What McKinsey States Concerning the Case Interview

July 11, 2011 | Author: Victor Hong | Posted in Careers

McKinsey & Company is among the oldest consulting firms in the world. Indeed, when it started some 80 years ago, modern management consulting was in its infancy and much of what the field has become since is due to McKinsey’s own pioneering work. So the fact that as prestigious a firm as McKinsey uses the case interview as a key tool in its recruiting method is a good indicator of how vital mastery of the case interview has become to anyone who is looking for a career in consultancy.

The standard McKinsey case interview poses a question to potential employees that is typical of the kinds of challenges they can expect to face if they are actually hired. In fact, McKinsey considers the case interview “an integral part of our interview process.” McKinsey recognizes that there is no specific set of life experiences, work history, professional credentials or education that prepares you for the seat-of-your-pants gift of intelligent improvisation required for the work they do. So the case interview tells them far more than a resume ever could about how good a fit the interviewee is for the job he or she is seeking.

What McKinsey is looking for in a successful case interview includes: – Creativity in the face of complexity and ambiguity – Structured thinking – Sensible, well-supported conclusions drawn from the given facts – A sense of prioritization and judgment – The ability to call on all the above skills in a short period of time

McKinsey also considers the case interview an opportunity for the candidate to better understand the kind of projects they can expect if they are hired. As McKinsey puts it, “If you enjoy the case discussion with your interviewer, it’s likely that you will enjoy working at our firm.”

Some tips from McKinsey on how to handle a case interview: Listen to the problem. That may sound obvious, but answering a question that’s not exactly the one you were asked is a more common mistake than you might think.

If you need more details, ask for it. And tell the interviewer the reason why you need it – that’s another window into your thought processes.

Be comfy with numbers. That doesn’t mean you have to be Stephen Hawking, but you’ll have to be at home with basic math and making reasonable estimations.

Enjoy yourself! Easier said than done if you have your heart set on the job, yes, but it will help if you remember that the interviewer is really on your side. She wants to find the perfect person for the job and would be more than happy if that person is you!

For those interested in the bcg interview and mckinsey interview, we have some important information for you righ now.

Author: Victor Hong

This author has published 19 articles so far. More info about the author is coming soon.

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