An interview is your opportunity to show us how you think. We use case-based interviews so we can see how you approach specific business problems, marshalling data and your own experiences to reach and defend a conclusion.

Preparing for L.E.K.'s Case Study Interviews

 

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Advanced Case Interview Preparation

Here are a few suggestions to help you prepare for the case questions:

  • Attend case interview preparation workshops on campus
  • Read major business publications or daily papers regularly
  • Practice with people who currently work in strategy consulting; know what kind of work we do, as this will help you anticipate the kinds of question you may be asked
  • Review the case studies and other content available throughout our website

During the Case Interview

Here are some tips for how to perform your best during a case interview:

  • Take your time: Listen to the question, repeat or paraphrase to be sure you understand; state your assumptions and restate the facts
  • Gather your thoughts: Jot down preliminary ideas, formulate intelligent questions and devise a coherent approach
  • Stick to your approach: Outline how you are thinking and move methodically to address each issue, point-by-point
  • Ask questions: Clarify issues and scope; ask for additional information you need
  • Formulate hypotheses: Share your thought process as information is revealed
  • Come up with an answer: Commit yourself to a course of action, but show flexibility and a willingness to rethink in the face of new data
  • Be yourself!

A Brainteaser

Background and Challenge

Airplanes are taking off from JFK and LAX airports every hour on the hour continuously, flying identical New York-Los Angeles routes. The flight takes five hours. You are leaving New York at 12:00 PM EST and flying to Los Angeles (because it’s sunny and the beaches are great). How many airplanes flying the opposite route will you pass on the way there?

Approaching the Case Interview

  • What clarifying questions would you ask?
  • What do you know?
  • What logical traps might you want to avoid?
  • What information really matters and what is superfluous?
  • What assumptions, if any, would you need to make and why?

Brewery Profits

Background and Challenge

We are evaluating two beer-brewing companies, Cheapo Beer Company and Bourgeois Beer, Inc. Cheapo and Bourgeois are competitors; both have been reporting similar revenues over the last five years showing steady growth. Cheapo is designated the "All-American Beer" and is a staple at tailgate parties. Bourgeois markets its product as brewed fresh from mountain water. Cheapo has posted consistent profits that have been growing at a moderate rate whereas Bourgeois' profits have fluctuated significantly. Why is there such a difference? If you were CEO of Bourgeois, what steps would you take to minimize these fluctuations?

Approaching the Case Interview

  • What clarifying questions would you ask?
  • What do you know?
  • How would you organize your response?
  • What data would you want or need?
  • What assumptions, if any, would you need to make and why?
     

Large Pharma Co.

Background and Challenge

Our client is a large pharmaceutical company that has developed a cure for baldness. It's a pill that will rapidly (within three months) regrow your hair to the thickness that it was when you were 15. The pill, IPP2, needs to be taken daily to maintain that thickness. Estimate the size of the market for this drug and describe how you would go about pricing this product.

Approaching the Case Interview

  • What clarifying questions would you ask?
  • What clarifying questions would you ask?
  • What do you know?
  • How would you organize your response?
  • What data would you want or need?
  • What assumptions, if any, would you need to make and why?

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