Case Study Interview Preparation Guide

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Describe the problem in the workplace.
What is involved in making it a problem?

Tell about how you collected information for analyzing data: the process you utilized for extracting maximum information from the facts.

Explain the factors you took for making a decision: how did you get to the root cause of the problem? How did you identify the likely causes of problem? How did you generate a number of possible solutions?

Describe the actions you took: why did you choose these actions? What were the results you expected to achieve? Describe how you organized ideas into process flow and common theme and the way you monitor result. Don't forget the risk management factors.

A case study tests you in all manner of ways so it's one of the best - and fairest - methods of seeing a candidate 'in action'. The open-ended nature of these questions is not designed to torture the candidate, although it might feel that way to the uninitiated. At interview or at an assessment centre, individuals or a small group of candidates are presented with a business problem and then given time to evaluate the information and brainstorm a solution.

Case interviews aim to evaluate how you process information, solve problems and react to new and surprising situations, as well as showing how you work within a team.

Read the firm's graduate recruitment literature and check its website to see if it has sample case studies (the vast majority of consultancies do). Have a look at recent press releases to get a feel for the type of work it's involved with as well as what industries it works across. Read the business pages of newspapers and imagine one of the businesses to be your client.

Be prepared both to set up the analytics and do the maths. We want to see your comfort with numbers.

Don't panic if the answer is not apparent.

Do not feel pressured to provide an answer immediately - take your time, work through the issues, and organize your thoughts.