I would like to know how is the best way to prepare for the first round interviews and if you have any suggestions about a study plan and about what I should focus more ( for example some case types or industries ) . Additionally , do you have any advice about how to get the first mock interviews here at prep lounge ? Because since I haven't done any yet and I am very insecure about not knowing what to do exactly in the first mock interviews .
thank you very much!
Hey anonymous,
This is the study plan I often suggest to all the candidates I've been coaching (the timings for each stage depends on how long do you have between now and your interviews, which should be at least 1/2 months to be optimally ready):
- start with a theoretical study (Victor Cheng, Case in Points, other materials), that allow you to understand the basics of what a case study is, how is structured, what's expected from the candidate, etc. Besides, you should learn what are the most common types of cases and how to approach them (framework wise); don't memorize frameworks though
- do a couple of a practice sessions with Peers just to apply the concepts you've learned
- practice a case with a seasoned consutant (either a friend of yours at a consulting firm, or reach out to someone there; or alternatively get an expert in here); he/she will give you really valuable and actionable feedback on what you need to improve and how
- keep the loop
Hope this can help clarifying your queries
Best
Bruno
Several things that you should be doing on a regular basis:
1) Every 10 cases revisit the previous cases and think how you would structure them differently now having the new experience and having solved the new types of cases
2) Build business judgment. Read about different industries and functions. I strongly recommend practice drawing structures for each industry - profitability, value chain, etc . Then I will switch to getting functional knowledge and key concepts in Marketing (Brand and trade marketing tools, etc), Supply chain (Ops metrics like cycle time and throughput time, distribution and delivery specifics, etc), Finance (Basic Accounting and Valuation). Good sources might be:
Again, every 10 cases revisit the previous cases and think how you would structure them differently now having the new knowledge
3) Practice fast math
4) Read Viktor Cheng Book and listen to LOMS. I recommend to reread the book and listen to LOMS every 15 cases. Every time, having more experience, you’ll be finding something new.
! Important: don't forget about the FIT interview part. Crafting you stories and backups stories will require a couple of weeks!
Best!
I think you have a good plan from Bruno but just something that I would like to add:
Please don't forget to prepare PIE it's as important as the cases :)
Take time to think about the structure, what is the right story and why did you choose this story
Best for your interview
Hi Anonymous,
a good preparation for a consulting interview will likely move through the following areas:
You should be aware that just reading Case in Point and doing Victor Cheng LOMS won’t be sufficient as preparation. This material is ok to get an understanding of the process, but not to get to the advanced level to get an offer. You should definitely complement it with live preparation.
During the preparation, you should focus on the usual steps for case interviews, working on:
The most common business case types differ according to the company and country but are generally related to profitability, M&A, market entry and operations. Besides business cases, you should also prepare market sizing. The most common types of industries also depend on the country/company but are generally related to banking, industrial goods and consumer goods.
As for the first mock interview, my recommendation would be:
Best,
Francesco
Hi Javier,
I believe you are able to move your interview date to a different day and time wihtout penalty, which I recommend you do. It goes without saying that you should confirm that with your recruiter.
For preparation, I recommend 3 three things:
1) Read Case Interview Secrets from Victor Cheng. I would almost go as far as to say: you have almost chance in getting through the day without it.
2) Leverage the boot camp from PrepLouge to get up to speed on the basics
3) Do as many meetings with fellow interviewees as possible (thrugh the PrepLounge meeting board) and possible think about investing in a coaching session (Francesco is amazing, e.g.).
Finally, to help you put my recommendation into perspective, I am currently preparing for an number of final round interviews. I have done a tone of reading and talked to people and coaches and arrived at the conclusion that without preparation it's exceptionally difficult to pass. It's very transparent on what the consultancies expect from you so everybody has a fair chance to convince the interviewers. While that is genereally good, it means that most interviewees have practiced a lot and perform well.
Good luck
Hi,
My list of DO's is the following
For DON'Ts I will mention red flags:
I hope that was helpful.
Kind regards,
Egor Iakovlev
Hi,
If you have an interview tomorrow, there is not much you can do:
Good luck!
Hi,
I strongly recommend to spend last effort on crafting impactful stories about your CV and on answering in a very structured to the questions "why consulting?" and "why McK".
Best,
Antonello
Not much that can be done then!
Something that relaxes you (sports maybe?) and a goodnight sleep.
Good luck!
Hello!
For the FIT prep part:
On top of the insights already shared in the post, the "Integrated FIT guide for MBB" has been recently published in PrepLounge´s shop (https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/tests-2/integrated-fit-guide-for-mbb-34)
It provides an end-to-end preparation for all three MBB interviews, tackling each firms particularities and combining key concepts review and a hands-on methodology. Following the book, the candidate will prepare his/her stories by practicing with over 50 real questions and leveraging special frameworks and worksheets that guide step-by-step, developed by the author and her experience as a Master in Management professor and coach. Finally, as further guidance, the guide encompasses over 20 examples from real candidates.
Feel free to PM me for disccount codes, since we still have some left from the launch!
Hope you find it useful!
Best,
Clara
Dear A,
I would recommend you the following algorithm:
1. Start your preparation with reading Case In Point by Cosentino for a general understanding of what a consulting interview is.
2. Start learning and practicing the cases. Some you can find in Case Library and practice it with your partner or experience coach.
3. Purchase and read Viktor Cheng Book (Amazon Kindle store) and listen to LOMS
Once you feel you are not improving anymore, I would recommend you to take an expert coach for structured feedback and polishing your own performance.
Hope this helps,
Best,
André
Expert case by
