Hello,
I did not a couple of cases. And I always had two pieces of paper: one for notes with my issue tree (horizontal), and one paper for calculations and exhibit notes.
However, during the case, especially when suddenly new information appears or when I quickly need to do another calculation etc. I do not note down the information or the calucaltion in a very structured way. Plus, sometimes my piece of paper is already full, or I need to redraw some buckets of the issue tree etc. In short, over the course of the case, my notes are getting a mess although I believe I have a good set up with my two papers (one for the issue tree and one for the calucations).
Do you have any suggestions on how to keep everything organized during the heat of the case so that I can retrieve the information from earlier caluclations etc. quickly?
Organizing my writing in the heat of the case
Hi there!
Love how practical this question is - strangely enough it's something I spent a lot of time thinking of when I was preparing for my own interviews. I think having my notes organized made a difference for me.
Let me share the way I approached it:
1. Have one “clean” piece of paper that is your issue true.
On the top of the page, I like to write the question, so I always have it top of mind. Then the case structure, that I reuse to update or tick as the case progresses.
In the end, I will come back to this one page to draft my conclusion.
2. For my messy calculations, I use a page folded in half - in this way I have a different “format" of paper that I do not mix with the case solving.
3. For the normal case questions, I just use pages that I number and try to keep somewhow clean. I only use one side of paper, so I don't have to flip like crazy between sides. The numbers help me navigate.
To keep these clean, I try to write the question (summarized), but clearly stated and have “sections” that can be things like data given, my brainstorming, my formulas, etc.
Other tips:
- have a good system of abbreviations. They need to make sense for you only, but still :)
- use “a legend”, e.g., circling the results or crossing out things that proved to be the wrong path. Again, this is valuable only if it makes sense to you on a consistent basis (but not something to overthink).
As you can see, I am nerding out on this topic. I probably have af few more ideas, but I'm also very curious to hear what everyone else is recommending.
Hope this helps!
Ariadna
Hi there,
Q: Do you have any suggestions on how to keep everything organized during the heat of the case
I would recommend the following.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
FIRST PAGE
I would suggest to divide the first page into 4 parts as below:
- Top-left: client name/type
- Bottom left: initial information
- Top right: objectives
- Bottom right: structure
Landscape format in general works better. Sometimes you will have to go back and forth, as you may get information, objective 1, additional information, objective 2, etc.
The vertical line should ideally be closer to the left border and the horizontal line to the top border so that there is more space for the structure.
FOLLOWING PAGES
After the first page, you can structure it as reported below:
- Top-left: question asked
- Bottom left: structure to answer
- Top right: question asked
- Bottom right: structure to answer
The vertical line can now be in the middle so that the left and right parts have the same space.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Besides that, you can also improve your notes with the following:
- Ask the interviewer to repeat in case you missed information.
- Do a recap after the prompt. This ensures you took notes correctly, the interviewer will correct you if you repeat something wrong.
- Use abbreviations. Eg, for revenues use R, for costs use C, for increase use ⬆, etc.
- Write down essential information only. You won’t have time to write down everything, therefore you should focus on key info only. If you have a client that produces steel with four plants with a revenue problem, your notes could be something as Steel producer, R ⬇, 4 plants.
- Keep a separate sheet for math if you tend to be disorganized when you perform calculations.
Hope this helps,
Francesco
Hi there,
There are two components to this:
1. Mindset
Slow down. I believe that a large part of your messy notes come from the fact that you might be stressing too much when receiving new information. Take your time to write it down in an orderly fashion.
This will not only improve your note-taking but also the clarity of your thinking!
2. A system
Create a replicable system/method of note-taking during the case that works for you, e.g.,
- Landscape format
- Numbering of pages
- 1 Page for the prompt
- 1 Page for the structure
- 1-2 pages for the qualitative analysis and new information
- Always a new page for a quant. problem
- A clear system of shortcuts and abbreviations that you learn and use, e.g., profits increased by 5% = P↑5%
Find something that you can work with and practice it, until it becomes second nature - the same you should do with any other skill needed during the case.
Please reach out! I have written a detailed guide on note-taking during case interviews.
All the best,
Florian
Hi,
One option is to have another piece of paper, just for “new” information that is given during the case. This way it does not overlap with your framework, calculation, or exhibit notes.
The other thing you could do is think of visual ways to highlight important new information. Maybe draw a box around new information, or draw a star next to important new facts. This way it makes it easier to look for them later.
All the best!
Yes.
Here's the system I recommend.
Use A4 blank pages.
Write the prompt on the first one. Don't write anything else but the prompt on this one page for the rest of the case.
Then, for each additional question you get, write it at the top of a new sheet and aim to answer it on that page.
Number the pages at the bottom to keep them organised.
Have a separate sheet for computations.
Best,
Cristian
I suggest you have one specific page just for insights (or critical information) in addition to the pages you mentioned.
Hi there,
I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:
- First of all, I would highly advise you to use separate sheets for the different parts of the case study: one for the initial structure that you always have in mind, one for calculations and the others for writing down new information and key results.
- Moreover, consider highlighting important information, e.g. with a small asterisk or exclamation mark on the far left of the sheet.
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