Consulting case interviews require lots of preparation. On average probably 1-2 months. Although you will hear of some geniuses who aced their cases after only one week of preparation, this is probably not true for us mere mortals.
Consequently, if you want to be well prepared for your case interview, you will probably have to expect 1-2 months of intense preparation, after which it is not yet certain whether you will receive the job offer. Maybe you will catch a bad day during the interview and will go home without the offer. It is therefore legitimate to ask whether you should invest so much time and effort if the job offer is not even guaranteed.
The clear answer to this question: Yes, you should do so. Why? Although case interview preparation is a discipline of its own, it brings a crucial advantage. Namely, a learning curve that is helpful in many situations, not just in consultancy. You should therefore view case preparation not as a means to an end but as additional training that you can apply in various areas. This is due to the nature of the cases that need to be solved. Understanding and solving complex problems in a short period of time and following a concrete approach that promises success regardless of the problem is not only relevant for consultants.
In concrete terms, you will learn the following five skills by preparing cases.
- Defining complex projects precisely and breaking them down into their core problems
- Structuring your ideas and your work
- Prioritizing between different tasks
- Finding precise solutions to complex problems
- Communicating with clarity and precision
When taking a look at these 5 skills it will become clear why they are not only relevant for consultants. However, in case you are still not convinced, here are two concrete examples.
- Imagine that you did not succeed with the consulting offer and instead start as an employee in the area of business development, finance, or marketing. Your manager gives you a task that needs to be completed. How should you proceed? Right, just like in a consulting case. First you have to understand the problem and define it precisely. Then you have to think of a procedure and work through different tasks one after the other while tackling the most important ones first. Next, you derive concrete solutions and present them to your boss. The advantage of having these skills is tremendous, because you will stand out from your peers through a very effective way of working. Not many of your colleagues will have such successful approaches to the tasks at hand, which means you will quickly advance within the company.
- Have you ever thought about starting your own business? As a self-employed person you are constantly confronted with new challenges while having a busy schedule. In order not to lose sight of the big picture and to continue working in a goal-oriented way, it is helpful to look at each of these challenges as if they were separate cases. If a customer has not received a product which he ordered, firstly understand why, then set up a solution path, prioritize tasks, derive appropriate solutions and talk to your employees. If you want to attract new customers, same procedure. You see, when you master these five skills, you can quickly create a clear plan of how to solve different problems. As an entrepreneur, this is one of your most important qualities.
The list of areas where you can apply these 5 skills is endless, from completing university projects to handling private matters such as planning a world trip or a wedding. Having said this, take the time and prepare intensively for the case interviews. In the best case, this leads to a job offer for one of the most exciting jobs available. In the worst case, you have acquired a very successful approach to solving problems that you will be happy to have mastered many times over. This should be worth the 1-2 months of preparation.
Till Margraf is in his late 20s and an enthusiastic consultant at Roland Berger. After studying business administration in Cologne, he completed the CEMS Master in International Management in Lisbon. In his free time, Till enjoys sports and going out into nature.
Image: Pexels
đź”´ Interested in consulting?