Case in point free pdf download

Not only does he provide a wide variety of cases from market-sizing to acquisition opportunity to dipping profits he also offers several helpful frameworks for approaching consulting cases in general. I would highly recommend this book to anyone planning to do consulting interviews and they're tough! Having a job interview? Use this book: It's a must. I used this book as a tool to prepare for interviews, and it really helped me. In this tough period, I followed the Ivy Case Method proposed, and it didn't fail.

The book presents in a very readable way what to expect in an interview and how to create your best strategy. I'm usually very skeptical about these kinds of books, but I must say that Cosentino is able to attract the reader and through anecdotes and concrete examples, keep the reader's interest till the last page.

Definitely a must. Got me a consulting job! I was VERY nervous about getting a good job after school. I compared several interview guides and found some to be incomplete and others to be too long and confusing. I practiced the sample cases and I eventually got a job in strategy consulting. Full of great tips and good practice cases. It's a good study companion. I would definitely suggest it to anybody getting ready for case interviews.

Helped me get a job. This book taught me the foundation of consulting. Using the tips and methodologies in the book, I was able pass my case interview and obtain a position as a federal employee despite having minimal real-world work experience. The Case Interview textbook. Although I didn't take all of Marc Cosentino's advice, this book definitely played into my success securing a consulting job.

Highly recommended for anyone from an avid case-prepper to someone who's never thought about consulting before but wants to learn what's what. The case studies presented give you a whole new perspective on interviewing for a job. I applied for a job at Disney Mobile where they totally stumped me with some crazy question: "How would you calculate how many female taxi cab drivers are in NYC? Regardless, it's an amazing experience to see someone think out these types of questions and more so that you're better prepared in the future.

I now take a whole new approach to answering questions that I never did before, and I'd highly recommend you check it out too. Great Tips. Case In Point has a lot of useful interview tips. Even though my interview was not a case interview, I found that a lot of the recommendations in the book can also be used in "regular" interviews, if you will.

I definitely recommend reading this book, not only if you know you are going to have a case interview, but also if you aren't. You will feel more confident going into any interview knowing that there is nothing they can ask you that you don't have an answer for. CQI focuses on the skills you'll need to walk into the case interview well prepared and confident, developed by Marc P.

Percentages b. Breakevens and Weighted Averages c. Sample Interview Questions b. Many thanks to an unsung hero, my book designer, Jean Hammond, whose patience and sense of humor made many hours of toil great fun.

The mind is wondrous. It starts working the second you're born and doesn't stop until you get a case question. What do you think is going on? Consulting firms are in the business of renting out brains. Consultants get paid to synthesize massive quantities of foreign data, toss out the irrelevant information, structure an approach to a given client issue, and hypothesize logically and creatively before people of power and influence like bigwigs at the wireless company.

That's why consulting firms put so much weight on the case question — because it allows them to judge how logically and persuasively a potential consultant you can present a case. In essence, a case interview is a role-playing exercise. In order to nail a case interview, you need to know both how to prepare and how to perform.

This book will help you do both. As a career officer at Harvard University for over eighteen years, I've helped more than ten thousand of the nation's top students prepare for case interviews. During this time, students have tirelessly memorized individual frameworks and then struggled to decide which one s to apply. All the while, the case questions given by consulting firms, as well as by a growing number of companies in various industries, have become increasingly complex.

The standard frameworks of the past, while still valuable, aren't enough to solve these sophisticated cases. This system will allow you to make an impressive start without a long and awkward pause and ensure that you approach the answer in an organized and logical way.

The difference between a framework and a system is that a framework is a tool; a system is a process with all the tools built in. Keep in mind that case questions help educate you during your job search by acting as a self-imposed screening device. Is this the type of work you want to be doing? Is this the type of environment in which you can learn and flourish? You need to ask yourself, "Do I enjoy problem solving? Do I enjoy these types of questions and issues?

The best way to prepare is to hunker down and i read this book and don't skip any pages; ii attend all case question workshops sponsored by consulting firms or your career services office; iii practice with your econ professor, roommates, friends and anyone you know who worked or is currently working in consulting; and iv read this book again and don't skip any pages.

