7 Key Case Execution Tips
How a great structure and posture can help you crack any case.
Case execution
You know how to tackle a case. Listen, draw an issue tree, ask the right questions and come up with a solution. That is all well and good. However, great candidates know how to fine tune their game in order to make the best impression on the interviewer. In this article, we review 7 key tips that will greatly help you ace any case while being structured and professional.
1. Break the problem into smaller issues
Always break up large problems into smaller components. This will help you structure the case and clearly identify all the issues you can analyze. A visual way to do so is by drawing an issue tree as in the following example.
Case problem statement: An English manufacturer of automotive parts considers setting up a production line for parts dedicated to electric vehicles. Should they do it?
You should then follow the structure your worked out and research every issue.
2. Be MECE: Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive
Mutually exclusive means that no overlap can be present between issues that need to be investigated. Collectively exhaustive means that all potential high-level issues should be covered by your tree.
We strongly encourage you to do a lot of cases in order to get this, very important, concept right.
You’ll see that it greatly simplifies any problem and enables one to focus on every single problem without having to think of the different linkage between problems.
In case networks and linkages are strong you can add one pillar of your tree as being “Linkages” and list the relevant issues hereunder.
3. Communicate efficiently
Cracking a case isn’t about guessing what the solution could be by listing a number of issues the firm might be confronted with. Rather, you should:
- Start silently — In a professional setting, it is often recommended to think before speaking. When you start the case, make sure you take some time (1 or 2 minutes) silently to write down your structure. Of course, feel free to ask clarifying questions in order to get the pieces of information you require.
- Explain your thought process — Once you worked out your structure, explain it to the interviewer. Make sure you explain the logic behind the structure your constructed. This will enable the interviewer to understand what you have in mind.
- Discuss your assumptions — You won’t get all the information when you are cracking the case. So, you will have to assume certain facts and make hypothesis. Support these assumptions with facts you know from your overall business knowledge or from case elements. If you are not sure about these, feel free to ask whether the assumption you are making is correct.
- Be engaging — Both the interviewer and yourself want to have a great time during the interview. So, take a step back, relax and make sure you come over as a pleasant person. Enjoy the case, engage with the interviewer and make sure both of you have a great time.
4. Note clearly
You want to show the interviewer that you are a structured and efficient person. The best way to do so is to support it with concrete actions and directly show the interviewer how structured and clean your case notes are.
- Write legibly — Interviews are here to select the ones the firm want to work with. It is hard to imagine how a firm would like to work with someone that writes in an unclear and unstructured way.
- Segment your page — During the case, you will cover the issues you noted in your tree and the information the interviewer presents. Carefully note down these pieces of information in distinct parts of your sheet and make sure you can quickly retrieve anything you wrote down.
- Highlight key elements — Use one pen to make your notes and use one highlighter (fluo) to highlight the most important elements. Using a myriad of different colours might just take too much time and add too much complexity. Stay simple and highlight only what you need to highlight.
5. Calculate swiftly
The goal of an interview is to assess your business sense, structure, working behaviour but also to assess your quantitative skills. You thus have to demonstrate that you are able to quickly and correctly compute key elements of the case in order to unlock valuable insights.
- Educated estimates — A case can be viewed as a consulting mission that is made on the back-of-the-envelope. You are thus not supposed to identify all the details but rather come up with a large overview of the most important issues. In the same logic, your estimations should be more or less correct as long as they are supported by facts.
- Approximations — If the firm is trying to reduce costs by taking advantage of very specific cost-cutting actions, your estimates should be precise. In case we are speaking about large quantities, feel free to round some numbers.
- Check — Always try to double check your calculus. You can check whether the outcome makes sense by reviewing whether you are using the correct order of magnitude, be reviewing whether the outcomes seems plausible. In case of doubt, ask to take some time to review your math.
6. Be confident and flexible
You should state your recommendations, assumptions and questions in a confident way. However, you should stay open to insights and clues from the interviewer and be open to alternative possibilities.
7. Practice
The best way to ace your case interviews is by coming prepared. Interviewers are not looking for the ones that were born “consultants”. If you feel that your case structure is still weak or if you take too much time on calculus, just take some more time to practice.
- Daily practice — The best way to practice is to spread you training over a 3-weeks period. This is more than enough to prepare for the whole interview from scratch. Also, you shouldn’t work on your consulting interviews all day. Rather, we advise you to keep on doing what you do on a daily basis (work, study) and only practice for 2 hours a day.
- Have serval interviewers — Try to find a friend, classmate or colleague that is also training for case interviews. Agree on a daily meeting or video chat in order to each do one or two cases. Don’t forget however that in case your friend has no experience, a blind will lead another blind person. So, try to train from time to time with an experienced consultant.
- Don’t train with company representatives unless you are ready — Most firms offer you to train for your cases. This is an attractive offer but do not forget that the consultant that will practice with you will also inevitably form an impression of your skills and structure. An impression they might discuss with colleagues thereafter.
- Don’t over-practice — Practice make perfect but too much practice might also just confuse and frustrate you. So, spend the time you need in order to master the cases but make sure you also do something else during your days.
Credits
This article was built on great insights and articles from Kellogg Consulting Club and Wharton Consulting Club. Make sure you check these out!
