来自中国最大的资料库下载©2005AccentureAllRightsReserved.CaseWorkbookuscareers.accenture.com/strategy2©2005AccentureAllRightsReserved.5142629163TableofContents•WhatisaCaseInterview?•TheCaseInterviewProcess•“Soft”EvaluativeCriteria•TypesofCaseInterviews•SampleFrameworksandApplications•PracticeCases来自中国最大的资料库下载©2005AccentureAllRightsReserved.WhatisaCaseInterview?uscareers.accenture.com/strategy4©2005AccentureAllRightsReserved.WhatisaCaseInterview?•Acaseinterviewisatypeofjobinterview,usedmostfrequentlybystrategyconsultingfirms,thatallowsanapplicanttodemonstratehis/herabilitytosolveagivenbusinessproblem.Duringacaseinterview,aninterviewerpresentsasituationorcaseandthenaskstheapplicanttoexploretheunderlyingcausesoftheproblemandsuggestrecommendationstoremedytheproblem.Thecasesgiventendtoberealbusinesssituations,oftendrawnfromtheinterviewer’sactualprojectexperience.Caseinterviewstypicallylastfromthirtytoforty-fiveminutesandanapplicantcanexpecttohaveseveralintheinterviewprocessatanygivenfirm.•Yoursuccessinacaseinterviewwillnotdependonidentifyingthe“correct”answer,butratheronhowclearlyyoudefinetheproblem,howlogicallyyoustructureyouranalysis,andhowwellyoucommunicateyourthoughtstotheinterviewer.Strategicconsultingfirmsarelookingforintelligentpeoplewhocanapproachbusinesssituationsinananalyticalfashion,thinkunderpressureandmaintainaprofessionalpresencewithclients.Acaseinterviewprovidesexcellentinsightintohowwellyouwouldperforminastrategyconsultingsituation.•Thepurposeofthisguideistofamiliarizeyouwiththeprocessofacaseinterview,introduceyoutosomepotentialmethodologies,andprovideyouwithsamplecasestopractice.Learningaboutcaseinterviewsisalsoahelpfulmeanstodetermineifstrategicconsultingisrightforyou,asthesecasesreflectthetypesofbusinesssituationsandstructuredthinkingstrategyconsultantsencounteronadailybasis.来自中国最大的资料库下载©2005AccentureAllRightsReserved.TheCaseInterviewProcessuscareers.accenture.com/strategy6©2005AccentureAllRightsReserved.CommonMisconceptionsaboutCaseInterviewsTherearemanymisconceptionsaboutthecaseinterviewandwhattheinterviewerislookingfor.Myth•Thereisonerightanswerorapproachtothecase•Theinterviewerexpectsyoutogettherightanswer•IndustryknowledgeisrequiredtodowellonthecaseFact•Usuallythereareseveralcredibleapproachesandsolutions•Theinterviewerexpectsathoughtful,structuredresponse•Theinterviewerexpectsyoutobeeffectivewiththeknowledgeyouhaveandmakehypothesesbasedonsoundcommonsense7©2005AccentureAllRightsReserved.CaseInterviewSuccessFactorsCaseinterviewsuccessdependsonprovidingathoughtfulandstructuredresponsetothecaseproblem•Understandthecasesituationandwhatisbeingasked•Analyzethecaseissuesandpotentialsolutionsinastructuredmanner•Makecertainyourthoughtprocessesaretransparenttotheinterviewer•Becreative,yetpractical-useyourbusinessjudgmentandgivespecifics•Listenforsuggestionsandhintsfromtheinterviewer•Engagetheinterviewer-itisokaytoaskfordirectionandclarification•Managetimeeffectively-maintainyourmomentum,don’tgetboggeddownononepoint8©2005AccentureAllRightsReserved.TheCaseInterviewProcess:StructuredProblemSolving•Theprocessofacaseinterviewparallelsthatofaconsultingengagement.First,youwillbegivenadescriptionofacaseproblembytheinterviewer.Thisdescriptionmaybeasshortasonesentenceoraslongasapageofdetailedinformation.Oncegiventhecasedescription,youwillneedtounderstandtheproblembyaskingwell-thoughtoutquestionsoftheinterviewer.Theanswerstothesequestionsshouldallowyoutodevelopanapproach(framework)thatyoucanusetoanalyzethesituation.•Afteryoulayouttheframeworkfortheinterviewer,youshoulddiscusstheanalysesyouwouldperformtodeterminepotentialsolutionstothebusinessproblem.Theinterviewermayaskyoutoperformsimpleanalysestotestyourhypotheses.Finally,youshouldsummarizeyourmethodologywithanyrecommendationsyoumayhave.ListentoCaseClarifyProblemDecomposeProblemTestHypothesisSummarizeFindingsStateHypotheses9©2005AccentureAllRightsReserved.ClarifytheProblemGoal:ArticulateKeyCaseProblemActivities:•Askclarifyingquestions•Probeforadditionalinformation•Assesscasefacts•Pausetostructureyourthinking•SummarizeissuesfordiscussionClarifytheProblem•Inconsulting,understandingtheclientsituationisfundamentaltodevelopingsolutionstoimportantproblemsaswellasrecommendationsforhowabusinesscouldberunmoreeffectively.Acaseinterviewmodelsthisbypresentingyouwithinformation,askingyoutomakesenseofit,anddeveloppotentialsolutions.Clarifyingthenatureofthebusinessissue(e.g.,decliningprofitability,lossofmarketshare,ornewcompetitivethreats)isanimportantstep.•Basedonyourquestions,theinterviewerwilloftenprovideyouwithmoredetailsaboutthecase.Bystructuringyourquestions,youwillcuetheinterviewertohowyouplantoworkthroughtheproblem.Itisimportanttobeflexibleinyourapproachandopentomultiplesolutions.Ifthequestionsyouareaskingdonotyieldusefulanswers,tryswitchingtoanalternateapproach.Remember,youarebeingpartiallyevaluatedonyourabilitytoaskinsightfulquestions.ListentoCaseClarifyProblemDecomposeProblemTestHypothesisSummarizeFindingsStateHypotheses10©2005AccentureAllRig