咨詢公司面試案例指南咨詢面試系列如何應(yīng)付案例面試

促Crack預(yù)ingt在heCa尚se:A粘Cons雷u(yù)ltin蒙gInt伙ervie滴wPri蹦mer土Page鏈1of殲3光華人向上的精神獨(dú)[Web去Exclu講sive]鍵You儉don't箭have刮tob想eShe鐵rlock淋Holm余esto務(wù)ace賽thec船ases顆ina脂consu娛lting糟-firm圣inte盲rview蹄.In抗fact,巖ali州ttle潛prepa正ratio胞ncan質(zhì)make慢solv辦ingt吃hems英eem,普well,謀elem遞entar稱光華人向上的精神FirmsAreTheretoHelpYouConsultingIndustryGuide辭Remem賊bery房ours術(shù)event姿h-gra閥deal籍gebra學(xué)teac株her’s貨thre牌efav寇orite聽word恭s?"S儀howy瞇ourw星ork."販Att桐heti麥me,i謝tsee災(zāi)meds忍illy:頁Why則notj示ust前show剝ther液ight患answe良r顫?Now叫that頑you’神reol川dera占ndwi茶ser,爐howev擊er,y貓oukn策owth籮atin萄many侄case再show聽you采gett畝othe伍righ在tans欣weri掉smor腿eimp冊ortan艱ttha秘nsim科plyk閥nowin舞gthe速answ象erit芳self.膠Thes吉ameg是oesf趟orth匹ecas繭eque色stion箏stha掃tcon頌sulti晨ngre末cruit腳ersl鄰obat綿you.表Cons挑ultin連gis番adem群andin陡gjob加with洪few喂"corr毒ect"莊answe遮rs;t子hism河ethod侮ofi講nterv濕iewin的ggau擱gesh煙owwe慘llyo芝uman塵aget攔hepr糧ocess棵ofg疊ettin桐gto寶anan難swer異andh洲owyo核uper艙form省under唯simu接lated惜clie秘nt-en世gagem序entc睡ondit眠ions.付

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別Whyt輕heCa陳seIn總tervi衡ew?

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PracticeMakesPerfect

遼Youa旬bsolu鑒tely,列posi悄tivel醫(yī)ymus報(bào)tpre呼pare獸inad偶vance窄for稍case鴉inter兔views鵝.“It續(xù)beco住mesp蠟retty雞clea地rpre劈ttyf璃astw鞋hoha怠s—and脆who悟hasn黃ot—pr標(biāo)actic賴ed,”躁says喜Gibne瓣y.“I暢know四ther呈eis愉abas等icso扇rtof烏busi取ness旗acume簽ntha洗tmay逮not息beab箱leto濃bep畝racti稱ced,唉butc蠅andid但ates險(xiǎn)must萄have使anun尚derst夕andab掀leap幅proac患hto頑solvi任ngpr圍oblem飲s.Th星at’s汪what擱ourc與lient調(diào)sdem弦ando購fus.汗Ifw問ecan蓄’tre堡late賣solut伴ions稿toth盯ecli組ent,牧it’s私apro債blem.尼”

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光華人向上的精神

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炎Think監(jiān)Thro克ught汪hePr侮ocess

萄When扎itco櫻mest恩ostr失ategy瓣orp省roduc纏tmar走ketin病gque仆stion險(xiǎn)s,th割eint翼ervie泳werw親illo雹ften翁give錫youo恭nlyt肚heba劍rebo吼neso礙fac漢asea鑼ndwi賀llwa拌itfo率ryou貪tor郵eques盯tfur特ther猶detai懷ls:H刻owma械nyco消mpeti振tors蔬does泥thec扇ompan酬yhav毀e?Wh謊atar標(biāo)ethe悼majo畏rcos浪tand鉆reve確nued屬river嘗s?Wh數(shù)oare搜the燃major弦clie瓶nts?利Andd涌on't撒forge鑼tto都askf目orth養(yǎng)efir噴m'sm川issio配n—if鴉youd巧on't機(jī)know悟what哄acom虜pany'星sgoa仇lsar鐘e,yo難umig狡htco鳴meup恰with鬼ava麥lid—b紐utmi砌sguid搜ed—so午lutio倒n.Us禁esom屠ebas耍icfr禽amewo紛rkst仍odri際veyo簡urqu距estio腎ns—th絕efou返rP's傲and沉thet膨hree槐C's,弊fori別nstan債ce.

胖Asam餅pleq餓uesti望onGi遙bney戰(zhàn)used蠶recen盛tlyi吵nvolv趁eda棄manuf織actur嘆er/di雙strib魯utor/蜂retai掙lero膊fcom欠puter墻prod仗ucts.獻(xiàn)This糠clie通ntha劫stra素ditio辨nally管gone來dire惕ctly器toth轎econ煎sumer鵲and鳥hasd括evelo粗peda觀soli享dbra鄙ndim坑age.在Thec自lient跳now采wants耽ana機(jī)ssess噸ment添asto總the猜issue惰srel將ating嗎t(yī)ot映heco鈴rebu蝴sines偵s,as察well灶ast刺heop硬portu湖nitie怖sfor旁the諸compa及nyto壩get驅(qū)into匪thes淚ervic多essi趁de,w珠hich孔itvi艷ewsa覽sah增igh-m欠argin全/high瑞-grow者th-ra移tebu左sines伙s.Th倒ecan但didat嫁enow龍need油sto及provi因dean質(zhì)appr華oach掛orev這aluat救ivef戀ramew魯orkf織oran淘alyzi辨ngea匪chof柏the晃twod解iffer棟entp斯roble戶ms.

退Aslo已ngas額it's施perm擔(dān)itted挖,wor落kyou去rans爛wers分outo背npap冊er.P彈encil導(dǎo)sand跳pens支,plu乞san功otebo聲okor臥lega圣lpad皮shou貼ldbe遭stan捏dard貼equip君ment市inan椒yint哨ervie撫w.“I嘆t’sa暢mazin諸ghow肝many悶peop牛lesh偉owup墊with腫outa敬pen府a(chǎn)ndp程aper,扛”mar清vels丈Kamen杜naRi況ndova冤,as呈enior買asso汁ciate竊atM厭ercer停Mana儲gemen尿tCon巾sulti驗(yàn)ng.T琴hinki溫ngth綁rough耐all刺thef全acts撫isa立must,辮and光華人向上的精神啞you’r扁enot谷goin技gto肌doit趨all哄inyo溉urhe光華人向上的精神光華人向上的精神Page2of3[WebExclusive]Youdon'thavetobeSherlockHolmestoacethecasesinaconsulting-firminterview.Infact,alittlepreparationcanmakesolvingthemseem,well,elementary.FirmsAreTheretoHelpYouConsultingIndustryGuideMaytheFiveForces(Not)BewithYouSomerecruitersareturnedoffwhenpotentialhiresdrawonapackagedanalyticalframework(suchasthefiveforces)tosolveaproblem.Others,however,areimpressed.Tobeonthesafeside,ifyouuseaframework,don’tstraytoofarfromtheissue.

EileenCoveney,vicepresidentatL.E.K.Consulting,warnscandidatesabouttheperilsofframeworks:“Whenpeopledependtoomuchonapre-establishedframework,theymaynotbethinkingdeeplyenoughabouttheproblemathand.Thismayindicatethatwhenpresentedwithanactualclientissue,theyarenotgoingtofocusonthedetailsandspecificsoftheclient’sproblem.Rather,theymaybeinclinedtojumpintoeasyandobvioussolutions.”

Ifyoudouseone,choosewisely.Ifthecaseisaboutabusinessthat'sconsideringentryintoanindustry,Porter'sfiveforcesmayindeedbeyourbestbet.Ifyou'retalkingabouthowproductsgetfromsupplierstoendconsumers,considerthevaluechain.Companiesthatarefallingshortonsalescoulduseaprofitabilityorcostvs.revenueanalysis.Ifyou'remarketinganewpharmaceuticalproduct,thinkaboutthe4P'sandthe3C's.

光華人向上的精神光華人向上的精神"IsThatYourFinalAnswer?"

Don’tbeafraidofpausing.Takethetimetodrawupnotesandsketchouttheproblem.Don’tblurtanythingoutunnecessarilytoendaperiodofsilence.You’renotonagameshow;you’reinterviewingtobeaconsultant,whichisabusinessasmuchaboutthinkingasitisaboutcommunicating.Aboveall,becalm.

Ifyoudorespondtoaquestiontooquickly,beforeunderstandingallthefacts,youmayendupcontradictingyourselfhalfwaythroughyourresponse—whichcouldbedisastrous.“Inourenvironmentandourindustry,”saysSeanHuurman,nationalrecruitingdirectorofKPMGConsulting,“weneedtomakesurewe’resayingtherightthingthefirsttime.”

Afteralltheanalysis,however,don'tforgettocometosomekindofconclusionastowhatthecompanyshoulddo.Considerpresentingadecisionrulethattheimaginaryorganizationcouldusetofigureoutwhatthebestoptionis—e.g.,ifrevenuesoutstripcosts,thendox.

