CASE IN POINT

Case Question Workshop

Marc P. Cosentino

CaseQuestions.com
CQ Interactive

Case Question Workshop

Purpose of Case Questions

What Firms Look For
Consulting Interviews
Types of Case Questions
Key Guidelines
Case Scenarios
Irking the Interviewer
Frameworks
If You Do Nothing Else
Trends in Case Interviews
Skill Sets

Candidates who receive offers

do so for four reasons:
1. Committed to consulting
2. Success-oriented
3. Able to exhibit good analytical skills
when answering case questions.
4. Able to articulate their thoughts,
create a positive presence, and defend
themselves w/o being defensive.

Purpose of the Case Question

They are testing for the
candidates:
Analytical ability

Ability to think logically

Structure and thought process
Tolerance for ambiguity and data overload
Poise and communications skills under pressure
and in front of a client
Creativity
Industry and firm fit

What Firms Look For

The objective is not to determine if
the candidate gets the right answer,
but rather to evaluate the process
the candidate employs to structure
a competent approach to derive
a solution.

Consulting Interviews
3 Parts

Airport Test

Maturity Test

Case Questions

2 Rounds of Interviews
2 45 minute back-to-back interviews
2 small verbal cases
3 60 minute back-to-back interviews
3 verbal cases with chart analysis
or 2 verbal and 1 written w/ chart design

Types of Case Questions

There are five categories of case questions.
However, ninety percent of the case questions will be
of one type - Business Case.
Situation Case
car/boss, kids/billboard
Brain Teaser
manhole covers, bags of gold
Guess the Number (population, household, individual, & ??)
disposable diapers
Factor Questions
What factors would your consider

Business Case / Oral and Written

profitability, industry analysis, market
expansion, pricing & strategic planning

Key Guidelines
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Listen to the Problem

Take Notes
Backtranslate or Restate the Problem
Verify Objective
Ask Clarifying Questions
Think Big Picture First, Think Top Down
Identify the Type of Case
Structure the Problem
Organize Your Answer & Manage Your Time
Be Creative & Brainstorm Without
Commitment
Be Coachable - listen to the interviewers feedback
Think Out Loud (but think first)
Bring Closure & Summarize
Show Enthusiasm & a Positive Attitude
Have Fun

IS THE CANDIDATE

relaxed & confident?

a good listener?
engaging & enthusiastic?
asking insightful questions?
organizing the information effectively &
developing a logical framework for analysis?
stating assumptions clearly?
comfortable discussing multifunctional aspects of
the case?
trying to quantify their response at every
opportunity?
displaying business sense?
thinking creatively?

12 Most Common
Case Scenarios
STRATEGY SCENARIOS
Entering a New Market
Industry Analysis
M&A
Developing a New Product
Pricing Strategies
Growth Strategies
Start a New Business
Competitive Response

OPERATIONS
Increasing Sales
Reducing Costs
Improving Bottom Line
Turnarounds

Irking the Interviewer

Letterman/Leno Syndrome
What Was That Question Again?
Explosion of the Mouth
Digression City
Buzzword Bingo
Asking Open-Ended Questions
Using cookie-cutter frameworks

FRAMEWORKS
IVY CASE SYSTEM
PORTERS FIVE FORCES
5 Cs
4Ps
7Ss

If You Do Nothing Else...

The First 4 Steps:
1. Summarize the Questions
2. Verify the Objectives
3. Ask Questions
4. Identify & Label the Case
- Layout Your Structure

Trends in Case Interviews

Trends in case interviews over the last 3 years
Increase in operations cases
Chart analysis and design
Factor questions

SKILL SETS

Think & Write Graphically

Pricing Strategies

SKILL SETS
Chart Analysis & Design

SKILL SETS

Math flying w/o a calculator

Percentages
Breakevens
Weighted Averages
Net Present Value
Multi/Div with lots of zeros

COW BROTHERS
ICE CREAM
30 flavors in 1 pint containers and single
servings on a stick
$200m in sales ($177m from supermarkets)
Have a Cow marketing campaign
3rd in industry behind Haagen Dazs and Ben
& Jerry / top 3 have 62% of the market
Increase sales to $250m next year