Sounds like you had better start reading. If you figure the odds of being chosen for an interview, having all the interviewers like you and making it through seven to ten cases, you'll be spending next semester's tuition on lottery tickets.

But you know what? You faced much tougher odds when you applied to a top school. Not only were you accepted, you thrived. So forget about the odds and concentrate on you.

If there was ever a time for tunnel vision, this is it. Besides, the recruiters don't know about the time you So head into your interview with a clean slate. This chapter will walk you through a first-round interview and show you how to prepare properly for each step.

Some firms set up two back-to-back minute interviews for the first round. In these interviews, one interviewer spends more time questioning you about yourself and then gives a short case question, while the other interviewer spends less time on you and more time on the case. Next, a small case, either a market-sizing or factor case, or more likely small-business problem. She then ends with your questions for the company.

The second person spends ten minutes breaking the ice and then gives you a full case, taking up 25 to 30 minutes and often including charts for analysis. The last few minutes are taken up with your questions. Let's hope this goes a little better. Eye contact, a pleasant smile, and a firm handshake are paramount. They will ask you to come up with several examples of times when you influenced or persuaded a group, about your relationship-building style, and about goals that you set for yourself and achievd.

They may even ask, "Your life is a newspaper article. What's the headline? In this part of the interview you should be responding, not thinking. During the case questions you're going to do enough thinking to last you for a week. You need to research yourself beforehand. Look at the list of the most commonly asked questions in a consulting interview. You may not be asked any of these questions, but if you take the time to write out the answers — or better yet, bullet-point the answers — you will be forced to think about things you haven't thought about in years or ever.

When thinking through your answers, go three stories deep. Remember to bullet- point your answers instead of writing passages. People try to memorize passages, but unless you're Gwyneth Paltrow, there is no way you're going to deliver your answer and make it seem real.

Interviewers remember stories and accomplishments better than they do common answers. You want to get labeled. If you tell the interviewer your captivating tale about windsurfing across the English Channel, then at the end of the day when the interviewer sees your name on her list, she'll remember you as "the windsurfer. If she sees your name and thinks "Which one was he? So dig into the old treasure chest and come up with memorable stories and accomplishments that substantiate the skills needed to make you a strong candidate.

How do I answer? How do you answer these truthfully? You'll work and learn from very intelligent and articulate people. You'll develop a vast array of marketable skills in a prestigious environment. The learning curve never ends. You'll receive exposure to the corporate elite: the way they think, act, and analyze their problems.

You'll be exposed to many industries. You'll work as part of a team. You'll solve problems. You'll make organizations more efficient. You'll work on multiple projects. You'll travel. You'll improve your chances of being accepted into a top business school.

The money's good. Q1 Have you ever failed at anything? Say yes! Everybody has failed at something. People fail all the time. That's how you learn. Better yet, talk about how you failed, what you learned from that mistake, then how you turned it into a success. A perfect example comes from Michael Jordan. He failed to make his high school basketball team his freshman year, persevered, and later became a basketball legend.

Have a story to tell; make it memorable. Stay away from anything that is going to make the interviewer feel uncomfortable "I never got to straighten things out with my dad before he passed away" or "My girlfriend dumped me" or "I couldn't outrun that police car when I was seventeen".

Interviewers don't want to hear it. The other thing they don't want to hear about is an academic failure. I can't tell you how many Harvard students have told me in mock interviews, "I took an upper-level science class and worked like a dog, but I failed.

If you really did fail a course, they would already know about it and ask why it happened. Q2 With which other firms are you interviewing? It's okay to tell them that you're interviewing with other consulting firms. Competition's tough; you'd be foolish to put all your energy into just one firm.

However, you must be able to tell them why they are your first choice and what makes them better in your mind than the other firms. Q3 With which other industries are you interviewing? Consulting goes hand-in-hand with two other industries. These positions look for the same qualities in a candidate and require similar job skills. You know the interviewer is going to ask you why you want to be a consultant.

