CASE INTERVIEWS Sarah Anter Patricia Reed Amber Griffin

CASE INTERVIEWS Sarah Anter Patricia Reed Amber Griffin Rachel Carlstead Lauren Huggins

Case Interviews • An interview geared around solving problems on the spot • Most commonly used for technical and consulting firms • Very recent in use but being used increasingly

Types of Case Interviews 4 Main Types of Cases used • Project • Business World • Market Sizing • Brainteasers and puzzles

Types of Case Interviews • Project – Interviewer describes a “typical” project to the candidate, then engages them in give-and-take to reach solution • Business World – Interviewer asks candidate to analyze recent news or issues in the business world

Types of Case Interviews Con’t. • Market Sizing – Short to moderate in length and usually relates to unfamiliar industry – Rests on reasonable assumptions • Brainteasers and Puzzles – Interviewer asks candidate to solve brainteaser, puzzle, or riddle – Simple reason test

Examples- Brainteasers You are in a room with three light switches, each of which controls one of three light bulbs in the next room. Your task is to determine which switch controls which bulb. All lights are off. Your constraints are: you may flick only two switches and you may enter the room with the light bulbs only once. How would you set about determining which switch controls which bulb?

Pros and Cons of Case Interviews Pros Cons – eliminates biases (contrast effect, first impressions, etc) – demonstrates ability to think on the spot – demonstrates ability to deal with stress in unfamiliar situations – those who are successful in case interviews are usually the “best of the best” – interviewees can get questions from variety of sources prior to interview – development of case questions can be timeconsuming which can lead to hiring delays – all questions are usually targeted to sills and traits that make up 75% of every job – some questions are “recycled” with little/no modification

What are employers looking for? Testing an applicant’s ability to identify issues and make use of knowledge and experience, along with listening skills, presentation and communication skills, and personal style and qualities.

What are employers looking for? Con’t. • Interviewer is trying to judge: – logical thought process – general business knowledge – general knowledge – comfort with quantitative analysis – creativity – communication skills

Acing the Case Interview • • • Keep mental discipline Take your time Demonstrate your process (think out loud) Make interview a dialogue (ask questions) Be confident in your answer (don’t be wishy washy)

Examples of Case Interviews