Case In Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation

Case In Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation Review

I used this book as part of the interview process and landed a job at one of the Big 3 firms. That being said, I did most of my practice in groups and only used the book to review the week before the interview.

Here is how I used the book:

I spent a lot of time looking at the Ivy Case System. I think that summary is the most interesting/important part of the book. When you think about a case interview, prep is most important when getting those first few ideas down on paper so that you can start the discussion. For me, once I had done that, the rest of the interview was completed without actively thinking about a single thing from my preparation. The case system is great for just thinking about what large buckets you should be considering so you don't miss something important. I also read a few of the sample cases to get the juices flowing a few days before the interviews. The morning of the interview I carefully read the case system to keep things fresh. This prep worked out well for me.

Note: I'd stay far away from the other frameworks in the book (Porter's 5 forces, etc). I heard that the big consulting firms hate those frameworks because they are never applied properly.

Case In Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation Overview

Cosentino demystifies the consulting case interview. He takes you inside a typical interview by exploring the various types of case questions and he shares with you a system that will help you answer today's most sophisticated case questions. This new edition includes new case material plus 10 Partner cases to make it easy to give cases to your classmates.

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How to Get Into the Top Consulting Firms: A Surefire Case Interview Method - 2nd Edition

How to Get Into the Top Consulting Firms: A Surefire Case Interview Method - 2nd Edition Review

Overall, I think the book is a great resource for MBA and undergraduate students preparing for case interviews. In fact, it is one of the resources we recommend to the members of our MBA consulting club at the Ross School of Business (University of Michigan).

"How to Get Into the Top Consulting Firms" addresses the science behind the consulting interview process, making it a great companion to Marc Cosentino's "Case in Point". While other books focus mainly on case interviews, Tim does a great job delving into all aspect of the interview process (fit, networking, resume, cases, etc.). While it isn't as rich in frameworks as Case In Point, I like the fact that Tim presents one framework that can be utilized for 80% of cases and then provides a deep dive into the application of this framework for different types of cases (pricing, M&A, new product/market entry). He also offers an approach to striking "a balance between structure, creativity and flexibility" - which is something that trips up many consulting candidates.

The example cases are a great resource to practice the lessons learned throughout the book. They are mock interview friendly and offer an appropriate level of increasing difficulty.

Since recruiting start so early at the MBA level (September/October), I recommend getting reading "How to Get Into the Top Consulting Firms" and "Case in Point" over the summer to get a head start.

How to Get Into the Top Consulting Firms: A Surefire Case Interview Method - 2nd Edition Overview

- "What are the main drivers in determining the price of a new medical device?"
- "Should a beverage company acquire another producer?"
- "How should a manufacturer respond after a competitor introduces a breakthrough new product?"

While you could memorize answers to the most popular case interview questions, what happens when you encounter an issue that's outside of their reach?

In How to Get Into the Top Consulting Firms, management consultant Tim Darling offers a holistic approach for solving problems in 30 minutes or less. By showing how to break an issue into its core components, he simplifies case interviews by illuminating them from the perspective of the consulting firms.

13 interactive cases are included with detailed data, charts, and solutions. This second edition contains over 50% revised and additional content.

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