This is a summary review of Case Interview Secrets containing key details about the book.

What is Case Interview Secrets About?

“Case Interview Secrets” by Victor Cheng provides a comprehensive guide to acing consulting case interviews and landing a job at a top consulting firm. (Full Summary…)

Case Interview Secrets Summary Review

“Case Interview Secrets” by Victor Cheng is undeniably a comprehensive guide that delves into the intricacies of one of the most challenging corporate job interviews – the case interview. Victor Cheng, a former McKinsey management consultant, combines his insider knowledge with a hands-on, real-world perspective, providing readers with a proven method to ace the case interview.

Cheng’s credentials, having secured job offers from renowned consulting firms such as McKinsey, Bain & Company, Monitor, L.E.K, Oliver Wyman, and A.T. Kearney, as well as his experience as a McKinsey case interviewer, lend credibility to his insights. His protégées, now working in major strategy management consulting firms and Fortune 500 companies, further attest to the effectiveness of his approach.

The book caters to a diverse audience, including undergraduates, MBA candidates, PhDs, and experienced-hire applicants. Cheng not only demystifies the secrets behind case interviews but also exposes the unspoken evaluations made by interviewers behind closed doors. His emphasis on subtle yet specific performance differences that distinguish successful candidates and the common mistakes to avoid makes this book a valuable resource.

Cheng provides readers with a roadmap to navigate the critical first moments of a case interview, highlighting the three specific things interviewers expect in the initial five minutes that can significantly impact the outcome. His insights into what interviewers truly look for and why, coupled with practical examples and case studies, offer a strategic advantage to aspiring consultants.

While Cheng advocates for a feel-based approach to case interviews, he does not neglect the importance of fundamental techniques. The book covers a variety of aspects, from core problem-solving tools to the synthesis of information, leading to multiple job offers. His coverage of what every interviewer looks for and practical guidance on obtaining multiple job offers reflects his commitment to preparing candidates comprehensively.

Despite its focus on case interviews, Cheng goes beyond the technicalities. He sheds light on the psychological aspects of interviews, providing strategies to understand and meet interviewer expectations effectively. The book’s approach of not only telling readers what to do but also explaining why certain approaches succeed or fail contributes to a holistic learning experience.

Victor Cheng’s “Case Interview Secrets” stands out as a valuable resource for those navigating the competitive landscape of consulting interviews. Its balance between fundamental techniques, psychological insights, and practical examples makes it a go-to guide for anyone aspiring to secure a position in top consulting firms.

Who is the author of Case Interview Secrets?

Victor Cheng is a former McKinsey & Company management consultant, strategic planning consultant, public speaker, and author of several books on business. He is a graduate of Stanford University with a BA in Economics and MA in Sociology.

How long is Case Interview Secrets?

• Print length: 292 pages

What genre is Case Interview Secrets?

Business, Nonfiction, Management

What are good quotes from Case Interview Secrets?

“If there isn’t any obvious segmentation pattern, avoid stating the segmentation pattern you want to see. Instead, phrase your question such that the interviewer tells you which segmentation pattern is the right one to use.”

“(In practice, most consultants will try up to 20 segmentation patterns and discover the most insightful one only through trial and error.)”

“As you “drill down,” you ignore the parts of the business where the problem does not exist to focus on the areas where it does. Once you’ve isolated the root cause, say, “This profitability problem is actually being driven by a decline in sales volume in China” (and not anywhere else).”

“You will do one of two things as soon as you’ve exhausted what you can determine mathematically in the case: (1) Refine your hypothesis and create a custom issue tree to drive the rest of your analysis, or (2) shift to understand qualitatively what you’ve determined quantitatively as the root cause of the client’s problem.”

“At this point, it makes sense to switch to the business situation framework to understand qualitatively why sales volume in China has dropped so severely.”

“JUST LIKE A scientist devises an experiment to test a working theory about a disease, you need to determine how to test your client’s problem or challenge. Interviewers commonly call this step problem structuring”

“Disaggregating Costs You need to break down (segment and isolate) cost into its component parts, and you can do this in many different ways.”

“A fixed cost doesn’t change as the number of units sold changes.”

“A variable cost changes, typically linearly, with the number of units sold.”

“When analyzing costs, it’s often useful to segment them into fixed versus variable costs. You can do this in two ways. One way is to disaggregate your cost per unit into fixed costs per unit and variable costs per unit.”

“In my experience, the two most useful comparisons to make are the following: Compare a metric to itself in a previous time period. Compare a metric to the rest of the industry.”

“The preliminary conclusion here is that the profitability problem the client faces is a company-specific problem, not an industry-wide problem. Determining the root cause is important because having to reframe it later could fundamentally shift your hypothesis and the subsequent issue tree or framework you use to test it. For example, if the problem is clearly a company-specific problem, it doesn’t make sense to analyze competitors. It makes sense to analyze the client’s operations and perhaps circle back to competitors later if something you discover about the client’s operations warrants a comparison to competitors.”