Case in Point 11th Edition: Complete Case Interview Preparation

332 Pages·2020·4.884 MB·English

by  Marc Patrick Cosentino

CASE IN POINT 11th edition
Complete Case Interview Preparation
Copyright ©2020 Burgee Press
P.O. Box 60137 Santa Barbara CA 93160
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except brief excerpts for the
purpose of review, without written permission of the publisher. As with all case
questions, we assume facts not in evidence, as well as generous assumptions.
Recognizable companies are used as examples because of the power of their brands
and their public familiarity. Information concerning the actual companies cited as
examples may not be accurate. This information was based on research but should not
be used as reliable up-to-date data.
ISBN: 978-0-9863707-7-9
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Case in Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation / Marc P. Cosentino – 11th ed.
Library of Congress Card Number
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing 1999 – Second Edition 2001 – Third Edition 2004 – Fourth Edition
2005 –
Fifth Edition 2007 – Sixth Edition 2009 – Seventh Edition 2011 – Eighth Edition
2013 –
Ninth Edition 2016 – Tenth Edition 2018 – Eleventh Edition 2020
Edited by: Monica Jainschigg
Cover and Interior Layout Design by: Worthy Marketing Group
1
DEDICATION
To Cal Hunter. It’s not often late in life that you encounter a new mentor.
A person who recalculates your thinking and points you in a smarter
direction.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to Matt Chambers, a UCLA MBA. student who
contributed a list of risks. A big shout out and thank you to Zoe
McLoughlin from the London Business School Career Center for
designing the “Cases Simulate a Typical Consulting Project” slide on
page 1. And to Mukund Jain who contributed cases.
ALSO BY MARC P. COSENTINO
Case in Point: Government and Nonprofit. Case Interviewing & Problem
Solving for the Public Sector
Case in Point: Case Competition. Creating Winning Strategy
Presentations for Case Competitions and Job Offers
Case in Point: Graph Analysis for Consulting and Case Interviews
The Harvard College Guide to Consulting Case Questions
The Harvard College Guide to Consulting
The Harvard College Guide to Investment Banking
NOTE TO THE READER
2
From Marc Cosentino: I often get asked why I have come out with 11
editions while many of my competitors have only come out with one.
The answer is simple: Because things change in case interviews, and the
readers need to be aware of those changes. The structures, approaches,
and recommendations of the past don’t cut it anymore. In Case in Point
11 I have continued to streamline the material and added four new cases.
I’ve focused on cases that are relevant, challenging, and sophisticated –
with plenty of graphs and lessons built in. I like to think that I craft a
case - not just write a case. I’ve added material up front, such as how a
case interview simulates a consulting project, as well the changes taking
place in case interviews across the globe, including the McKinsey video
and BCG online exercises, an updated recommendation section, 21
Risks, 11 Synergies, 7 Disrupting External/Macro Factors and more.
3
The mind is wondrous.
It starts working the second you’re born
and doesn’t stop until you get a case question.
4
Contents
1 : INTRODUCTION
2 : THE INTERVIEW
+ INTRODUCTION
+ QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU
+ WHY CONSULTING?
+ YOUR QUESTIONS
+ WHY SHOULD I HIRE YOU?
+ FIRST-ROUND TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS
+ FIRST-ROUND SKYPE/ZOOM INTERVIEWS
+ FIRST-ROUND GROUP CASE INTERVIEWS
+ GETTING CHALLENGED
+ CONFIDENCE
+ ADVICE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
+ ADVICE FOR INDUSTRY HIRES
3 : CASE QUESTIONS
+ WHAT FIRMS LOOK FOR
+ CASE PREPARATION
+ INTERVIEW EVALUATION FORMS
+ TYPES OF CASE QUESTIONS
+ MARKET SIZING QUESTIONS
+ FACTOR QUESTIONS
+ WRITTEN GROUP CASE AND TESTS
+ IF YOU GET STUCK
+ THE TROUBLE WITH MATH
+ NOTES DESIGN
5
+ RECOMMENDATIONS, SUMMARIES, AND THE
FINAL SLIDE
+ CASE JOURNAL
4 : IVY CASE SYSTEM
+ BEST CASE THINKING - BUILDING YOUR CASE
CRED
+ THE FIRST FIVE STEPS
+ KEY QUESTIONS FOR ADDITIONAL SCENARIOS
+ “IF” SCENARIOS TO REMEMBER
5 : PRACTICE CASES
+ HARLEY-DAVIDSON
+ COORS BREWING COMPANY
+ CASE STARTS
+ CASE STARTS – CASES
+ CASE PRACTICE
+ CASE LIST
+ THE SHOW’S OVER – NETFLIX
+ XHEAD
+ SNOW JOB
+ FLATLINE
+ BLADE TO BLADE
+ DISPOSABLE REVENUES
+ JAMAICAN BATTERY ENTERPRISE
+ POWERSPORTS POWERTHROUGH
+ MUSIC TO MY EARS
+ IN THE RED
+ RED ROCKET SPORTS
+ COKE
6
+ THE UP-IN-SMOKE CIGARETTE COMPANY
+ CABANA FEET
+ WIRELESS WORRIES
+ THE DISCOUNT BROKERAGE RACE
+ THE BEST SHOT
+ PARTNER CASES
+ PARTNER CASES LIST
+ THE ROOMMATE’S GUIDE
+ STUCK
+ NERVES OF STEEL
+ GPS APP
+ FINDING FULFILLMENT
+ KBO APPLIANCES
+ BULLETPROOF AUTO GLASS
+ STATIN BLUE
+ BOTTLED WATER
+ TEDEX
+ GASSED UP
6 : FINAL ANALYSIS
7 : PARTNER CASE CHARTS
+ NERVES OF STEEL
+ STATIN BLUE
+ BOTTLED WATER
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS BY CASEQUESTIONS.COM
7
8
1 : INTRODUCTION
TM
Our client is Skullcandy . The company hired us to determine whether
and how it should enter the wearables market.
Consulting firms are in the business of renting out brains. Consultants are
paid to synthesize massive quantities of foreign data, toss out the
irrelevant information, structure an approach to a given client issue, and
hypothesize logically and creatively for people of power and influence
(such as the bigwigs at Skullcandy). That’s why consulting firms put so
much weight on the case question – because it allows them to judge how
logically and persuasively a potential consultant (i.e., you) can present a
case. In essence, a case interview is a role-playing exercise. An
interviewer gives you a hypothetical business situation and asks you to
solve it. Keep in mind that in most cases there is no one right answer.
Dialogue is always more important than consensus. You should put
yourself in your client’s shoes, and produce outcomes. The case isn’t
about you, it’s about the client. Everything you say and do should move
the case forward in the name of the client.
Why do they give case interviews? Does it really match up to what I’ll be
doing as a consultant? YES. Consulting firms have been giving case
interviews for over 60 years. As you can see below, the process is very
similar – it’s the timing that’s different. A consulting engagement can last
anywhere from three to 18 months, a case interview lasts anywhere from
20 to 40 minutes.
9