Case interviews - over practicing?

Hi there,

The short answer is yes.

However, I find that 90% of people don't prep enough.

So, you're at much greater risk of under prepping than under (err on the side of over).

If you are at 50+ live cases with peers, then that's an indication you have done too much.

If you've only been prepping for 1-2 months, then I'd be hard pressed to see that being too much prep.

Again, without seeing your casing, I would err on the side of risking too much prep rather than too little.

If you fully and intimately understand cases (as in, they are easy now) AND you feel yourself starting to get “sick of” them, then consider taking a full break (a few days, a week, etc.) to reset/recharge.

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Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the progress in the application process with that consulting firm thus far!

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

• First of all, finding a balance in your preparation certainly is key. While continuing your practice is important, ensuring it does not lead to over-preparation is crucial. Over-preparation can sometimes make your responses come off as rehearsed rather than natural and spontaneous, or even lead to “case study fatique”.
• Moreover, I would advise you to maintain a moderate level of preparation. The goal is to be well-prepared but also to allow for natural conversation and thought processes during the interview.

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 interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

That's a cool question. 

Yes - there is something like overpracticing. 

But overpracticing becomes problematic when it's done without tailored feedback. Because the way it typically looks like is that the candidate starting to 

a) internalise a set of mistakes

and

b) develop a convergent thinking in terms of how they approach problems

On the latter, I specifically mean that they get to this point where they structure all cases with ‘Internal / External' frameworks. 

So the key here is not to ‘avoid’ doing too much practice. But to avoid doing on and on the bad thing. 

In swimming, if your technique is wrong and you keep on doing and doing it, it becomes a challenge then to change it, even with an experienced coach. That's because you develop muscle memory for it. 

The one place where overdoing becomes indeed problematic, even with the right feedback, is the personal fit component. 

I discuss this at length in the video course I run (link below), but you should aim to taper off the personal fit training in the days right before the interview to get more of a natural delivery.

• Video Course: Master the McKinsey PEI

Best,
Cristian 

Hi there,

Great multifaceted question. There is no simple answer.

Why?

It is not only about the quantity or extent of your preparation. Can you maintain high energy and remain conscious about your preparation, reflecting critically on your performance and anchoring key lessons and insights? For some, that becomes difficult as they drain out after a while. Some fall in love with case interviews and maintain the right habits, so they have nothing to fear.

So if, due to your feeling or based on mock interviewer feedback, you fear you are coming across robotic or lose motivation, consider doing less. If you just heard somewhere that this might be the standard way to go but do not have a well-grounded personal reason to do so, keep going.

I hope that was helpful!

Best,

Gero

Hi there,

There is definitely a slowing growth curve with case interview prep, which can turn negative for some people (case burnout) if they are handling multiple priorities at the same time and stress out over there interviews.

In any case, most people do not prepare enough and it's unlikely to overprepare.

What you should definitely do is, however, to slow down 2-3 days before the interviews and focus on something else to go to the interviews hungry again for cases and with a relaxed mind.

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

congratulations on passing the first 2 rounds. Now you have another important interview coming up so there is not really a point in “reducing your effort”. You should remain in the flow of preparation but the elements you focus on should vary of course based on your learning curve. 

You want to make sure that you maintain your level of case prowess (which at this point might require you to do less cases than in your prior preparation phases) but it's important that you let sink in the essential methodologies. A mere stat count of how many cases you practiced with is not very useful. If you haven't spend to much time on the personal fit components of the interviews, now is the time to catch up on that as well.

In my mind, if you really want to achieve a goal, there is no such thing as being over-prepared. There is definitely being under-prepared though. So why take the risk? Because you want to save some time? You are approaching the finish line here from what it sounds like so I would rather want to err on the side of caution and do as much “useful” prep as possible in the time remaining.

Best of luck

There is too much preparation if you starting being unable to focus or start cutting corners on what you do. 

Basically is like training when you are tired - the risk of learning bad habits or getting an injury becomes higher.

Or, of course, if you are training in a mechanical way (but then it is not about practicing too much, but rather practicing too much… the wrong habits).

Otherwise no, there isn't really such thing are over practicing. There is always room for improvement. It's just like consulting in real life - after 15 years I am still learning and getting better and more knowledgeable every week :)

Hi there,

Consider it this way. There is not such thing as over preparation but inefficient preparation. You are not better prepared by doing x2 cases than a peer. However, you are much better prepared if you truly understand what is valued during an interview and how to efficiently apply it.

This is why working with a coach is game changing in terms on time efficiency to prepare an interview.

Best,

Alberto

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Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs