Case Study How to

The Case Study Interview framework I used to get offers at McKinsey, Bain & BCG

Ronald Mitchell

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Back when I was at Harvard Business School, I interviewed for summer internships with the Big Three Consulting firms: McKinsey, Bain & BCG. I got offers from all three. I subsequently decided to work at McKinsey in NYC for the summer (probably stupid – I had an offer from Bain San Francisco). 

 I did not read any Case Study case books, but I developed my own methodology based on my background as a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley combined with a few things I learned in operations and marketing courses first year. I found that this framework enabled me to thoughtfully address any of the case study questions that I encountered. 

 I have found that there are three general types of Case Study Questions:

1) Profitablity Questions

2) Efficiency Questions

3) Market Questions

To see my framework for each of these, click the links below: 

Case Study Interview: Profitability Question Framework

Profitability case study question may come in many forms. Here is an example:

XYZ Company’s  CEO has asked us to identify the reasons for her company’s declining profits and develop suggestions for how to reverse this trend.

Profitability is driven by only two factors: revenue and expenses. Subsequently, every profitability question should start there. Revenue is equally simplistic in its composition.   Revenue is driven by price and volume. Expenses are somewhat more complex. Expenses are composed of input, operational, accounting and financing costs. Now that we know the two (2) drivers of revenue and the four (4) drivers of expenses, we aggregate them to come up with the six (6) factors of profitability. Therefore, EVERY issue of profitability will be driven by one of these six factors.

Below, I have outlined the six factors and provided a few initial questions that you should ask during the...