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solutions to the client, it’s a problem.” Don’t assume that attending a caseoriented business school will give you an upper hand. John Flato, Cap Gemini Ernst amp。 Young’s national director of university recruiting, says these candidates don’t seem to do any better or worse than candidates from noncase schools. Study different kinds of case questions. Just because your buddy interviewed before you and gave you a headsup on the questions doesn’t mean you have a leg up. Recruiters have tons of case questions in their repertoire, and the chances of their using the same question multiple times on one campus visit are slim to none. Get a classmate or friend to roleplay the interview with you, and use any resources (such as a casebook) that your school39。s consulting club provides. The more mock cases you sink your teeth into, the more likely you are to be relaxed and poised for the real thing. Sometimes you learn more by presenting a case question to someone than you do when solving the case yourself. Deliberately pick industries you39。re not familiar with so as to test your analytical skills, not memorized facts。 for instance, if your preBschool experience is mostly in media and entertainment, ask your case buddy to ask you about steel production or medical device marketing. That said, do consider brushing up on the basics in several industries—for instance, know the product development cycle in pharmaceutical research, and understand current trends in technology. (For more information on various fields, check out our industry guides.) Although each case is different, with practice you will improve your analytical reasoning skills and solution method. Think Through the ProcessWhen it es to strategy or product marketing questions, the interviewer will often give you only the bare bones of a case and will wait for you to request further details: How many petitors does the pany have? What are the major cost and revenue drivers? Who are the major clients? And don39。t forget to ask for the firm39。s mission—if you don39。t know what a pany39。s goals are, you might e up with a valid—but misguided—solution. Use some basic frameworks to drive your questions—the four P39。s and the three C39。s, for instance. A sample question Gibney used recently involved a manufacturer/distributor/retailer of puter products. This client has traditionally gone directly to the consumer and has developed a solid brand image. The client now wants an assessment as to the issues relating to the core business, as well as the opportunities for the pany to get into the services side, which it views as a highmargin/highgrowthrate business. The candidate now needs to provide an approach or evaluative framework for analyzing each of the two different problems. As long as it39。s permitted, work your answers out on paper. Pencils and pens, plus a notebook or legal pad should be standard equipment in any interview. “It’s amazing how many people show up without a pen and paper,” marvels Kamenna Rindova, a senior associa