Now this is important: not only should your answer be immediate, but you must look the interviewer right in the eye. If you look away, it indicates that you are thinking about the question and that's enough to end the interview right then and there. You should have given this answer a great deal of thought long before you walk in for the interview. While I don't want you to memorize your answer, I do want you to memorize bullet points.

This makes your answer focused, linear, and of an appropriate length. Avoid talking aimlessly. Having several good reasons why you want to be a consultant isn't enough. It's not always what you say but how you say it and, most important, what they hear. Your voice should carry sincerity and enthusiasm. It may be time to break out the flash cards. During the first part of the interview, you're being judged. The interviewer is asking herself whether or not she'd like to work with and travel with you.

Are you interesting? Do you have a sense of humor and like to have fun? This is better known as the "airport test. Would we have a lot to talk about, or would I have to pretend that I was in a coma so I wouldn't have to talk? I had a Harvard student who, when asked what percentage 3 of 17 is, blurted out "80 percent. For him that interview was over. He might as well have gotten up and walked out, because nothing was going to save him. Not because he got the wrong answer, but because it was clear that he didn't think before he spoke.

If he does something like that in an interview, what is he going to do in front of a client? I couldn't trust him, and if I can't trust him, I am not going to hire him. These questions carry tremendous weight. You can pass the airport test and be as poised and articulate as John F. Kennedy, but if you fumble the case, that's it. Alternatively, if you hit a home run on the case but have the social skills of Napoleon Dynamite, then you have bigger problems than getting a job.

We'll cover the case questions in depth in Chapter 3. In addition, if you can find out who will be interviewing you, you should be googling them to see what articles they have written or issues they are involved with. You can bet that they will be googling you — more than 90 percent of job recruiters and hiring managers use social recruiting, according to a survey by Jobvite, and 73 percent review job candidates' social media profiles.

In your research, you should be looking for answers to the pre-interview questions. Questions for which you can't locate answers are excellent questions for you to pose to your interviewer. What type of consulting does the firm do? In what industries does the firm specialize? How big is the firm? What training programs does the firm offer?

What type of work does an entry-level consultant do? How much client contact does an entry-level consultant have the first year? Does the firm have a mentor program? How often do first-years sleep in their own beds? What's their travel schedule like? How many hours in a typical work day?

How is a case team picked? How often are consultants reviewed? How many consultants does the firm expect to hire this year? How does that compare with last year? Where do consultants go when they leave the firm? Is it possible to transfer to other offices, even international offices? However, before you ask your first question, if there is anything critical that you didn't get a chance to bring up in the interview, now is the time.

Simply say, "Before I ask my first question, I just want to make sure you understand If you don't, you're going to kick yourself all the way home, and even worse, you'll never know whether that statement could have turned the tide. Pull out your list of questions and ask three or four. Make sure you try to turn this meeting into a conversation.

At the end, thank the reps for their time, ask them for their business cards, and inquire whether it would be okay if you call or email them with further questions. At this point, no one is going to judge you on your level of company knowledge. They are there to provide information and hype the firm. This will let you know how the firm sees itself and the image that it's trying to project. Often, career services offices will be able to match you up with alumni working in a specific industry.

Interviewing past employees can be very enlightening. They will tell you more about their old firm in half an hour than you'll learn by spending two hours on the Internet. Plus, they'll tell you things that you'll never find on the Internet. They can be completely objective; they don't have to try to sell the firm.

While these people don't have the power to hire you, they do have the power to get you on the interview list. Snag that interview slot by networking and schmoozing with firm representatives every chance you get. One of the best-kept secrets of company presentations is to go early. If a company presentation is scheduled to start at 6 p. Most students won't arrive until 6 p. They are more likely to remember you if you talk for five minutes at the beginning of the night than if you hang around until the end hoping for 45 seconds of their time.

They are also more likely to have their business cards with them. Remember to ask for those business cards and send a follow-up email. This allows you to be current on the firm's news. Have your list of questions with any specific facts or figures you've dug up written out when you walk in for the interview.

