Structuring Drills from Crafting Cases or Coaching Sessions

Question

Hello everyone,

I am currently facing a challenge in effectively structuring cases for final round interviews. During the summer, I progressed to the final rounds of interviews with a BCG partner but did not succeed due to the absence of a hypothesis-driven, prioritized structure to approach the case.

Upon reflecting on my performance, I acknowledged the partner's feedback and decided to reevaluate and enhance my structuring skills. Rather than relying on memorized structures, I aimed to cultivate my creative thinking capabilities. This approach has yielded positive results, increasing my awareness of areas that require improvement.

While I have made progress, I still seek additional assistance. The Crafting Cases free course has been immensely helpful, offering an original approach to case analysis. However, my comfort level with structuring skills remains a concern, and I am considering two options: Structuring Drills from Crafting Cases or Coaching Sessions.

The potential downside of coaching sessions includes a previous unfavorable experience with two coaches, citing high costs for generic advice with minimal return on investment. On the other hand, the drawback of Structuring Drills from Crafting Cases is the fear of falling into the trap of memorizing structures rather than developing more adaptive ones.

With an upcoming interview, I need to make a decision. My primary goal is to gain confidence and cultivate a unique approach to problem-solving. Any insights or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi there,

4 quick comments:

- Great that you developing your creative thinking when it comes to structuring. Force-fitting structures almost never work in my experience, as interviewers always expect a very tailored approach to the problem

- Structuring is usually only the first step, top candidates immediately identify the so-what (e.g., where would you start and why? who would you talk to? what data would you need to collect and why?) Answering those questions is what makes the hypothesis-driven method impactful

- Structuring is not just a one-off, it should be done throughout the case. Ideally, try to have a structure (even a basic one) for questions you are asked

- Do not hesitate to put your coaches on notice of what dimensions of the case method you'd like to work on specifically (e.g., structuring) and problems you face, to ensure you can focus on it and get value for money

Happy to help with any of the above!

Answer 2

Hi there,

Crafting Cases is great! They and I have a very similar methodology/approach to solving cases, and I always send my candidates to that course if they've used up all of my practice prompt/framework videos.

Another option is workshops (for example, if you search my name you'll see I'm running a few frameworking workshops!). This could be a way to dip your feet in for a lower entry cost.

For coaching, boy, I'm sorry. If you can, try to have an intro call with any other coaches you're considering. Ask them to explain their methodology and double-check reviews.

If you're curious about my approach, take a look here (take a look at the cases + case prompt videos):

BCG - YodaPhone | PrepLounge.com

Candidate-Led Cases: What to Expect With Example Cases

BCG + Bain - Vets2U - Healthcare Based Case WITH VIDEO SOLUTION | PrepLounge.com

Candidate-Led Cases: What to Expect With Example Cases

Answer 3

Hi there,

Why not both? It's not a mutually exclusive decision and you could take the best of both worlds:

A coach can tell you how to deconstruct case problems with a first principles approach (what interviewers want to see) AND tailor the session and feedback to your current performance and needs. On top of that, you could also cover other sections of the case (structuring is just one of the difficulties).

Well-crafted practice drills can then help you to tighten what you have learned.

Find a good coach who offers coaching plus a structure drill program that includes lectures and practice drills as homework. I'd be happy to provide both to maximize your benefits!

Reach out if you want to learn more about my approach and offering in this regard!

Cheers,

Florian

Answer 4

Sorry to hear about the unpleasant experiences.

Courses can help you develop a foundation (good courses).

To achieve mastery, you need to get live feedback from people with experience and knowledge. So, in that sense, coaching makes sense.

To manage the risk on the coaching side, I'd encourage you to commit to multiple sessions. Just get one and see from there if it's actually useful for you.

Specifically regarding structuring, I recently launched a workshop class on first principles thinking. In case you are interested in this, you can find more details here:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/coaching-packages-5/first_principles_structuring_masterclass

Best,
Cristian

Answer 5

You have the basics at this point. From now on you need peer practice + tailored advice. Of course, you have to “veto” first the coaches you use. Check their profile, review their approach.

There are clear differences. For example, I can honestly say that most candidates I get that had previous experiences appreciate my style which they consider to be quite differentiated vs. other coaching experiences they had.