Have failed to make it past the case study round multiple times now...How to improve?
Have been through several processes this year and specifically made it to three case study/final round interviews, but have been cut after each of them.
The first one I just fu**ed up, but the other two (more recent ones) I thought were strong written pitches with granular models. The debrief calls largely went well (not perfect, but nothing glaringly went wrong)...I drilled down the KPIs, what moves the stock, event path, etc, but I was less versed in the facts about the business itself, which is where Q&A went relatively less smooth. I'm guessing this is why I've been dinged, but the last time I checked, my job isn't to gather trivial facts and spit them off the dome like a game show. I should also mention these two case studies were during the thick of earnings season, so even less time to be a fact gatherer.
From here, do I spend more time on the business and less on the thesis, KPIs, catalysts, etc? Or did I just luck out and get the PMs that care less on the latter...? Not sure if I'm going about these case studies the right way.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some strategies to improve your performance in case study rounds:
Balance Your Focus:
Efficient Use of Time:
Case Study Techniques:
Presentation and Confidence:
Continuous Improvement:
Learning from Feedback:
By balancing your focus between understanding the business and developing a strong investment thesis, you can improve your performance in case study rounds and increase your chances of success.
Sources: Case study interview for MBB consulting - 24 of my best tips on how to get in, What did you wish you knew when entering consulting recruitment?, How would you approach a 4 hour case study?, Q&A: European PE Professional, M/B/B Consultant Answering Your Questions
Depends on the duration they gave you to complete it, but generally you should know the basics about a business (explain it to a 5 year old) then go into what matters and where you differ vs street.
Half of these case studies is doing the work but the other half is showing how you think.
If you don't know something, be quick to say so but if it's more complicated than "how do they make money", also guess, and make and explain some assumptions
How do you differentiate between 85% probability and 65% probability ?
Also curious know. Got dinged during final stage at a pod shop because I couldn’t answer this
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