There is a lot of misleading information online about how to open a case:
- Paraphrase the case prompt (aka repeat information your interviewers already know).
- Ask a maximum of 3 clarifying questions.
- End by asking if there is any other objective you should know.
But there is a better way to open a case:
- Add business colors.
- Take the lead.
- Ask clarifying questions (as much as necessary).
- Do a smart recap.
Here’s the truth:
How you open a case sets the tone for the entire case.
Start poorly, and your interviewer won’t guide you much during the case.
On the other hand:
Give a strong first impression, and your interviewer will see you as one of them from the first seconds of the case.
And that can be a game changer in your performance and chances to land an offer.
Therefore, this guide will show you how to start your case interview correctly.
Let’s dive in right now.
Table of Contents
Add Business Colors
You should never miss an opportunity to showcase your business judgment in case interviews.
And it starts right after the interviewers shared the problem statement.
For instance:
The interviewer:
“Your client is a shared office provider. They offer office spaces to entrepreneurs across the U.S. and have 10,000 customers. They generate $160m in sales but are unprofitable. They hired us to help them break even in 18 months. How would you help them?”
An excellent candidate:
“This is an interesting question. This is a high fixed-cost business, and the economics is likely driven by the occupancy rate, which might have decreased recently. We will probably explore this further later.”
That’s what I call adding business colors first (before asking any clarifying questions).
Take The Lead
This is my favorite part.
Show the interviewers that you control what’s coming next.
How?
By stating what you are going to do:
“First, I would like to ask some clarifying questions to be sure I understand the context and the client’s objective. Then, I would like to take between 1 and 2 minutes to gather my thoughts and define a plan to solve this problem. Lastly, I’ll walk you through my plan before we further analyze the client’s issues. Is it ok for you?”
When you tell the interviewers where you are headed, you project confidence.
You tell them that everything is under control.
You tell them that you know what you are doing.
And this is very consulting-friendly.
And an easy win for you 😉
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Ask Clarifying Questions
After completing the first two steps, it’s time to ask clarifying questions.
And let’s break a myth here:
You can ask as many questions as necessary (as long as these are relevant questions).
And certainly not a maximum of 3.
Imagine this situation:
The problem statement is very long and detailed.
👉 maybe you don’t need to ask a single clarifying question.
Now, imagine this other situation:
The problem statement is short and ambiguous (which happens often).
👉 you will probably need to ask more than three clarifying questions.
Clarifying a problem statement has one single objective:
Understand the problem you have to solve.
You don’t want to spend 30 minutes solving the wrong problem with your interviewer.
Thus, you must:
Make sure you understand all the keywords in the case prompt.
Identify some missing pieces of critical information needed to understand the problem.
Do a Smart Recap
Now it’s time to summarize the case problem.
But remember this:
Summarize <> Paraphrase.
If you paraphrase, you don’t add value.
If you summarize, you add value.
To do so, I recommend doing a smart recap.
A smart recap is when you deliberately:
- remove irrelevant information from the case prompt
- add the relevant information you got from your clarifying questions
Conclusion
Too many outdated preparation materials teach you how the open a case on the wrong foot.
Instead:
- Add business colors
- Take the lead
- Ask clarifying questions (as much as necessary)
- Do a smart recap
When you blend in, you’re a commodity.
When you stand out, you get offers. Mission accomplished.
Sébastien
Get 4 Complete Case Interview Courses For Free
You need 4 skills to be successful in all case interviews: Case Structuring, Case Leadership, Case Analytics, and Communication. Join this free training and learn how to ace ANY case questions.
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