Every aspiring consultant you will encounter will have one agenda in their upcoming case interview – to show the interviewer that consulting is the right job for him/her. As such, once you get that notice from the recruiter that an upcoming interview schedule has been set, then your mind should be conditioned to winning as well.
In line with this, here are some ways that can help you ace your consulting case interview and land that consulting job that you’ve always dreamed of:
● Be prepared. Nothing sets the tone for being in your A-game in anything than having enough time for preparation. So, make sure you set aside a time of your day to prepare for the interview. Know the flow and duration of the interview process. Typically, you can anticipate a 30- to 45-minute Q&A where you will be asked to solve a case scenario that may revolve around any of the following: new acquisitions, prospects for company revenue, and other business-related ordeals. Keeping these in mind will help you anticipate what lies ahead so you can gather your resources and stay on top of your game.
Speaking of resources, preparation also includes prior research about the company, its vision and embraced principles, as well as current events. Having these significant data stored in your head will surely equip you with fresh and relevant ideas as you sit in the hot seat during the case interview proper.
● Dress to impress. Plan out what you will wear and get it pressed and ready for wearing. You might not be aware of it, but what you wear to a job interview is just as crucial as your interview answers. So get ready to put your best suit forward and create the ultimate first impression.
● Stand out with both your questions and answers. During the case interview proper, you will be placed under scrutiny in terms of how you solve a given industry-related problem. Ace this crucial part by throwing relevant questions and delivering outstanding answers. Use your questions to gain insight and shed light on the important facts of the case that needs to be solved. Then maneuver your way to an impressive answer by leveraging the information you gathered through your queries.
Make sure, however, to take a necessary pause before you work your way through the case resolution. Part of crafting satisfactory questions and stunning answers is taking time to gather your ideas before you throw them out in the open.
Similarly, when it comes to framing your answers in a case interview, be mindful of your structure and manner of speaking. Interviewers appreciate well-framed answers as they make it easy to analyze the logic behind your solutions. Follow the three-pronged approach (problem-action-resolution) when stating your answers. You can do this by first stating the problem in your own words to show your own understanding and processing of the given data and information. Second, give a detailed action step on how you plan on executing your chosen strategy. And finally, conclude your answer with a clear-cut explanation on how your action steps can lead to an effective case resolution.