This shows that you have done your homework and have given this interview a great deal of thought. Besides, if you freeze up, it's all right there in front of you. This is your opportunity to shine and to market yourself. But before you launch into a laundry list of skills and attributes, you may want to simply say that they should hire you because you want to be a consultant.

Then reiterate all the reasons that you brought up earlier when they asked you "Why consulting? You're a low-risk hire if you've worked in consulting, liked it, and want to return, or have at least done your homework. Consulting firms' biggest fear is that they will spend a lot of time and money recruiting, hiring, and training you, only to have you bail out after six months because consulting isn't what you expected it to be. If they aren't convinced that this is what you want to do, then it doesn't matter how talented you are; it's not worth it for them to extend you an offer.

Think of it this way: How would you feel if someone accepted your dinner invitation because his first choice fell through? If your heart's not in it, they don't want you. Students who receive job offers in consulting receive them for four reasons: 1. They are able to convince the interviewer that they are committed to consulting and know what they're getting into regarding the type of work, the lifestyle, the travel. They can demonstrate success-oriented behavior. They exhibit good analytical skills when answering case questions.

That's where we come in. They can articulate their thoughts, create a positive presence, and defend themselves without being defensive. Now that you understand the structure of the interview for the first round, the subsequent rounds are not all that different.

The second round is often held at a nearby hotel and usually consists of two interviews, each 60 minutes in length, each with a heavy focus on case questions. The third round is typically held in the firm's offices where there are five interviews, 60 minutes each, again with a heavy emphasis on case questions. During all the final rounds you can expect to analyze many charts. In addition, some firms give written cases requiring you not only to analyze the information but also to design charts to back up your recommendations.

There are other kinds of first-round interviews. Some firms conduct phone interviews while others conduct group case interviews. First-Round Telephone Interviews Sometimes your first-round interview will be conducted over the phone. Sometimes this is a screening interview; other times you'll get a case question as well. There are several things to remember: if possible, go to a quiet and private place for a phone interview. Turn off the television and lock the door so your roommate doesn't barge in and interrupt you.

Most important, you are your voice. That is the only thing the person on the other end of the line has to go on — even if it's a Skype interview, and though your appearance counts, your voice is still Number One. Your voice should be upbeat and enthusiastic; speak clearly and with confidence, but without arrogance. Finally, lose the calculator. I know it is tempting to have it right there, but if you get the answer too quickly, or the interviewer can hear buttons being pushed, you're sunk.

First-Round Telephone and Skype Interviews In addition to all that, for a Skype interview you will need to dress up as you would for a regular interview. A survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that grooming alone influences employers 73 percent of the time, and 49 percent of them said that nontraditional interview attire will negatively influence the hiring decision. I've heard stories about the interviewee who was dressed up above the waist, but had on pajama bottoms or shorts or sweat pants.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem during a Skype interview, but the interviewee had to stand up to retrieve something. Also, be aware of your background. What can the person on the other side of the computer see? If you have a poster of a bikini-clad Sports Illustrated swimsuit model hanging on your wall, you might want to remove it or angle the camera away from the poster.

I Skype with students from around the world, and I'm always interested in the background — what their apartment or dorm room looks like. It gives me additional information on their personalities and organizational skills.

During a group interview, consultants look more at the group dynamics than how the group answers the question. Does this candidate have the ability to build relationships, empathy, and teamwork?

On one hand, you are a competitor to the other people in the group, but on the other hand, for this moment in time you are teammates. People who are aggressive and try to dominate the conversation are people who don't get called back. Remember, consultants work in teams, and if you're not willing to be a team player, then you're out. In my Harvard Business School classes, the professors rarely called on anyone with his hand raised while someone else was speaking.

This indicated that the hand-raising student wasn't listening to his classmate; he had his own agenda. Like a business school case class, you are expected to build on what others have said and move the discussion forward, not take it off on a tangent or move the discussion back because you had a point you wanted to make.

