"Volvo claims it is the safest car in the world because fewer people die in a Volvo than in a car made by any other manufacturer in the world. What's wrong with this conclusion?”

“Your client is a ski resort. Global warming has made it such that natural snowfall has been reduced by 50%. The client is concerned. What should they do and why?”

“How much time does it take to relocate an average size mountain 10 miles using an average size dump truck?”

No, these aren’t riddles… they are real examples of case interview questions proposed to candidates interested in becoming consultants!

If you’re stumped on answering the above, don’t worry – they are weird. Consulting is a niche industry, and candidates need to become familiar with its ins and outs to achieve success. If your goal is to work in consulting, you will need to develop the quantitative and qualitative skills necessary to present an effective solution to these problems

Read on to find out how you can equip yourself with the necessary knowledge to score that position.

What is a case interview, anyway?

When you apply for a consultant position, you will almost always go through a case interview. You will be presented with a business problem alongside context, company information, and most importantly: a question to answer.

Depending on the company you apply to, your interview may be candidate-led or interviewer-led. If you take part in an interview that leans on the candidate-led side, your interviewer will let you approach the case however you see fit. You will structure the problem, create your own framework, ask questions, and propose solutions according to your own flow.

On the other hand, an interviewer-led interview consists of the interviewer controlling the interview process. They may tell you which parts of the case to start working on, or ask you questions throughout the process. Most cases fall somewhere in between these two ends of the spectrum, so familiarize yourself with both formats!

Despite who leads the interview, you’ll be tested on your critical analysis, communication, and quantitative analysis skills. You will encounter a variety of case interview questions, both similar to and very different from the ones we started off this article with.

That sounds complicated… why all the effort?

During the 1940s-1960s, as consulting firms grew in size and structure, interviewers began to realize that standard interviews weren’t effective in assessing applicants’ problem solving and critical analysis skills. Aspects of case studies were introduced into interviews, making the evaluation process more straightforward. Eventually, the case study took over and became the interview itself

Consulting firms choose to give candidates case interviews because they reflect the conditions faced by real business situations. Consultants are in unique positions where they must scour every area for problems to determine solutions, meaning extensive knowledge and acumen are required. Hence, in the current hiring process, observing you analyze a case gives interviewers an idea of how you will perform on the job in addition to assessing if your skills are a good fit for the company.

So how in the world do I tackle this?

Rest assured: you don’t need to know everything to ace your interview; you simply need to know which problems may come up and how to solve them. Do your research, complete practice cases, and reach out to your network to gain advice and feedback.

Management Consulting Prep (MCP) suggests developing your skills in three key areas:

1. Case interview tips and techniques: These are learnable skills or habits – think structured frameworks, questions to ask, organization, pitches. MCP compares this to “the basketball shooting techniques that includes forms of hand, feet, body, etc.”
2. Business Intuition: Also known as business acumen, business intuition is your personal understanding of the business world and how insights and creativity can be used to supplement the case facts. This can only be improved gradually and with experience. In the words of MCP, “think of this as a basketball player trains for muscle strength, agility, or durability”.
3. Consulting Math: As mentioned earlier, cases will require you to make educated estimates using quantitative analysis. You probably won’t be allowed to use a calculator, so you need to know how to understand and do these calculations using mental math.

If you’re preparing to head into a case interview soon, here are some tips from Shahriar Hosseini, a 2017 MBA graduate who currently works as a Senior Management Consultant, Strategy and Operations at Deloitte for more insight.

1. “Don't jump to a solution - This is probably the biggest hindrance for a candidate not making it through interviews. What we look for during an interview is to familiarize ourselves with how the candidate is thinking, how they break down a problem, and how they articulate their solution. We are looking to understand the journey.
2. Talk through your approach and ask clarifying questions - The world is not black and white, and neither are the problems in consulting. You will never get everything you need from a client in one go, and you will have to ask the right questions to validate your hypotheses and gather more information. Again, if you just jump into a solution without talking through the approach, we won't be able to help you stay on track.
3. Be calm and professional - A lot of cases are based on real world projects that took months or even years to complete. While we have certain progress in mind for what makes a great versus an okay interviewee, we don't necessarily expect you to get to the perfect answer. In the end we want to see if you can be placed in front of a client and how you carry yourself - that is much more important than getting the ‘right’ answer.”

This all sounds helpful, but I don't know where to start!

Have no fear, there are a variety of resources available for you no matter what format you prefer!

Online resources

Several external sites offer support in finding a position in consulting, including Caseinterview.com and Management Consulting Prep. These sites equip you with links to practice cases, step-by-step guides to developing frameworks, tips on preparing for interviews, and more.

Check out Management Consulted (Resources > Graduate Career Resources > Management Consulted) on Beedie Community, Vault has created a comprehensive guide on the consulting industry and consulting interviews, and it’s free for you to access with your SFU account! Click here to learn more about how to get your hands on these resources and more.

In-person resources

If you’re looking for in-person support, the Graduate Management Career Consulting Preparation (GMCCP) program takes place at Segal and focuses on introducing graduate students to the basics of preparing for a case interview. Topics include how to structure a case interview, mental math, issue trees, interpreting visual information and effective presentations. Guest speakers/consultants will be invited to provide further insight into consulting and case interviews. Participants will learn structured analysis, logical reasoning and client focused communication, all key skills that need to be mastered. Watch for more registration information coming later in the Fall term.

Getting into consulting definitely isn’t easy, and it’s something you will have to dedicate time and effort to. However, with enough preparation and practice, you’ll nail your case interviews in no time.

For more support with navigating your career, book an appointment with your Career Advisor today or check out resources and events on Beedie Community!