The Interview

The Consulting Interview

Typically an interview with a consulting firm will last around 30-45 minutes long. The first 10-15 minutes will be devoted to the traditional behavioral interview. The two questions you absolutely must have great answers for are 'why do you want to go into consulting' and 'why should we hire you'.

After this fit assessment, you'll then be asked a case question- an analytic business problem which you'll work through with your interviewer. Usually entry level cases take about 20-30 minutes to work through. Once you've finished the case, you'll then be given 5 minutes to ask your interviewer a few questions. Shake hands, collect their business card, and the process is done.

Case Interview Examples

Rarely will firms give candidates the classic ‘numbers/market sizing case’, but they do pop up from time to time. More than anything these cases are purely designed to test your composure, comfort with numbers, and ability to manufacture logical assumptions together. Below are some examples I've made up.

1. Estimate how many drug stores there are in the US?

2. How many burritos does Chipotle sell a year?

3. Estimate the average distance a college student walks in a day.

4. Estimate the market size for Facebook if users had to pay a yearly subscription.

Business Cases are longer and require much more analytic rigor. They come in all shapes and forms, but here are some examples you could encounter:

A. Entering a new market - Your client manufactures perfumes/fragrances. They are thinking of entering the shampoo market. How would you advise them?

B. Mergers and Acquisitions - Your client is a leading dress shoe manufacturer and is thinking about buying a small athletic footwear company. Should they go along with this acquisition?

C. Developing a new product or service - Google is thinking about starting its own online games and fantasy sports department. What are the key business issues they should be thinking about?

D. Growth Strategies - Your client is a South African brandy producer and is looking to expand into the US. How can they successfully gain market share and build brand awareness abroad?

E. Starting a New Business - Your friend has asked you to help him build the business case around starting a jet ski rental company in Chicago. Please provide an argument as to why he should or should not take on this venture.

F. Increasing Profit/Increasing Sales/Increasing Revenues/Reducing Cost s- Your client is a major car insurance provider with slumping sales and increasing costs. What strategies can be implemented to restore this company back to profitability?