Case In Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation

358 Pages·2013·4.74 MB·English

by  Marc P. Cosentino

Contents:
REVIEWS
WHAT'S NEW IN THE 8th EDITION
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
DEDICATION
1 : INTRODUCTION
2 : THE INTERVIEW
FIRST-ROUND INTERVIEW
+ Introduction
+ Questions About You
+ Why Consulting?
+ Possible Math Question
+ Case Questions
+ Your Questions
+ The Grand Finale: Why Should I Hire You?
+ Stress Interviews
+ Confidence
+ Advice for International Students
+ Advice for Industry Hires
3 : CASE QUESTIONS
+ Purpose of the Case Question
+ Case Preparation
+ The Case Commandments
+ Interview Evaluation Forms
+ Types of Case Questions
+ Written Group Case and Tests
+ Irking the Interviewer
+ If You Get Stuck
+ The Trouble with Math
+ Notes Design
+ The Summary and The Final Slide
+ Case Journal
4 : IVY CASE SYSTEM
+ Best Case Thinking
+ The First Five Steps
+ The Four Key Case Scenarios
+ Key Questions for Additional Scenarios
5 : ADDITIONAL TOOLS AND FRAMEWORKS
+ Five C's and Four P's
+ BCG Matrix
+ Michael Porter's "Five Forces" / The Structural Analysis of
Industries
+ The Value Chain
+ Income Statement
+ An Aristotelian Framework
+ 21 Ways to Cut Costs
+ "If" Scenarios to Remember
+ General Tips
+ Business Case Tips
6 : PRACTICE CASES
+ Harley-Davidson®
+ Coors Brewing Company®
+ Case Starts
+ Case Starts
+ Case Practice
+ Case Index
+ Mexican Bank
+ Yellow Stuff Chemical Company
+ Eastern Training Network
+ Coke®
+ Longest-Lasting Light Bulb
+ Getting into Diapers
+ New York Opera
+ The Discount Brokerage Race
+ Cow Brothers Premium Ice Cream
+ Hair-Raising
+ Wireless Worries
+ Blade to Blade
+ World Spacelines
+ Snow Job
+ Jamaican Battery Enterprise
+ North American Airlines
+ Texas Star Markets
+ Red Rocket Sports
+ Up-in-Smoke Cigarette Company
+ Cabana Feet
+ Partner Cases
+ The Roommate's Guide
+ Grupo Modelo®
+ Test Prep
+ Online Movies
+ Tate Pharmaceuticals
+ Gator Vator
+ Stuck
+ Nerves of Steel
+ GPS App
+ Finding Fulfillment
+ KBO Appliances
+ Bulletproof Auto Glass
+ Statin Blue
+ Bottled Water
+ Smackdown Rivals
+ TedEx
7 : FINAL ANALYSIS
About the Author
CASE IN POINT:
Complete Case Interview Preparation
8th Edition
© 2013 Burgee Press
P.O. Box 60137
Santa Barbara CA 93160
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
NO PART OF THIS BOOK MAY BE REPRODUCED OR TRANSMITTED IN
ANY FORM OR ANY MANNER, ELECTRONIC OR MECHANICAL,
INCLUDING PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING OR BY ANY
INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, WITHOUT
PERMISSION IN WRITING FROM THE AUTHOR.
Disclaimer: As with all case questions, we assume facts not in evidence, and we
make generous assumptions. Familiar companies are used as examples because
of the power of their brand and their familiarity to the general public.
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.
Edited by Joan Oleck and Kelly Andersson
CaseQuestions.com
ISBN 978-0-9710158-8-3
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Case in Point: Complete Case Interview Preparation / Marc P. Cosentino — 8th
ed.
Library of Congress Card Number 2001117521
First Printing 1999
Printed in the United States of America
Second Edition 2001
Third Edition 2004
Fourth Edition 2005
Fifth Edition 2007
Sixth Edition 2009
Seventh Edition 2011
Eighth Edition 2013