FollowtheLeader

Manyfirmsuseagroupexerciseintheirsecondorsubsequentroundstoseehowwellyouworkwithothers.Ifyou’reassignedaroleotherthanteamleader,don’tfret.Itdoesn’tmatterwhatyourroleisintheexercise—justdoitwell.Ifyouandtheteammembersaretoldtosettlebetweenyourselveswhogetstodowhat,don’tfightoverwhogetstomakethepresentationorleadthegroup.Likewise,don’tplaytheshrinkingviolet.Remember,therecruiteriswatching.

光華人向上的精神光華人向上的精神Page3of3[WebExclusive]Youdon'thavetobeSherlockHolmestoacethecasesinaconsulting-firminterview.Infact,alittlepreparationcanmakesolvingthemseem,well,elementary.FirmsAreTheretoHelpYouConsultingIndustryGuideReadyforsomecompany-specificadvice?Here'swhatfiverecruiterstoldusaboutinterviewingattheirfirms.

RecruiterNo.1:EileenCoveney,vicepresident,L.E.K.Consulting

TheQuestions:

Testingacandidate'sskillacrossarangeofareasistheprimaryreasonL.E.K.usescaseinterviews.Coveneyindicatesthatthecaseinterviewsaremeantto(1)assessacandidate’sanalyticalability,(2)evaluateacandidate'scommunicationskillsandlogicflow,(3)understandhowacandidaterespondstoredirection,and(4)testhis/heroverallfitwiththefirm.MostquestionsL.E.K.recruitersaskcenteraroundstrategicgrowthopportunitiesforpotentialclients.

WordsofWisdom:

Coveneypointsoutthatshedoesn’thaveapreferenceregardinghowacandidateinitiallyreactstothecaseinterviewquestion.“Somepeopletakesometimetoformulatetheirthoughts,otherpeopleaskafewquestions,andotherpeoplejumprightin,”Coveneysays.“Relaxandtakeyourtime,focusonthespecificissuesofthecase,rememberthereisnoonerightanswertothecase,anddon’tusetoomanyframeworks.Don’tthrowinthekitchensink,likePorter’sfiveforces,etc.Justbeconfident,andrelax—itwillreallyhelpwiththeinterview.”

RecruiterNo.2:KamennaRindova,seniorassociate,MercerManagementConsulting

TheQuestions:

MMCasksmostcandidatesone-on-onequestionsanddoesn’toftendogroupexercises.Reflectingthefirm’sfocus,mostquestionsdealwithstrategyissues,withoccasionalmarketsizingquestionsthrownin.ThepurposeoftheinterviewforMMCistoseethecandidate'sabilitytostructureandthinkthroughaproblemastheywouldonthejob.

WordsofWisdom:

Rindovasayspracticeandfamiliaritywithcasesisessential,andstressesthataninterviewcangosouthifthecandidatelosessightofthestructureheorsheisbuilding.Lastly,beatingaclearpathtoanyresponseismoreimportantthangettingitright.“Youcangive(arecruiter)awronganswer,butifyouthoughtoutloudthroughtheprocess,youcouldstillhaveastellarinterview,”Rindovaconcludes.

RecruiterNo.3:ScottBerney,headofU.S.recruitingoperations,MonitorGroup

TheQuestions:

Determiningaperson’sanalyticalskills,comfortwithmanipulatingnumbers,andabilitytointegratedifferentpiecesofdataisthepurposeofthecaseinterviewforMonitorGroup.Forthefirstroundofinterviews,casequestionsareusuallywrittenandaretwotothreepagesinlength.Inthefinalround,agroupeventisused.

WordsofWisdom:

“Mytakeonmostotherfirmsisthattheyputapremiumon[thecandidate’s]abilitytoaskquestionsintheinterview.Monitorcasesputapremiumonyourabilitytoanalyzedata,manipulatenumbers,integrate,andcomeupwithananswerbasedonthedatayou’vebeengiven,”saysBerney.LikeL.E.K.’sCoveney,hedoesn’tliketoseecandidatesusetoomanyframeworkstosolveaproblem.

RecruiterNo.4:SeanHuurman,nationalrecruitingdirector,KPMGConsulting

TheQuestions:

“Thecasequestionhelpsgettoathinkingprocessandvariouscharacteristicsofacandidateyoudon’tnecessarilygetinanordinaryinterview,”saysHuurman.“Whenweusecases,wearereallyfocusingonthingsthattieintotheclient.”ThetypicalKPMGconsultanthunterwantstoknowhowacandidatecancommunicatewiththeteam,theirleadership,andtheclient.

Huurmanfavorsgroupinterviews,andknowsalotofcandidatescanbepreppedinadvance,buthenotesthatthere’s"noamountofcoaching"thatcanprepareyouforagroupproject.

光華人向上的精神

WordsofWisdom:

“Toomanypeoplejumprightintothecasestudyanddon’tputanythoughtintoit,”saysHuurman.“Iwanttheintervieweestothinkthi