Stress interviews. They usually come in one of two forms; the first is the two-on- one you're the one. The interviewers ask you question after question without giving you much of a chance to answer. They'll make unfavorable comments to each other about your answers, dismissing your answers as amateurish or ridiculous. They may even turn rude and snappish. Why do interviewers do this? They put you through this to see how you react. Can you defend yourself and your answers without getting defensive?

Can you maintain your cool and your professionalism? Can you handle it if someone snaps at you, or will you crumble and cry? The second type is the silent treatment. The interviewer doesn't smile; he usually sits in silence waiting to see whether you start talking. If you ask the interviewer a question, he'll usually shoot back a one-word answer. He might question many of your statements, making you explain even the simplest of answers. Why do they do this? They'll tell you that silence leads to stupid statements, where interviewees blurt out irrelevant conversation just to fill the silence, and it's important to know how you would react in a situation like this with a client.

Sometimes during a case you'll be asked to make a decision. You will be forced to choose between A and B. If you choose A, the interviewer will look you right in the eye and say, "Let me tell you why you are wrong. Again, he does this to see how you react. Do you turn red? Does your jaw tighten or do your eyebrows shoot up?

Clients are going to challenge your findings and ideas all the time. The interviewer wants to make sure you can handle criticism when someone gets in your face. While he is telling you why you are wrong, if you don't find his answer very persuasive, then simply say, "That was an interesting argument, but I didn't find it compelling enough. I'm sticking with answer A. Stick with your answer if you think you are right. Defend your answer without getting defensive.

If in his argument he brings up something you didn't think about, and now that you're thinking about it, it changes everything, admit that you were wrong. Simply say, "That was a very persuasive argument, and to be honest, I didn't think about the inventory issue. I think you're right; I think B is the right answer. It shows that you are still objective and open to reason.

Remember, one of the main reasons corporations hire consulting firms is for their objectivity. If you can remain objective about your answer, then you are one step closer to being a consultant. If your confidence level is too low, they're going to question everything you say.

There is an old saying about Harvard professors: they're often wrong, but never uncertain. You need to carry that same mindset into your interview. Even if you are uncertain, you need to remain confident. Most of these students wanted to work first in the United States before returning to their home countries.

While many were successful, like their American classmates, most were not. Consulting jobs are very competitive and highly sought after. I offer three additional pieces of advice for international students: 1. Be honest about your communication skills.

Much of the interview process is driven by communication skills. Are you truly fluent in English? Do you have an accent? How pronounced is it? A couple of years ago, I worked with a brilliant Chinese student at Harvard. He did very well in the mock case interviews I gave him; however, his language skills, particularly his presentation skills, were poor. While his understanding of English was excellent, his verbal and written skills left much to be desired.

Against my advice he applied to the Boston offices of all the top firms. While he received a number of first-round interviews, he didn't get a single second-round interview. He found himself competing against American Harvard students and he didn't stand a chance. Think long-term and play to your strengths. I met several times with a Russian student.

Her English was excellent, she could articulate her thoughts, and she even had a good command of business English. While she had an Eastern European accent, she was easy to understand. Her grades, work experience, and extracurricular activities were just okay, but nothing great, so she faced some pretty stiff competition from her American classmates. She wanted to work in New York. Her problem was getting the first-round interview. We talked about thinking long-term.

If she applied to the Moscow offices of these firms, she would have a significantly better chance of getting hired than if she focused on New York. She knew the language, the culture, and the economics of the region, and she had a degree from a prestigious American university. Come back to campus in case-fighting form.

Summer internships are tough to get, so don't get discouraged if you don't land one. I have pocketfuls of stories about students who didn't get summer internships but landed full-time consulting jobs upon graduation.

There are many more full-time opportunities than summer positions, but they are still very competitive. Don't waste your summer; use it to become a better candidate in the autumn. The first step is to secure a summer job where you will be developing some of the same skills you'd acquire if you worked in a consulting firm. The second is to practice your cases over the summer. I had a brilliant student from the Caribbean who had no business experience but plenty of great leadership experience.

