Panel Case Interview - Tips

Has anyone gone through a panel interview where you had to read the business case and prepare slides within 30 minutes or so and then answer questions that interviewers pose? If so, can you please provide some suggestions and advice that worked for you? Is there a particular order in how you created/presented the slides?

 
Best Response

I've done several written case final round interviews. This sounds like what you're describing except they were 1 on 1. Best tips: move fast and follow directions.

If you have 30 minutes with the deck, your time should be split something like this: 2-3 minutes - Read the directions carefully 2-3 minutes - Flip the slides, read the titles, and get some idea of what info you have and what the main issue is 5-8 minutes - Quickly absorbing the information in the key slides and finalizing your hypothesis 8-12 minutes - Building a case using the data to support your hypothesis. This includes creating any deliverables (e.g. summary slide) 4-8 minutes - Bullet your key talking points and answers to likely questions, practice your presentation (if there is one)

Also, people screw up by not following directions. If the prompt says create a summary slide and choose 3-5 existing ones to present, don't create 3 and choose 8 of your favs. Also, don't make the proctor stop you by force. Wrap up on your own when time is done and don't be a mess when they come to get you.

 
brj:

I've done several written case final round interviews. This sounds like what you're describing except they were 1 on 1. Best tips: move fast and follow directions.

If you have 30 minutes with the deck, your time should be split something like this:
2-3 minutes - Read the directions carefully
2-3 minutes - Flip the slides, read the titles, and get some idea of what info you have and what the main issue is
5-8 minutes - Quickly absorbing the information in the key slides and finalizing your hypothesis
8-12 minutes - Building a case using the data to support your hypothesis. This includes creating any deliverables (e.g. summary slide)
4-8 minutes - Bullet your key talking points and answers to likely questions, practice your presentation (if there is one)

Also, people screw up by not following directions. If the prompt says create a summary slide and choose 3-5 existing ones to present, don't create 3 and choose 8 of your favs. Also, don't make the proctor stop you by force. Wrap up on your own when time is done and don't be a mess when they come to get you.

brj, really appreciate your advice and suggestion on how to approach such interview. I recently had one in the final round and was not extended an offer because of this presentation. I had used my same approach in one of my final rounds last year and was successful in receiving the offer (although did not accept it). Your tips provide a good understanding of the things that I need to improve upon.

The information that I was given a 4-5 page pamphlet with text and charts, another 4 page market research pamphlet, proposal from some other "company", financial information, news clipping, and some irrelevant information. The way I had approached it was that I figured out the key question in the first 5 minutes and then parsed all the materials to see what information I need to build my case. I thought I did pretty good but the feedback I got was that my insights were limited. Hmm. It was also on 1-1 basis. The only directions I had was that I had all of this material and need to figure out what client needs help with and recommend.

In your written cases, did you always receive a deck which had information and charts/exhibits or also other formats like a brochure, email, etc?

 

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