“butareeasilyimplementableinthe30to45minuteswehaveforeachinterview.”Sincetheymeasureyouranalyticalskills,they'reanimprovementoversimplefitorresuméinterviews.Inmostcaseinterviews,therecruitergivesyouanexampleofareal-lifeclientproblem.Sometypicalcategoriesinclude:CompanyStrategy:“M。

4、yclientisthinkingofmakinganacquisition,and…”BrainGames:“HowmanytennisballsareintheUnitedStates?”OperationsImprovement:“Whyismyclient’sfactoryrunningbehind?”MarketSize:“Howbigistheglobalairconditionermarket?”Althougheachrequiresaslightlydifferentapproach,allaremeantmainlytoevaluatetheprocessyouuse,nottheansweryoucomeupwith.PracticeMakesPerfectYouabsolutely,positivelymustprepareinadvanceforcaseinterviews.“Itbecomesprettyclearprettyfastwhohas—andwhohasnot—practiced,”saysGibney.“Iknowthereisabasi。

5、csortofbusinessacumenthatmaynotbeabletobepracticed,butcandidatesmusthaveanunderstandableapproachtosolvingproblems.That’swhatourclientsdemandofus.Ifwecan’trelatesolutionstotheclient,it’saproblem.”Don’tassumethatattendingacase-orientedbusinessschoolwillgiveyouanupperhand.JohnFlato,CapGeminiErnst&Young’snationaldirectorofuniversityrecruiting,saysthesecandidatesdon’tseemtodoanybetterorworsethancandidatesfromnon-caseschools.Studydifferentkindsofcasequestions.Justbecauseyourbuddyinterviewedbeforeyouan。

6、dgaveyouaheads-uponthequestionsdoesn’tmeanyouhavealegup.Recruitershavetonsofcasequestionsintheirrepertoire,andthechancesoftheirusingthesamequestionmultipletimesononecampusvisitareslimtonone.光华人向上的精神(suchasacasebook)thatyourschool'sconsultingclubprovides.Themoremockcasesyousinkyourteethinto,themorelikelyyouaretoberelaxedandpoisedfortherealthing.Sometimesyoulearnmorebypresentingacasequestiontosomeonethanyoudowhensolvingthecaseyourself.Deliberatelypickindustriesyou'renotfamiliarwithsoastotestyouran。

7、alyticalskills,notmemorizedfacts;forinstance,ifyourpre-B-schoolexperienceismostlyinmediaandentertainment,askyourcasebuddytoaskyouaboutsteelproductionormedicaldevicemarketing.Thatsaid,doconsiderbrushinguponthebasicsinseveralindustries—forinstance,knowtheproductdevelopmentcycleinpharmaceuticalresearch,andunderstandcurrenttrendsintechnology.(Formoreinformationonvariousfields,checkoutourindustryguides.)Althougheachcaseisdifferent,withpracticeyouwillimproveyouranalyticalreasoningskillsandsolutionmeth。

8、od.ThinkThroughtheProcessWhenitcomestostrategyorproductmarketingquestions,theinterviewerwilloftengiveyouonlythebarebonesofacaseandwillwaitforyoutorequestfurtherdetails:Howmanycompetitorsdoesthecompanyhave?Whatarethemajorcostandrevenuedrivers?Whoarethemajorclients?Anddon'tforgettoaskforthefirm'smission—ifyoudon'tknowwhatacompany'sgoalsare,youmightcomeupwithavalid—butmisguided—solution.Usesomebasicframeworkstodriveyourquestions—thefourP'sandthethreeC's,forinstance.AsamplequestionGibneyusedrecently。

9、involvedamanufacturer/distributor/retailerofcomputerproducts.Thisclienthastraditionallygonedirectlytotheconsumerandhasdevelopedasolidbrandimage.Theclientnowwantsanassessmentastotheissuesrelatingtothecorebusiness,aswellastheopportunitiesforthecompanytogetintotheservicesside,whichitviewsasahigh-margin/high-growth-ratebusiness.Thecandidatenowneedstoprovideanapproachorevaluativeframeworkforanalyzingeachofthetwodifferentproblems.Aslongasit'spermitted,workyouranswersoutonpaper.Pencilsandpens,plusanote。

10、bookorlegalpadshouldbestandardequipmentinanyinterview.“It’samazinghowmanypeopleshow。