General Tips on Preparing for Case Interviews

From the Tuck School of Business - Case Study document:

While each case interview is unique, here are some general tips that should serve you well in most of them:

· Bring a pen and a pad of paper. It helps to scribble and doodle while thinking-through and presenting your analysis. At times, drawing a picture
(like a decision tree) will help communicate your thoughts to the interviewer and will help structure and guide your analysis. Lastly, it is
often much easier to do basic calculations on a piece of paper than in your head—remember, you will probably be a little nervous and addition errors
do not inspire confidence.

· Feel free to pause. After being presented with the case, feel free to tell the interviewer that you need a minute to structure your thoughts. Reflect
over the case presented and do not be uncomfortable with the silence that follows.

· There is never a reason to panic. Do not panic if you know nothing about the industry the interviewer is asking about. Ask questions to get clarifications. You are not expected to know about all industries, but rather the underlying principles that are common to all. Some interviewers will answer one or two questions and then abruptly ask you to present your analysis. Do not let this rattle you; make assumptions and proceed.

· Structure your analysis before you begin. Before presenting your analysis, outline what you are going to say by presenting what you think are
the key issues. Structure is extremely important.

· Be clear about your assumptions. If you feel your analysis has led you to contradict something you assumed or said earlier, do not be bashful about
admitting it. Incorporate the new information in your analysis and proceed.

· When hopelessly lost, ask a question. If you get stuck at any time during the interview, do not hesitate to ask for clarification. What do you
have to lose at this point? By getting right back on track, you will greatly enhance your ability to impress the interviewer.

· Silence can be golden. It is better to be silent and think than it is to ramble pointlessly or ask irrelevant questions.