【正文】 viewer. 10. Quickly summarize your conclusionsYou have limited time in your case interview to make your point. If you are unfortable with quickly summarizing your conclusions, think about being faced with this classic situation: A consultant working for a multinational corporation inadvertently bumped into the CEO of the corporation while waiting for the elevator. As they got on the elevator, the CEO announced that he was on his way to a Board of Directors meeting on the 34th floor. He then instructed the consultant to brief him pletely on the major findings of the project in the time it took the elevator to go from the 1st floor to the 34th floor. While this is no doubt an urban legend, it is extremely likely that you will encounter timepressured situations many times in your professional career, especially in consulting, where time is a precious modity. Group cases While Monitor used to be one of a very few consulting panies that gave a group case interview, its popularity is increasing (and has been sighted at Andersen Consulting and McKinsey). In a group interview, between two and five candidates are given a case and asked to present their findings in one hour. A few consultants from the firm remain with the candidates to silently observe their progress. One important thing to remember is that the group interview is not a zero sum game. Everyone may get an offer, or no one may get an offer, confirms one consultant. The key with group case interviews is to show your keen organizational and teamwork abilities. Don39。t bully your fellow candidates, but don39。t sit back and quietly do as your told. One recent group case interviewee suggests, Present your thoughts on how to divide the analysis. Listen to what others have to say. If you disagree with their thoughts or estimates, say so, but never be denigrating or rude. Look like you39。re having a good time. Otherwise, the analysis is pretty similar to a regular case.Common problems and troubleshootingEven though the case interview isn39。t designed to stress you out (brainteasers are another story), invariably, consulting candidates get nervous during their interviews. Even MBAs get nervous, says one business school student. You39。re really on the spot and you keep thinking about the job. But, say recent interviewees, don39。t be so stressed that you assume that you39。re doomed. A lot of times, you39。ll make a remendation, and the interviewer will start arguing for another oute. They are just doing that to see if you stick to your guns. On the other hand, if you39。ve done an analysis based on an assumption that is blatantly wrong, and the interviewer makes this point to you Well, don39。t you think your estimation of the annual consumption of electric blankets in the United States as 3 billion is a bit high, considering there are only 275 million people in the country? don39。t blindly stick to a flawed conclusion. In fact, it39。s pretty normal to make erroneous assumptions or conclusions during the case interview. One consultant says: One of the most mon mistakes case interviewees make is to screw up once and then freeze. They assume that they39。ve irrevocably ruined their chances at the firm. But in fact, learning from mistakes is a big part of being a consultant. The interviewer will be impressed if the candidate can rebound. If you go the wrong way, it doesn39。t necessarily result in a ding, confirms another consultant. Most interviewers will try to lead you back to the true path. If you can pick up on this and follow their lead you will still be in the running. Thinking about the case Many business case questions ask you to do some form of reasoning or logic thought process. Here are some types of business case questioning that you should bee familiar with. While not exhaustive, many business case questions fall into these general categories of thought process: Weigh the pros and cons You will be asked to identify and describe the various tradeoffs between two or more choices. Break down a plex system Given a large multifaceted problem, sort the problem39。s pieces into distinct elements and articulate the overall nature of the issue. Resolve a conflict When presented with a situation in which two or more elements are in direct dispute or opposition, you will be asked to develop a framework for resolution. Interpret the numbers You will be presented with a series of financial or other quantitative exhibits and be asked to develop and articulate a synthesis of this information, which may involve some basic conclusions (but not necessarily an answer to the problem). Fill in the blanks The interviewer will provide you with minimal information. You will be expected to scope the situation through a dialogue with the interviewer and then most probably address one of the other categories listed above.Specific types of business casesMany business cases can be categorized as one of the following eight mon types of business cases. Some may be binations of two or three case types, or require you to solve problems that fall into different categories. Falling Profits Case In a nutshell: This type of case asks you to explore the possible reasons behind a pany39。s drop in profits. What this type of Q is designed to assess: Analytical ability, drilldown from a highlevel statement, understanding of financial instruments, munication, industry knowledge Useful concepts/frameworks: Market assessment, BCG matrix, product mix assessmentSome examples of falling profits cases: Bunny New Media is an Internet content provider that has had three straight quarters of high profit gains, followed by a 50% drop in profits this quarter. What has happened? Hill Construction has been under contract with the City of Los Angeles to build a new subway station. However, Hill39。s latest financial statement shows a steep decline in profits relative to this time last year. W