REVIEWS

Secret to success: consulting case interviews. In graduate school I
browsed many books on consulting case interview preparation. This was the
only book I read. The clear, consistent way of thinking through how to manage
case interviews made sense. Rather than focusing on formulas, frameworks, e.g.,
Porter's Five Forces, or just examples, Cosentino classifies cases into sensible
categories and coaches the student through how to think about answering.
Additionally, he gives valuable tips on how to get comfortable in the interview.
The true proof, however, was that I interviewed with the two top strategy
consulting firms and received offers from both. I would highly recommend this
book to anyone considering interviewing with top strategy consulting firms.

Outstanding prep for case interviews. Case in Point is in my view
the best book of its type on the market. The top firms vary their cases from
interviewer to interviewer; Cosentino's book provides a good system for tackling
any case that you're presented. This book got me extremely well prepared for my
interviews. I just received a summer associate offer from what's arguably the top
consulting firm, despite my non-business background. This is excellent. This is
probably the best consulting book on the market for undergrads looking to get a
job in a top consulting firm after college. I own the Vault Guide to the Case
Interview and felt this was MUCH better because it gives you a system to follow,
not just a bunch of random structures and cases. Cosentino does a great job of
putting all these pieces together into a very useful book.

Great book for consulting preparation. Cosentino's compilation of
cases is a superb way to prepare for management consulting case interviews. Not
only does he provide a wide variety of cases (from market-sizing to acquisition
opportunity to dipping profits) he also offers several helpful frameworks for
approaching consulting cases in general. I would highly recommend this book to
anyone planning to do consulting interviews (and they're tough!).
Having a job interview? Use this book: It's a must. I used this book
as a tool to prepare for interviews, and it really helped me. In this tough period, I
followed the Ivy Case Method proposed, and it didn't fail. The book presents in a
very readable way what to expect in an interview and how to create your best
strategy. I'm usually very skeptical about these kinds of books, but I must say
that Cosentino is able to attract the reader and through anecdotes and concrete
examples, keep the reader's interest till the last page. Definitely a must.

Got me a consulting job! I was VERY nervous about getting a good
job after school. I compared several interview guides and found some to be
incomplete and others to be too long and confusing. Cosentino's Case in Point
was easier to understand and covered the key techniques/frameworks behind
case interviews. I practiced the sample cases and I eventually got a job in
strategy consulting.

Full of great tips and good practice cases. This book is definitely
worth reading many times. It's a good study companion. I would definitely
suggest it to anybody getting ready for case interviews.

Helped me get a job. This book taught me the foundation of
consulting. Using the tips and methodologies in the book, I was able pass my
case interview and obtain a position as a federal employee despite having
minimal real-world work experience.

The Case Interview textbook. Although I didn't take all of Marc
Cosentino's advice, this book definitely played into my success securing a
consulting job. Highly recommended for anyone from an avid case-prepper to
someone who's never thought about consulting before but wants to learn what's
what.

HIGHLY Recommended to read if you are interviewing. The case
studies presented give you a whole new perspective on interviewing for a job. I
applied for a job at Disney Mobile where they totally stumped me with some
crazy question: "How would you calculate how many female taxi cab drivers are
in NYC?" Some of you will be like "WTF" while others will find it easy.
Regardless, it's an amazing experience to see someone think out these types of
questions and more so that you're better prepared in the future. I now take a
whole new approach to answering questions that I never did before, and I'd
highly recommend you check it out too.

Great Tips. Case In Point has a lot of useful interview tips. Even
though my interview was not a case interview, I found that a lot of the
recommendations in the book can also be used in "regular" interviews, if you
will. I definitely recommend reading this book, not only if you know you are
going to have a case interview, but also if you aren't. You will feel more
confident going into any interview knowing that there is nothing they can ask
you that you don't have an answer for.