Consulting Interview cases
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What are Consulting Case studies?
In the world of professional services, the interview process can have many stages and assessments. One of the most likely assessments that applicants will come across are case studies. Case studies involve fictional situational problems facing a business (generally specific to the area of expertise for the role) and it is the job of the applicant/applicants to come to a solution to this problem. Case studies are used as they can help assess individuals specific area knowledge, problem solving ability, team work and critical thinking.
Areas of knowledge:
- Strategy
- Operations
- Supply Chain
- Logistics
- Marketing
- Finance
- Combined
- Others
Accenture is a high profile consulting firm. Check out where case studies fit in with their process and some tips and tricks along the way with this handy resource.
Why are Management Consulting Case Studies important?
Throughout the application process, candidates are put through various assessments to test for particular skills that the employers believe are desirable for the role. The role of the case study is to progress from the initial information of a curriculum vitae and/or cover letter to assessing the practical skills on a real world business problem. CV’s can only illustrate a candidates skill up until the point where practical application is necessary.
In the modern working environment and considering the practical experience of the graduates applying for consulting roles, some of the most important skills that are being assessed by the case study are team work, communication, problem solving and organisation as proficiency in these skills is becoming highly desirable to remain competitive.
The great news is the best way to get better at case studies is to practice them. Many Universities and Consulting clubs have resources for students/members to practice in both individual or group settings so that when assessment day arrives you are familiar with expectations and outcomes.
Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is among the top consulting firms in the world and known for its’s excellence in recruiting only the best talent. See why case studies are important to them and some advice to make the most out of the experience
What resources for Consulting Case Studies are available?
There are many online resources libraries of practice case studies that have either been specifically designed for practice or have been used as real case studies in interviews (see also 280 Free Case Study Interview Examples ). These can be used as a guide for how to answer case studies and expand your knowledge base around what type of questions may be asked and the depth of answer required. It is strongly recommended by industry professionals that candidates have established skills in working through both individual and team case studies as these are normally done in conjunction with other groups and can be the key factor to identify people to progress to the next stage and those that are potentially not quite ready yet.
The Eloquens Consulting Case Study category has a large variety of quality case studies from authors with experience in large and boutique firms and can be an in-valuable resource as you progress through your consulting journey.