CasebookChicago文档格式.docx
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TheUniversityofChicagoGSB
ManagementConsultingGroup2000-2001
1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000bytheUniversityofChicagoGraduateSchoolofBusinessManagementConsultingGroup,Chicago,IL.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanymeans,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.
Note:
Thisisasupplementtocurrent2ndYearStudentsfromtheprioryeartosupplementtheadditionalcasesandliteratureaddedinthisyear’scasebook.
TheinformationincludedfromPages1-16areguidestoapproachingcasesthatmightbeofuse,butwereprimarilywrittenforfirst-yearstudentsorthosethatareunfamiliarwiththecaseinterviewexperience.StartingfromPage17arethenewcasesthathavebeenincludedinthisyear’scasebook.
Againwewouldliketothankthosememberswhohelpedcontributetothelistofnewcasesinthebook.
Introduction
WHATISCASEINTERVIEWING
Caseinterviewingisthepreferredformofconsultingfirmstoscreencandidates.Thereasonforthisisthatconsultingfirmsdependonemployingflexibleanddynamicpeoplewhoareabletointeractextensivelywithcolleaguesandclientsinvariedenvironments.Thecaseinterviewisanefficient,butimperfectwaytoquicklyevaluatecandidatesfortheirabilitiesincludinganalyticalskills,knowledge,leadership,andcommunication.
Manytimesthecaseyouwillbegivenisfromtheactualexperienceofyourrecruiterandmaysometimesbetheverycasetheyarethemselvesworkingonatthetime.Donotexpectthatthereisananswertoeverycasethatyoureceiveasyouareevaluatedforyourabilitytodeterminethekeyfactorsinfluencingthesituationyouaregiven.Sometimesyoumaybeaskedtodevelopapotentialsolution,butinmanycasesyouonlyhavetimetoevaluateandidentifykeyareasthatinfluencetheproblem.
Thecasesyoureceivemaybeverydifferentfromthoseoftheothercandidatesduetoyourpersonalbackgroundandexperience.Ifyourbackgroundisperceivedtobeweakinonearea,althoughyoureceivethesamecaseasanothercandidate,theinterviewermaytryandevaluateyourabilityinthatskill.
Rememberthecaseinterview’spurposeistoevaluateyourabilitiesasaconsultantandnotaconfrontativeinterrogation.
HOWTOGETTHEMOSTOUTOFTHEMCGCASEBOOK
TheManagementConsultingGroupCasebookisoneoftheresourcesthatyoufindavailabletoyouhereattheGSB.InordertoprepareyoufortheupcomingrecruitingseasonyoushoulduseitinconjunctionwiththeotherresourcesofferedbytheMCG,CareerServices,andthefirmsthemselves.TheMCGResourceGuidetouchesonmanyoftheseavailableresourcesandprovidesasampletimetableofwhattodoonyourroadtotheConsultingCaseInterview.AttendingcaseworkshopsandothereventssponsoredbytheManagementConsultingGroupareintendedtosupplementtheinformationintheCasebook.
Tobestutilizethiscasebook,werecommendthatyouusethesecasesinpracticingwithotherstudentsbetheyfirstorsecondyears.TherearemanyotherexternalresourcesavailablethatwillhelpyoustartpracticingonyourownincludingofferingsbyVaultReportsandWetFeetPress.TheseofferingscanbefoundintheCareerResourceCenteratEdelstoneandissuggestedasanexcellentmeanstostartpracticingonyourownandbecomefamiliarwithcaseinterviews.Unfortunatelythecasesincludedinthesebookswerenotasusefulforgrouppracticing,whichisviewedasthemosteffectivemethodtopreparingforcaseinterviewingbypriorstudents.
what’snewinthemanagementconsultinggroup
TheManagementConsultingGroup’sWebpagehasbeenupdatedconsiderableoverthispastsummerandshouldbeagoodresourceforlinkstootherresources.ThesitewillbeupdatedregularlytoprovideyouwiththemostuptodatecalendarofeventssponsoredbytheManagementConsultingGrouporeventsthatrelatetoconsultingattheGSB.
TheMCGsitewillalsobeusedthisyeartoallowforcontinuousimprovementstotheCasebookandResourceGuides.Astheseguidesareprintedonpaperduringthesummer,manychangesinconsultingmaynotbecaptured.TobetterprepareyouforthesechangesbetheyinCasesorwithintheindustry,supplementswillbeavailablefordownloadifthesebecomenecessary.
TheManagementConsultingGroupwillalsobesponsoringafalllunchtimeseries,whichwillpresentmanyframeworksthatmaybeusefulinpreparationforcaseinterviewing.SelectedGSBProfessorsorinvitedConsultantswillpresentthesesessions.
