How to really think during the thinking time?

Hi there,

Q: During my practice when I ask the interviewer a couple to minutes to think I go blank. Any tips or recommendations? 

As a first step, I would recommend to understand why you go blank:

• Is it because you get stuck with math? 
• Is it because you don’t know how to structure a question? 
• Is it because you are not used to talking to strangers as you don't have much interview experience? 

Until you understand that, it will be difficult to fix the issue.

In terms of what to do if you go blank after you asked for time and don’t know what to do, this is what I would recommend:

1. Do a recap of your findings so far in the case
2. Repeat the question you have to answer
3. If you still cannot find an answer: state the reasons why you cannot see a connection between the information received and the objective. This should lead the interviewer to help you

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Hi there,

It's really going to depend on what is causing this. Here are some suggestions:

Nerves

If this is because you are nervous, then there are a few things you can do:

• Practice “stressful” interviews (with people who make you nervous)
• Change your mindset (realize, none of this matters in the end)

Lack of Knowledge

You may need to build more subject matter expertise. You can do this through:

• Daily reading (The FT, Robinhood Snacks, BCG Insights)
• Industry deep-dives (create your own)
• Podcasts (Money Talks, the Prof G Show etc.)

Lack of Structure/Ideas

If you have the knowledge but just get stuck you can fix this by:

• Practicing ideation (on any topic…lots of online tools for this)
• Learn structure/frameworking
• Remind yourself of the objective
• Relax

Hope this helps!

Hi there, 

Sorry to hear you're struggling with this. This happens often with candidates however and is easily fixable. 

To begin with, it's good that you take time. Always take time - at no point during these interviews are you expected or is it recommended to respond on the spot. 

Then, in terms of how you can ‘unblock your mind’, try coming up with questions for yourself to help you generate an answer. The best framing to have in mind is to put yourself in the shoes of the client and/or the customer and think how they would look at the problem. 

If this doesn't help and you're stuck, it most likely has to do with some triggers that you developed at some point during the process. I usually work with candidates to identify these triggers and then substitute them with others to unblock the process. But, once again, don't worry, it's totally fixable. You just need some support on how to do it. 

Best,
Cristian

This is why I suggest some candidates practice alone first.

First, you need to have content domain, i.e., you need to know how to approach cases. Then, you use live cases to practice communication, thinking on the spot, interacting with the interviewer, etc.

If you went black because you still lack the skillset to solve cases, then you need to practice more. If you do have it, then you need to find a way to start closer to your comfort zone, so you get accustomed to thinking on the spot and gain some confidence, and then you can start practicing further away from your comfort zone.