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As if job interviews weren’t already scary enough, case interviews can be a different challenge in the hiring process. To sum it up, case interviews are similar to job interviews regarding format; however, the difference is that case interviews will ask you technical questions depending on the position you’re applying to and have you assess and solve the problem. Case interviews are a great way to show off your performance in the field and show your employer you are great at problem-solving. Like any job interview, you must prepare for a case interview accordingly. However, you cannot practice as you’d rehearse for a formal interview. So before you get ready, try following these tips for case interview success!
Do Your Research!
Though this applies to any company you’re applying for, researching is a massive part of case interview success. Not only will you be researching the company and what your position requires, but you will also have to research what kind of problems they may face, what services they offer, and different ways to solve problems in your company’s industry. The more information you look at, the better. Research plays a more significant role in case interviews since they are more technical and focused on performance, so it’s best to come prepared. Also, if you are currently preparing for your first case interview, familiarize yourself with their format and see if any websites specialized in your field offer tips, resources, or even case interview sample questions you can study with.
Practice Communication
Communicating your ideas is crucial in case interview success. Knowing how to articulate them in a specific time frame best will get you this success. So when you practice, make sure to rehearse your communication skills as a whole. Whether you say “um” a lot, have trouble finding the right words to explain something, or even fail to develop ideas, identify what weakness your communication skills have and keep practicing so you can avoid making these kinds of mistakes in your case interview. If you don’t understand a question, ask the person interviewing you if they can repeat it or expand on what they meant. They’ll appreciate you being honest a lot more than an incoherent response.
Manage Your Time Wisely
Time will be your best friend during case interviews. If you can manage your time correctly, you are bound to acing it. This not only applies to the speed at which you can solve the problem at hand but also to take your time with the questions the employer gives you so you can come up with thorough responses and answer the questions. It’s also best not to dwell on a particular question, especially since case interview questions are designed to be complex enough to test problem-solving but not too complex to the point it takes up a whole meeting.
Be Rational – Yet Creative
Companies require case interviews because they want to see the kind of mentality potential employees can offer, both logically and creatively. So sometimes questions will have exact answers, like qualitative, data-related problems, and other times, they might want to look at how you think and how you can come up with solutions. So if the question doesn’t ask for specifics like math, don’t always aim to get the questions right, but get your answers to be logical and based on what you know.