He received four first-round summer internship interviews. He made it to the second round with two firms but didn't get an offer. He spent the summer working for a large international financial agency in Washington, DC, where he wanted to settle. He spent the summer contacting alumni who worked in the DC offices of the two major consulting firms and invited them out for lunch, coffee, or a beer. He learned about their firms, and he made great connections within those offices.

Every time he sipped a coffee or drank a beer with them, he asked them to give him a case question. This went on all summer long. When he returned to campus in September, he was in case-fighting form and had many supporters within each firm.

Having years of experience in a particular industry isn't always a good thing. For example, if you have ten years' experience in the health-care industry, some firms might be reluctant to hire you for your industry experience because you come with certain prejudices or beliefs about an industry. The firms worry that if you see a problem with a client, you are going to solve it the same way you solved it when you worked in health care.

They like people who can look at a problem objectively, with no preconceived notions. They will, however, draw on your industry knowledge when building industry files. So don't be surprised if you are assigned to new industries at first. The interview process is somewhat the same. If you are applying to McKinsey, you'll probably be asked to take the written exercise that most non-MBAs have to take.

The first round might consist of three one-hour interviews, which will have both a personal experience component as well as a case. I'd be surprised if the cases you get touch on your old industry.

They want to test your thought structure, not your industry knowledge. They will expect you to be more confident than a university candidate, and more professional in your demeanor.

Another thing to remember is that you will enter the firm at the same level as a newly minted MBA unless you bring a host of clients with you. You may be reporting to someone who is years younger than you. Keep in mind that these firms are meritocracies and you can move up as quickly as your talents allow. In fact, you do want to enter at that level; it will give you time to get your sea legs and establish yourself.

They don't ask case questions to see you sweat and squirm although some might consider it a side perk. They do ask case questions They work in small teams and are sometimes in charge of groups of the client's employees. Often, consultants work under great pressure in turbulent environments while dealing with seemingly unmanageable problems.

It takes a certain type of personality to remain cool under pressure, to influence the client without being condescending, and to be both articulate and analytical at the same time. The business of consulting is really the renting of brains, packaged and delivered with an engaging and confident personality.

I never like to equate an interview with a test, but they are similar in that the more you prepare, the better you'll do. Maybe you've experienced the feeling of being so prepared for an exam that you can't wait for the professor to hand it out so you can rip right through it.

Case questions are the same way. Firms look to see if you have that "rip right through it" look in your eyes. It's confidence. Some of my students, even after they got the job, would come into my office and ask me to give them a case. They loved doing cases. To them it was no different from working a crossword puzzle.

They loved the intellectual challenge, and they learned something new every time they did one. Before we look at some cases, it is best to understand The Case Commandments.

Follow these rules and your case interviewing life will become much easier. Listen to the Question. The case isn't about you or the consultant; it's about the client. What are they really asking for? Pay particular attention to the last sentence — one word can change the entire case.

Take Notes. As someone once said, "The palest ink is stronger than the best memory. Summarize the Question. Verify the Objectives. Even if the objective seems starkly obvious, there could be an additional underlying objective. When the objective seems apparent, phrase the question differently: "One objective is to increase sales. Are there any other objectives I should know about?

Ask Clarifying Questions. In the beginning of the case, you have more latitude in your questioning. You should ask basic questions about the company, the industry, the competition, external market factors, and the product. The further you get into the case, the more your questions should switch from open-ended questions to closed-ended questions. You start to get into trouble when you ask broad, sweeping questions that are hard for the interviewer to answer.

This kind of question gives the impression that you're trying to get the interviewer to answer the case for you. You'll know that you crossed that line when the interviewer says to you, "What do you think? Organize Your Answer. This is the hardest part of a case, and it's the most crucial.

It drives your case and is often the major reason behind whether you are called back. We will spend more time on this in Chapter 4. Hold That Thought for "One Alligator. If you make a statement that is way off base in an interview, the recruiter will wonder if he can trust you in front of a client. If he thinks he can't trust you, the interview is over. Manage Your Time. Don't get bogged down in the details.

Answer from a macro level and move the answer forward. It's easy to lose your way by going off on a tangent. Stay focused on the original question asked. Finally, don't lose track of the question, the objective, or the framework. Go back during the case to the original question and objectives to make sure you haven't lost your way. Work the Numbers. Demonstrate that you think quantitatively and that you are comfortable with numbers. When doing calculations, explain what you are thinking and how you are going to do it.

Take your time. Better to get it right than to rush and make a careless mistake. Be Coachable. Is she trying to guide you back on track?

Pay attention to her body language. Are you boring her? Is she about to nod off? Is she enthralled? Being coachable also means asking for help when you need it. If you run into a wall, lose your train of thought, or are just in over your head, ask for help.

There is no shame in asking for help; it's a sign of maturity. Look at it from the interviewer's point of view. If you were working on an actual project and got stuck, she would much rather you ask for help than waste time spinning your wheels. Be Creative and Brainstorm. Brainstorming without commitment, as consultants call it, allows you to toss around uninhibited ideas without being married to them.

It gives you the opportunity to review all the options and eliminate inappropriate options. Consulting firms like liberal arts candidates with intellectual curiosity who can "think outside the box" and offer up a new and interesting perspective. Exude Enthusiasm and a Positive Attitude. It's not enough to do well on the case; you have to thrive on the challenge of the case.

Recruiters want people who are excited by problem-solving and can carry that enthusiasm through the entire interview. Bring Closure and Summarize. Review your findings, restate your suggestions, and make a recommendation. You don't need to sum up the whole answer; pick two or three key points and focus on those.

Students are often afraid to make a recommendation, thinking that their analysis was faulty and so their answers will be wrong. There are no wrong answers. Just make sure your answer makes good business sense and common sense. Some are broken down into analytics structure, quant acumen, and good use of data , communication eye contact, articulation, listening, asking probing questions, and note layout and personal enthusiasm, self-confidence, teamwork, original thought, and intellectual curiosity.

You are rated 1 to 5 in several categories under these areas, 5 being the highest score. Is this person interested in Bain? Would you have this person on your team? The Pittsburgh Airport test. And would you pass on this person or make them an offer? Summary Finally you get an overall interview rating.

It's quite common to find a market-sizing question enclosed within a larger business case question. Whether fun or frustrating, all case questions are valuable learning experiences.

Brainteasers are basically the same riddles and conundrums that we've all been struggling to solve since fourth grade. Some brainteasers have a definite answer; others are more flexible in their solutions. Interviewers are looking to see not only whether you can come up with a good answer, but also whether you can handle the pressure.

Do you get frustrated, stressed, and upset? The key is to keep your cool and try to break the problem down logically. Just give it your best shot and don't be afraid to laugh at your mistakes or be a bit self-deprecating.

It makes you human and more fun to be with. Here is an example of a brainteaser with a definite answer. The Bags of Gold You can find numerous puzzle and brainteaser books at your local bookstore. If you are worried about this type of question, go pick up one of these books. Q1 There are three bags of gold. One of the bags contains fake gold. All the bags and all the coins look exactly alike.

Each bag contains the same number of coins. The real gold coins weigh one ounce each, the fake coins weigh 1. You have a one-pan penny scale and one penny, which means you can weigh something just once. You load the scale and insert the penny, and the scale spits out a piece of paper with the weight.

How can you tell which bag has the fake gold? A1 You take one coin from the first bag of gold, two coins from the second bag, and three coins from the third bag.

Place them all on the scale, insert your penny, and get the weight. If the coins together weigh 6. If they weigh 6. If the coins weigh 6. Sometimes they're a stand-alone question, or they can be embedded in a larger case. When I hear a market-sizing question I like to label it. Regardless of the type of market-sizing question, your answer should be based on logic and assumptions. In some instances your assumptions are wrong.

Sometimes the interviewer will correct you; other times she will let it go. The interviewer is more interested in your logic and thought process than whether your assumptions are spot-on. If you are still concerned, you can always say, "I'm not that familiar with this market, so if my assumptions are off, please correct me. However, everything you say has the potential to be questioned — be ready to defend your assumptions, as they should be based on some type of logic.

If you just pull them out of the air, you're risking the interviewer's aggressive challenge of your assumptions and your credibility. During a market-sizing case you don't get a chance to ask questions.

You can ask questions only if you don't understand something. If they rattle off a string of initials, industry jargon, or slang, and you're not sure what they mean, ask. You don't lose any points for asking clarifying questions. These questions are tough enough to answer even when you do understand all the information. When I go into a market-sizing question, I've already memorized several key facts and numbers. I don't want to be caught flatfooted, and I don't want to pull numbers out of the air that will be difficult to work with.

Here are some key numbers you should memorize. We know that this is not true, but in a case like this, it's fine to assume, thus 4 million people per age group. Also, don't use your friends as a sample population. Chances are you're at an elite university and your friends are unlikely to represent the general population.

And remember to use easy numbers, numbers you can divide and multiply without much problem. As they give you the question, write everything down. Determine and label the question: Is it a population-based, household, or preposterous question? Next, ask questions only if you don't understand the question or terminology. Finally, lay out your structure, then go back through it and fill in the numbers.

That way you get a second bite at the apple as you work through the problem again. Base your assumptions on some sort of logic; otherwise the interviewer might press you on how you drew that conclusion. And take advantage of grouping assumptions together.

You can say something like, "The 20 percent takes into account X, Y and Z. It also makes it easier for the interviewer to follow your thought process. Assumptions: million Americans, life expectancy of 80 years, even distribution among the ages. I'm going to divide it into generations, , , and That means 80 million people per generation. Kids 52 million American children don't own cell phones. Of the remaining 28 million kids I'll assume that 20 million have cell phones.

Of that 20 million I'll assume that 10 million have a smartphone. These are older kids and they're technology driven. Reason through your numbers for each generation and fill in the chart as you go along. We came up with million smartphones in the U. However, the question called for the number of smartphones sold in the U. The average cell phone contract is two years, and new models come out every 18 months.

I'll assume 80 percent will upgrade to a new model. That means 50 million are eligible for the upgrade and 80 percent of the 50 million 40 million will buy a new smartphone. I'll also assume that 20 percent of the 50 million regular cell phone users eligible for an upgrade will switch to a smartphone, which equals 10 million. Thus, 50 million smartphones were sold last year. Now you may not agree with all my assumptions, but as long as you can follow my logic, I'm fine.

I live in a town with a population of 30, There are six gas stations in our town not really, but six divides nicely into He has consulted with and designed cases for private sector firms, government agencies and non-profits. In addition, Marc has trained corporate and academic PhD's to think like business executives. Customer Reviews Most helpful customer reviews 1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.

Prepared me for my consulting interview, and helped sharpen my problem solving skills By CollegeGirl This is a great book and helped me prepare for the case study interviews, and I got an offer! There is a newer edition, not sure what the difference is. I feel like in general I benefitted from this book as I gained a lot of problem solving skills in general.

I really enjoyed reading it and doing the cases, even though I had to study hard. A must have for preparing for case interviews By Pal Worked with 3 different consulting firms so far in my career - boutique, Big 4 and MBB.

I owe this book so much for the successess that I have had in preparing for my consulting interviews. The dialogue aspect was especially useful when I didn't have anyone to prep with. A great starting point for those pursuing a career in consulting or those prepping for case interviews.

If you are like me, than you had never seen nor heard of a case interview before business school. By practicing the methods taught in Marc's book, you will be able to tear through case questions with thoroughness and efficiency. Considering that many companies are switching to case style interviews, it would be a mistake not to hone your skills in this area.

I recommend this book to anyone in business school as well as any job seekers looking to nail an interview. See all customer reviews Long CV of RTGreene Aug table of courses, research done, future research, publications by topic, SSRN and Google Scholar listings, writing sample best article, 6 letters of recommendation, favorite books list, undergrad seminar instructions and readings By Richard Tabor Greene. Obesity as a disease entity By Morgan Downey. New business models in book publishing: An analysis of start-ups and their strategies By Nina Klein.

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