VAULT GUIDE TO THE

CASE INTE RVIE W 2008 EDITION

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CASE INTERV GUIDE VAULT GUIDE TO THE

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CASE INTERVIEW

© 2007 Vault Inc.

CASE INTERV GUIDE VAULT GUIDE TO THE

Customized for: Jessica ([email protected])

CASE INTERVIEW

MARK ASHER, ERIC CHUNG AND THE STAFF OF VAULT

© 2007 Vault Inc.

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Copyright © 2007 by Vault Inc. All rights reserved. All information in this book is subject to change without notice. Vault makes no claims as to the accuracy and reliability of the information contained within and disclaims all warranties. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Vault Inc. Vault, the Vault logo, and “the most trusted name in career informationTM” are trademarks of Vault Inc. For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, contact Vault Inc., 150 W. 22nd St., 5th Floor, New York, NY 10011, (212) 366-4212. Library of Congress CIP Data is available. ISBN 10: 1-58131-530-9 ISBN 13: 978-58131-530-1 Printed in the United States of America

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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Vault’s acknowledgments: We are extremely grateful to Vault’s entire staff for all their help in the editorial, production and marketing processes. Vault also would like to acknowledge the support of our investors, clients, employees, family, and friends. Thank you!

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION

1

Why the Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Types of Case Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Skills Assessed in the Case Interview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 What Kind of Case Will I get? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

CASE STRATEGIES

7

Your Objective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Don’t Fret . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Top 10 tips for answering business case questions successfully . . . . . . . . .10 Common Problems and Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Thinking About the Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 The Case Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Specific Types of Business Cases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .