Using IPad During Case Interview

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation from BCG!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, I would advise you to check with the recuiter beforehand to ensure that using an iPad is acceptable. However, please keep in mind that while it might be acceptable in the (most times virtual) first interview round, it might look differently in the (most times physical) final interview round.
• Moreover, I am quite certain that sharing your calculations during the interview would not be seen well, as it simply doesn't matter. What matters is being able to lead through your calculations by communication, from the initial logic to the final result.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming BCG interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

I would actually advise against that.

The case interview simulates a real client situation. You would also not calculate live for the client to see every step along the way. Rather, you need to effectively present insights based on your numbers, hence the goal is to be swift and directionally correct here. 

Hence, calculating in front of the interviewer with them seeing every step of the way makes it much more difficult because

• you put yourself on the spot which leads to more stress
• if you make a mistake there is no way to take it back because they can see it in real-time (rather calculate in silence and sanity check your results before communicating)
• it slows you down because you talk and think at the same time

In a nutshell, this seems like an extra effort that is a. not required and b. can negatively impact your performance.

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

I would not advise doing it for the same reasons that Florian mentioned.

From an interviewer's perspective, I look for: 1) you have the right approach – you can walk me through your formula, verbally; 2) you have the right answer – if your answer is wrong, I give you some time to redo it yourself. Showing the mathwork on the screen is not necessary.

Hi there,

I don't see any upside to this approach but there is downside. A number of things could go wrong - from you having to correct your calculations several times all the way to technical issues or glitches.

Just use a pen and paper when it is an in person interview - or your ipad if you must if it is online. Although the company might not want you to use an ipad because it can also be used as a calculator. 

Just keep it simple would be my advice.

Best

Hmm, I haven't seen candidates do this before. 

You know what? Ask the recruiter. Just so you make sure it's not against policy or something like that. 

Otherwise, if you feel like it would help you and improve your performance, you could try it. 

Best,
Cristian

Completely irrelevant. I don't want candidates to show me their screen or paper. I want them to explain things to me. Your communication has to be effective without resorting to any kind of intermediate support media.