Business Case Interviews

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Business Case Interviews
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Case Interviews

• Used in addition to traditional CV Interviews to
• Test a candidate in a life like situation
  (cases are chosen to fit organizational/job
• requirements)
• Evaluate hard as well as soft behaviors
  (cultural fit with the organization, professional
  demeanor)
• Competency and skill driven (business acumen,
  stress management, abstract thinking)
• Corroborate statements made in CV and during
  other interactions ( I was a VP of strategy)
• Better compare candidates with different
  profiles applying for the same position
• Simple and straight forward if you
• Understand who is your audience (company,
  industry, interviewer, job, expectations)
• Listen first talk later, ask questions, take
  notes
• Make sure to have most of your tools before
  jumping in the water, know how/when to regroup
  and be
• ready for a sequel
• Tell as story with a beginning, a body and an
  end
• Understand that you are evaluated in more than
  one dimension (and never know exactly which ones
• these are)
• Relax, be yourself, you are buying as much as
  you are selling!

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Types of Case Interviews
Life like situation / Industry case Conceptual
case
Great Unknown
A lot of Information
Situation case / Role play
Business Cases
Real example from company / interviewer
Parade of Facts
Little Information
Long
Expect attention to details / specific answers
Case Interviews
How many blue washing machines were sold in
Canada last year?
Estimation case
Structure / Logic / Numbers
Short
What is the angle between the hands of a clock
when it is 18h45?
Short / Teasers
Why are computer screens rectangular?
Random fact analysis
Creative / Analytical
Why do airport trashcans holes is smaller than
the average lunch box?
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Before getting started...

• The interviewer assumes you did your homework, it
  is not just a sign of interest and
  professionalism but basic common courtesy.
• Do you have a copy of your CV, a pen, pencil,
  calculator?
• Will you need a glass of water?
• Did you get some insider information from your
  Career Management office?
• Did you research the company, industry? Any
  important recent new worth knowing?
• Do you know what job you are applying for?
• Do you know your strengths and weaknesses? Dont
  apply for jobs you know you are not qualified
  for!
• Do you know what type of job you want? What type
  of company you want to work for?
• Do you know what your value proposition is? Your
  differentiating factors?
• If you apply for the wrong job and get hired,
  everybody looses
• If you apply for the right job and get hired,
  everybody wins!
• If you apply for the right job and dont get
  hired
• Evaluate your performance and learn from the
  experience
• Seek coaching and advice
• Re-evaluate whether it is the right job

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Tips and Guidelines

• The beginning of the case interview
• Determine whether it is a long or short case,
  understand expectations and deliverable(s)
• Adapt your analysis and answers accordingly Do
  not give a 30min answer to an teaser case, nor a
• single sentence answer to a business case
• Take brief notes while the interviewer is
  talking, but make sure to pay attention (you will
  think about
• the answer later..)
• Recap to make sure you understand, be courteous
  and spell out your moves (I would like to recap,
• can I ask you a clarification question?..)
• Take a couple of minutes (not 10 minutes!) to
  write some notes and outline your approach before
  
• starting to respond
• Be organized from the very beginning so you can
  follow your own trail it also shows how you
• structure your work (maturity,
  professionalism..)
• The interviewer wants to see how you get to an
  answer more than seeing you get to the right
  answer
• (if there is one)
• If there is a flipchart or a white board dont
  hesitate to use it (ask first) if there is a
  calculator hint-
• you may need to use it. If there is no
  calculator hint- use your own brain!
• Write legibly and in large characters, be ready
  to hand over your notes
• Dont just write, also DRAW, use your toolbox

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Tips and Guidelines

• The body of the case interview
• During your preparation time, focus on key words
  / steps and map a quick strategy consider the
• deliverable of the case, time and resources
• Only use the information needed to get to an
  answer. Not all the information is needed, and
  some
• may be missing
• Dont be intimidated by big terms and acronyms
  it is allowed to not know everything!
• Once you have a structure develop the case with
  the interviewer to make sure you are spelling out
  
• every one of your steps
• Always check for body language, comments and
  tips from the interviewer but dont get obsessed
  
• about it be sure of yourself
• When possible use easy to calculate numbers
  When to use Jungle Math?
• STRUCTURE, STRUCTURE, STRUCTURE
• You are going for more just than an answer
  show you organization skills, the tools and
  underlying
• theories you are using
• During this part of the interview, you are in
  charge, you need to take some control of the
  direction of
• the discussion, the time and the key messages
• Be ready to regroup, use every piece of
  information you get during this phase to adjust
  you approach
• Check your time, if you make a mistake or get
  blocked, ask for help and move on

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Tips and Guidelines

• The end of the case interview
• Soup first, desert later
• Make sure you actually came to an answer and
  that this was clear to the interviewer
• If time allows, expand on the answer by tying to
  a real life case (personal experience)
• Show that you understand the big picture as well
  as tactical details
• If you are applying for Soldier, show that you
  can be a good one then demonstrate that you have
  
• the potential to be a General
• Keep a couple of questions about the
  organization, the work and things that are
  important to you for
• the end of the interview (wise to save 5
  minutes at the end for that)
• Show a confident and positive demeanor at all
  times!

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Business Case Interviews