Case interviews are standard in management consulting. They can also come up in interviews for other business roles, medical school, teaching or social service positions.
What is it?
A type of interview where a candidate is given a business problem to analyze and provides recommendations on how to solve. Case interviews serve as a means to evaluate a candidate’s communication, analytical skills, and professionalism and are meant to model what a true client engagement might feel like. Case questions assess your analytical skills, social and emotional intelligence, and ability to problem-solve under pressure. Most questions last 30 minutes to an hour. It’s okay to take notes and to ask the interviewer for clarification or additional data. The best candidates use logical thought processes and come up with innovative solutions, given the information available.
Who uses them?
Case interviews originated in the consulting industry and are now a standard across most consulting firms. They are also commonly utilized as a part of the interview process for product management and private equity roles as a supplement to technical questions. Case interviews are being adopted by more and more types of companies.
The recruiting process for firms in the consulting industry often includes a combination of both behavioral interviews and case interviews. Case interviews provide additional opportunities to demonstrate your relevant skills and fit for the position. Significant preparation and practice is required to master the case interview. Work with your career coach to build a plan that works for you and that will have you ready by the time your case interview skills are put to the test.
General outline of a case interview
Don’t wait for an interview offer to start practicing; it will be too late! While there is usually no right or wrong answer, there is a standard structure for approaching the answer that you’ll want to start practicing well in advance of the real thing. It usually takes students months of practice to feel confident. Two good resources for practicing management consulting cases are: Case in Point by Marc Cosentino, and Crack the Case by David Ohrvall. Find both of these books in the Career Center library.
Structure
- Introduction & Prompt
- Introduction and chance to build rapport with the interviewer (small talk)
- Formal case prompt and opportunity for you to ask clarifying questions
- Structure
- Interviewee describes framework and factors they will use to analyze the problem
- Brief explanation of each factor
- Ask for information to move forward
- Analysis
- Use framework to identify core problem affecting business/organization
- Quantitative analyses and problem-solving
- Final Recommendation
- Brief recap of the salient discoveries and analyses uncovered through the case
- Deliver recommendation and discuss potential risks and next steps
Sample Case Study Questions
- What factors would you need to consider to decide whether an insurance company should start selling car insurance over the phone?
- The oldest Opera House in San Francisco is struggling and might have to close its doors. How can we save it?
- If we were looking to add a new type of window cleaner to our line of products, how would you go about developing a business plan?
- How would you go about designing the ideal website for our organization?
- A student in your class is struggling to keep up with her math work. What steps might you take to help her succeed?
Education & Nonprofits
Case study questions for education or nonprofit positions are usually looking for your ability to think on your feet, your teaching style, or your methodological approach to social science research. For help prepping for these sorts of questions, schedule an appointment with a career coach or talk with a professor in your academic department.