Booz Case Interview

Case Interview
Booz Case
Preparation
Interview

Booz is a sought-after consulting firm
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•

Booz & Company is one of the leading
consulting firms in the world. They work
closely with top businesses, governments,
and organizations across several continents
and have 57 offices around the globe. This
established firm is also recognized as one of
the most prestigious management consulting
firms in the world by Consulting Magazine,
and Time Magazine once dubbed the
organization as “the world’s largest, most
prestigious management consulting firm.”

With such an esteemed reputation and
extensive expertise spanning a broad range of
sectors, it’s not surprising that many aspiring
consultants want to work at Booz. However,
like in any top-tier firm, the application
process is challenging and the competition is
tough. As Booz is one of the highest regarded
consultancies in the world, they only accept
candidates who effectively demonstrate key
skills and competencies.

In this presentation, you will learn:

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Booz interview process
How to effectively prepare for a case
interview
Tips during a case interview

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Booz interview process
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Booz & Company’s interview process is generally conducted in two rounds. Each round usually
consists of two 45-minute interviews, each of which engages the candidate in a general introductory
discussion as well as a case discussion, the later of which takes up the majority of the interview
time.

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The case discussion is nerve-racking
for most aspiring consultants. You’ll
be evaluated based on how you
approach real-world business
problems. This is where candidates’
business acumen and logical skills
are put to the test.

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As an aspiring consultant, you
should diligently prepare so you can
structure your thoughts on any issue
that may be presented. The cases
given to applicants are frequently
based on a real client engagement
that the interviewer at Booz has
worked on.


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How to effectively prepare for a case interview
Hone your mental
math skills

Case interviews generally contain a lot of graphs and numerical calculations. You
will need to analyze large sets of numerical data, so it’s critical that you improve
your mental math. Practice this skill and try to simulate the actual case interview
so you can really gauge your speed in performing mental calculations.

Familiarize
yourself with
charts, graphs,
and tables

If you are serious about pursuing a career in consulting, you should be able to read
charts and tables and interpret data, regardless of how it’s presented. To
reiterate, this is a critical skill of any management consultant as an erroneous
interpretation will lead to the wrong conclusion, which can be costly to the firm
and to your career. Devote ample time to enhancing this skill; make it a habit to
read graphical charts or data spreadsheets in order to get used to analyzing such
information.


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Master consulting
frameworks

You’ll find these very helpful in structuring your answer. Mastering consulting
frameworks will guide you in finding the most suitable approach to any given
situation and help you identify underlying issues and generate practical
recommendations.

Practice as many
case studies as
you can

The best preparation is of course to practice as many case scenarios as possible.
This will help you hone your skills in developing defensible hypotheses and
solutions. Booz offers practice interactive case studies as well as interview
preparation tips—take advantage of these materials. There’s also plenty of case
study practice guides available on the Internet. However, be picky; you don’t need
to purchase every single study guide out there, simply choose about three
reputable guides to help you with your interview preparation. The more exposure
you have to various cases, the more prepared and competent you will be. Explore
as many cases as you can as you never know what type of problem you’ll be
presented with during the actual interview.

Start as early as
possible

The earlier you start, the more cases you’re likely to crack. To be successful in this
field, you need to develop a proactive review schedule. Don’t postpone your
preparation; procrastination is often the cause of failure, and you don’t want to
end up cramming the day before your interview.

Join consulting
case interview
review sessions

Students can take advantage of campus consulting clubs and career service centers
that organize case practice sessions. Visit your consulting club or career center
and ask for some useful review materials.


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Conduct mock
interviews

Practice with someone. The best way to improve your critical thinking skills and
ability to convey structured ideas is through mock interviews. Conduct simulated
interviews with someone who can provide you with valuable feedback. Consider
the following:

Find a
qualified
person to
practice with

For better results, schedule your mock interviews with people
who have sufficient experience and knowledge about
consulting. It may be a friend who is currently working as a
consultant, a colleague, or someone from your network who
used to work at a top firm such as Booz. You may also ask the
help of your associates who have been through the case
interview process. However, be considerate of their time.
Request their assistance only if you feel that you are ready
and that you have sharpened your skills through self-study.

