Trisha Sheel Jaiswal

The final interview consists of 3 aspects that one must prepare for. Firstly, the case interview. The preparation for the D-day case interview started from the day shortlists were released. We were briefed about the process by CRUX and formed groups of 4 to practice cases. While preparing with the case group, I also did cases with seniors who were efficient in administering cases. I found it very helpful to have to prepare by setting daily and weekly targets as it helped me keep track of my progress.

The second aspect of the interview is the behavioral questions. These not only help on the final day interviews but also help in the pre-process engagement events. Hence, I made sure to have my narratives and reasons for the basic BQs ready while also researching the firm to exhibit to the recruiter my interest in the firm.

And lastly, it is important to be ready with a question to ask the interviewer. More often than not, at the end of the interview, the interviewer asks if there are any questions for him. Having a good question to ask them would help leave a lasting impression on the interviewer's mind.

The process for each firm varies marginally but it is a month-long process where several aspects of one's personality is evaluated. Buddy interactions are employed to assess you preparation and growth and company dinners are conducted to gauge your proactiveness and interest. On the final day, the case problem statements are usually guesstimates, profitability, market entry and unconventional cases.

The interview will include BQs like "Why Consulting?", "Why XYZ firm?" etc. Although the questions might not be CV based but the interviewer might construct a problem statement based on prior work experience or internships to gauge your knowledge. For example, my first round of McKinsey interview I was given a guesstimate based on my internship project in the pharmaceutical industry.

In the early stages of my case preparation, I believed that a parameter for good case preparation was the no. of cases solved. However, later I realised a good parameter to assess your preparedness is continuous revision of the cases solved and the feedback given. Another thing that I would have done differently is investing more time in research of various industries and frameworks. After solving 2-3 cases from major industries, it is important to break down the industry as comprehensively as possible based on the learnings.