Acknowledgments
The2000-2001MCGCo-Chairswishtothankthefollowingorganizationsandindividualsfortheirassistanceandsupport:
∙PastMCGCo-Chairswhohelpedcompilemanyofthecasescurrentlyincluded
∙OfficeofCareerServicesfortheirsupportandassistance
∙OfficeofStudentAffairsforhelpingtomakelifealoteasierincoordinatingallthelogisticsnecessarytooperatetheMCG
∙CurrentandpastManagementConsultingGroupmemberswhocontributedtothecollectionofcasesinthisbook
Sincerely,
TheManagementConsultingGroupCo-Chairsfor2000-2001
AlbertChowBradLibbyMarkGaffin
TripMeredithScottRockfeldAndyRojeski
Beforeyoustartreading...
Pleaseunderstandthatthisresourceguideisbasedontheopinionsandinsights
ofthepastandpresentManagementConsultingGroupCo-Chairs.
Responsibilityforanyerrors,factualorotherwise,
restswiththeManagementConsultingGroupandnotwithothercontributors.
IntroductiontoCaseInterviews
Formatofthecaseinterview
Asstatedearlierthecaseinterviewisthemostlikelyformofevaluationyouwillencounterduringyourinterviewswithconsultingfirms.Whilepreparingfortheinterviewsyouwillencountermanydifferentopinionsonthecaseinterview.Somestoriesyoumayhearmaymakeitappeartobeanelaborateformoftorturetoapieceofcake.Butaswithmostthingsitissomewhereinbetweenandwillbeeasierwithpractice.Againthegreatestcommentinhindsightbythosewhohavegonebeforeyouisthattheywishedtheyhadpracticedsomemore.
Astandard30-minutecaseinterviewformatcanbebrokendownasfollows:
1.Greetings/Introductions(1-2minutes)
2.PersonalQuestions–Oftenfocusingonyourresumeorthingsyouhavedoneandwereofinteresttotheinterviewer,makesureyouhaveyourstorydown!
(5-10minutes)
3.TheCaseInterview–Nowcomesthefunpart!
(10-20minutes)
4.Wrap-upquestions–Askoneortwoquestionsthatyouwouldliketoknowaboutthefirmandisalsoagoodtimetoaskwhatthenextstepisandtheirbusinesscard(1-5minutes)
Itisimportanttorememberthateachinterviewisdifferentastherehavebeencaseswhereduringthecourseofaninterviewnocasewaseverasked!
Inadditionsometimesyourbackgroundisspunintoapseudo-casewheretheywillaskpertinentquestionstobetterevaluateyou.Ofcourseontheotherhand,therehavebeeninterviewswhereyouhitthecasethesecondyousitdown.
Ofteninterviewswillcomeinpairs,soyoumaygetacasefromoneinterviewerandthenreceivenonefromthesecond.Alsodonotbeintimidatedasyouwillmaybeinterviewedbysomeveryseniorpartnersofafirm.Thisisnotintendedtoputpressureonyou,butgivesyouanideahowimportanttheseinterviewsaretothefutureofthefirmaswell.
We’veallbeenthroughinterviews,youwentthroughonetogetintotheGSBandweresuccessful.Sodon’tbuttoomuchpressureonyourself.
PREPARINGFORTHEINTERVIEW
Althoughthisguideisprimarilyintendedforpreparationforthecases,itisvitalthatyoualsoknowyourownstoryfromyourresume.Thisreflectstheimportanceofyourresumeontheinterview,sopleasetakeyourtimeinthinkingthroughwhatyouwanttoputtopaper.AsithasbeenfoundthatthefirmsusuallyonlylookatthefirstoneyousubmitasitistheonethatmakestheofficialresumebookthatisputoutbyCareerServices.Youmaybringanewonetotheinterview,butyourinterviewerwillmostlikelyhavealreadyreadyourresumefromtheresumebookandnotedcomments.
Westronglyrecommendthatyoualsotakeadvantageofresumereadingactivitieswherecareerservices,alumni,andsecondyearswilllookoveryourresumeandcomment.TheMCGwillbeholdingaresumereadingserviceformembersinOctoberaswell.
ButknowingyourstoryisveryimportantastheGSBhasareputationforbeingtoogearedintothecaseandnotbeingverypolishedontheirownbackgroundorstory.Thusitisimportanttonotneglectthisaspectoftheinterview,asstatedabovetherearesomeinterviewswherethecasewillNOTappearandwillfocusthespotlightdirectlyonyou!
SowhenpracticingforCases,itishighlyrecommendedtoworkinanofficialstyleinterviewwhereyougreet,talkaboutyourbackground,andthenhitthecase.TherewillbeopportunitiestopracticeaswellthroughMockInterviewssponsoredbyCareerServicesandothersincludingtheMCG.Forfirst-yearstudentsthiseffortwillspeedupattheconclusionofsecond-yearrecruiting.
Asyoubeginpracticingcasesitisalsoveryusefultoseektheassistanceofasecond-yearorotherindividualwhohasgonethroughtheprocess.Thiswillbetterprepareyouforwhattoexpectfromtheinterviewasitisnaturallyhardtopracticeforsomethingyou’veneverexperiencedfirsthand.
PracticingCases
PRACTICINGTHECASE
Althoughitisobviousthateverybusinessstudentmustdevotetimeandefforttopracticingthecaseinterview,itislessobvious