Don’t joke
around

Take the mock interview seriously, even if you’re conducting
it with a close friend. Try to simulate the stress that you’ll
experience during the day of your interview. This will help
you learn how to effectively handle pressure.

Listen to
feedback

After your mock interview, ask for feedback. Listen to what
your practice partner has to say and take notes—you can gain
some valuable insights on how to improve your performance.


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Tips during the case interview
Listen carefully
and don’t
hesitate to ask
questions

Don’t be ashamed to clarify things that you don’t fully understand. Once the
interviewer provides you with the case details, take some time to think and digest
the case parameters. Next, summarize the case to the interviewer so you’re sure
that you clearly understand the problem. Remember, some interviewers may not
reveal all the necessary information unless you ask for it. If you feel you need to
ask some questions to help you solve the case, go for it. Remember, the case
interview assesses your questioning skills.

Be aware of the
time

Move through your framework at a pace that will allow you to tackle all the
elements you mentioned at the start of the case discussion. Also, make sure you
pause periodically during the discussion so as to give your interviewer a chance to
make comments. If the interviewer provides you with advice, take it. Don’t be
defensive and keep an open mind throughout the discussion.

Be confident and
relax

It may seem difficult, but if you thoroughly prepared before the interview, you can
definitely pull it off. The interviewer is not only evaluating your answer to the
question, but also the manner in which you answer. Trust your instincts, but be
careful not to be overly confident as you may be seen as an arrogant candidate.


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Structure the
problem

To guide you in your
discussion with the
interviewer, it’s
recommended to briefly
describe the framework
you plan to use, then give
the interviewer a chance
to offer comments. It’s
generally best to use the
simpler frameworks. Once
the interviewer approves
your framework, stick to
it. Work through the
answer out loud so the
interviewer can likewise
assess your analytical
structure and perhaps
help you along.


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Take a stand

Be prepared to offer a recommendation toward the end of the case discussion.
Although you may have been provided with little data and little time in which to
discuss the underlying issues, don’t be afraid to make a call. That’s the essence of
the exercise. You should be able to formulate your recommendation based on the
information you were able to collect from your discussion.

Dress with
confidence

Ensure you’re dressed professionally. Dressing affects your attitude, so wear
something that will boost your confidence.

Maintain a
positive energy

Booz and other top consulting firms want somebody who projects enthusiasm and
has positive energy. Try to have some fun. Indeed it’s a very important interview
and you should take it seriously, but don’t take the fun out of it. Maintain eye
contact with the interviewer and keep a pleasant expression on your face
throughout the entire process, just don’t overdo it.

Remember that
there is no
single right way
to answer a case

Don’t get too fixated on finding the correct answer. Good consultants always have
more than one solution to any problem. As an aspiring consultant, you should know
that there are many ways to craft a sound recommendation. The more important
part of the case interview is how you demonstrate your thought process. If you are
able to come to a logical and reasonable conclusion, then you have probably
cracked the case.


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Free Guide: Learn How to Break Into Consulting

Do you want to break into consulting? Download our free PDF guide, which
will show you the necessary steps and best practices on how to prepare.

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Consulting Interview Process: Get an overview of the
application and interview process when applying to
management consulting firms. Receive tips on how to write
your cover letter and resume and get prepared for the
written tests and interviews once you get there.
Interview Preparation: Learn what you need to practice to
receive an offer from one of the top-tier consulting firms.
See our step-by-step framework to case study solving, learn
how to develop your own frameworks and get mental math
tips.
Case Study Example: Know what to expect from a case
study interview round. Read a real-life case study interview,
which includes a variety of topics. See the practical
application of the step-by-step framework to case study
solving.

Booz Case Interview

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Booz Case Interview