Case Interview

Do's and Don'ts

THE BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP

Preparing for the Case Interview
Interviewing with BCG
The BCG Full Time recruiting process consists of three rounds of interviews.
In each round, you will meet one to three consultants for about one hour. Each interview is
usually composed of three parts: a review of your background and experience, a case
discussion, and some time at the end for you to ask questions about BCG. In the process you
might have to work on a written case study.
It is typically the case interview which raises the most anxiety among the candidates.
Therefore, we thought it might be useful to give you some do’s and don’ts for preparing and
conducting a case interview. We hope that this will help you to feel more confident and most
of all, enjoy the experience.

3Cs, 4Ps, 5 forces, or 7Ss … what’s the answer?

BCG as a firm puts a strong emphasis on creativity and innovation. This is one factor that has
contributed significantly to differentiating us from our competitors and to building our unique
reputation amongst CEOs.

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In their daily work, BCG consultants focus on bringing to bear original insights to create
impact for their clients.

In this respect, the case interview mimics the real life of a consultant: there is no unique
solution or standard path to reach a conclusion. You have to show your ability to solve a
problem through logical reasoning. Your creativity and business judgment will also make the
difference.

How to prepare for the case interview

A good preparation will help you to remain at ease and show the best of your capabilities.
Even if you have done hundreds of cases in class, interview cases are different. You should
expect a fast-moving and iterative two-way discussion with additional information being
revealed as you go through, not a series of questions that require formal answers.

We suggest three steps to prepare. First of all, please take time to read the do's and don’ts
presented below. Second, visit our web site www.bcg.fr and go through the case interview
presented there. Finally, simulate a case interview with colleagues, alternating between the
role of interviewer and candidate.

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What to do and what not to do during a case interview

Do's
1. Listen to the interviewer and interact with him/her
2. Structure the problem by developing a customized framework
3. Focus on issues where most impact can be brought
4. Explore a variety of options with creative thinking
5. Demonstrate business judgment
6. Make quick and accurate calculations
7. Synthesize your thoughts and conclude your analysis

Don’ts
1. Jump immediately into the analysis without the proper level of understanding
2. Panic if the answer is not readily apparent
3. Defend your own solution at all costs
4. Internalize your thought process
5. Stick to an artificial framework (3 Cs, 4 Ps…)
6. Rely on circulated cases or use advanced knowledge

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Case Interview Do's

Do listen and interact

The interviewer will start by laying out the problem or the question. Regularly during the
case, she/he will make comments to orientate the discussion and help you towards a solution.
You should carefully listen to him/her and ask questions to clarify any point: the comments
are intended to help, not to hinder or trick you. You should also adapt your thoughts,
hypotheses, and options according to the information communicated to you throughout the
case.

Do structure the problem around a customized framework

The interviewer will then ask you how you would approach the question. This is the time
to quickly structure the problem and highlight the major areas that you will want to explore.
Do not hesitate to pause for a couple of moments after the interviewer asked the question in
order to define your framework.

Do focus on issues where most impact can be brought

The interviewer may let you choose the key issues to explore further. Focus on the ones
where you think your recommendations can potentially create the most value. Also, explain
the logic that drove you to your choice of key issues.

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Do explore a variety of options with creative thinking
Once you have chosen the key issues to focus on (for example, how to increase revenues
from new products), you should come up with a couple of hypotheses on how to do this. You
will make the best impression by going beyond standard answers, conventional wisdom,
or generally accepted rules.

Do demonstrate business judgment

The interviewer will ask you probing questions about your comments, hypotheses,
or conclusions. This is how she/he can test your ability to use your own judgment given
the (sometimes limited) information available to you.

Do perform simple calculations quickly and accurately

At some point, the interviewer will ask you to make some simple calculations. Besides
the calculation itself, which should be accurate, the interviewer looks at how you integrate
what you have discovered so far about the problem into the calculation.

Do synthesize your thoughts and conclude the analysis

At the end of the interview or when the analysis comes to an end, you should go back to
the original question. It is then time to summarize in a few words your key hypotheses and
the options developed and to conclude with the most relevant recommendations you would
make to the client.
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Case Interview Don’ts

Don’t jump too quickly into the analysis

Before starting the analysis, make sure that you understand the question and its main
components. Ask further questions if some elements are unclear to you.

Don’t panic if the answer is not readily apparent

You are not expected to know everything about every business situation. So do not panic
if you do not seem to be making headway or if you are stuck in a dead end. The objective
of the entire interview is to discuss your thoughts, present your hypotheses, imagine options,
and to finally develop a solution through your interaction with the interviewer.

Don’t defend your own solution at all costs

It might be that the solution you develop is wrong or inappropriate. In this case, the
interviewer will make it clear to you so that you can adapt your solution. Do not defend your
answer at all costs. Nevertheless, you should be ready to defend your approach if you believe
it is a good one. The interviewer may just want to test whether you actually firmly believe
what you are saying. Be self-critical and flexible enough to follow the direction that looks
most promising to you, even if this means changing course.

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Don’t internalize your thought process
The interview is set up as a discussion. Therefore, make your logic and hypotheses explicit.
A good case interview is not limited to answers and solutions.

Don’t stick to an artificial framework

Standard frameworks are not always applicable to the business situation discussed. Make sure
that you keep your structure simple and that it helps you go straight to the key issues.

Don’t rely on circulated cases or use advanced knowledge

The case presented might be familiar to you: a friend may have told you about it or you might
have a specific knowledge in the same area. Most often, this has a negative impact on your
case performance. We therefore advise you to mention this to the interviewer who will
choose another business situation.

We hope that these hints have given you a better idea of what a BCG case interview is
like. A last word of advice: do not try to play the role of a person you think we would
like to hire.

Just be yourself!
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 For more information, please contact:
Recruiting Department
The Boston Consulting Group
4 rue d'Aguesseau – 75008 Paris
Tel: + 33 1 40 17 18 88
e-mail: recruiting.paris@bcg.com

THE BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP

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