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nswer. You would really impress the interviewer after youre done if you offered to recalculate the answer using a different method, and then explained possible sources of error in your calculations! CASE 2: The Problem Case A large healthcare pany has brought in a team of consultants to determine an appropriate strategy for improving profitability through growth in the size of its operations. They hope to reach their profitability goals over the next three years. As one of the consultants, what would you do? This case has no single answer. Rather, the interviewer is interested in seeing how you approach the problem. The key is to appear logical and to demonstrate an ability to move from the specifics of the case to the general issues involved in improving profitability anywhere... In other words, the case isnt about healthcare at all. So dont panic if youre not an expert in the industry. Remember that the interviewer is principally looking for you to demonstrate analytical skill: How you think, how you structure a problem, and whether you are skilled at building a framework for thinking about a situation. You should be able to draw on models from petitive strategy, finance, marketing, operations, organization, or behavior. The point is this, however: You dont need to reference them just use them. Opening... A good way to begin this case is to question whether expansion of operations is the right way to achieve profits. Are they currently profitable? If not, growth just further destroys value and perhaps they must attack profitability from the cost side. If they are currently profitable, then they have three options: increase sales, lower costs, or both. Don39。 you deal with new clients, new problems, and new industries all the time Types of Cases CASE 1: The Calculation Case You are visiting a new client who sells golf balls in the United States. Having had no time to do background research, you sit on the plane wondering what is the annual market size for golf balls in the US and what factors drive demand. Your plane lands in 15 minutes, how would you go about answering these questions? This type of case is very mon, particularly in strategy firms like McKinsey and Bain. The interviewer doesn39。 Consulting provides an opportunity for professional development and ongoing business education Consulting allows you to leverage on the diverse set of skills you learn in BSchool Consulting provides a good balance between analytical work and people work And how does consulting fit into all this? Package yourself coherently. You don39。 What strengths does your background in theater m