💼Situational interview: how to prepare?
90% of interviews in international and big tech companies contain at least one case!
My friend recently increased her yearly annual salary by 20% by nailing a case interview. Please invest in your salary and dream job and prepare.
Cases are everywhere in life and on the interview! Especially important to know how to crack them😂
It is doable. There are just a couple of things to keep in mind to nail any interview!
🔝What is a case interview?
Scenario-based job interviews that test problem-solving skills. That is why case interview questions look like a Snapchat or simplified version of a real problem that a professional will solve in the future. In general, cases take about 20-30 minutes to complete. New information may be given as the case progresses to prepare candidates for additional questions from the interviewer.
🔺To understand the process and the goal of the interview
The company wants to test the tools in your toolbox. With more vital basic skills, they’ll know that you will be prepared to learn any new framework or technology in the company. They would like to test your ability to solve a problem and stress test your thinking process, and a case interview is the only way.
Some roles that face case interview
Engineers
Consultants
Product Managers
Designers
And many many more...
✔️Typical interview setup
An interviewer announced a problem playing a role of your client. The candidate needs to solve a problem in 30-45 min, free to ask clarifying questions, think aloud, use frameworks and finally summarize the solution.
〰️What is tested
-Made an effort to understand the business
-Have a business sense
-Apply structured approach
-Considered all the options (be creative) and their implications
-Prioritize in ambiguity
-Have analytical capabilities
-Estimate a variety of business metrics and see a big picture
-Communicate effectively and tell a compelling story
🆙 Preparation stages
Explore questions types
Find all kinds of questions to practice, at least a couple of times per each type related to your topic.
If you have 1hr: google and read guides, like this one
If you have 3hrs: “learn frameworks” books
Case interview secrets by Victor Cheng
More:
Questions for specific companies — Glassdoor.com
All kinds of randomly sorted product management — Thepminterview.com
Learn frameworks
It is easier to nail any problem having in mind a specific structure. There are a bunch of existing frameworks and, and you may come up with your own!
General: STAR – how to tell any story, RICE — prioritization
Case interview: Go to Market, Revenue- Cost, 5 Porter’s forces, etc
Product and design: CIRCLE – product design, HEART – success metrics
As an example, using STAR framework telling your stories with these elements will make it more powerful and clear to understand:
Situation: Explain the context for what was happening at the time you are discussing
Task: Explain your role in the situation
Action: Describe your actions in detail
Result: Explain the results of your actions, making sure to use concrete numbers whenever possible
Practice with peers. Always!
Practicing and getting feedback is a crucial stage of mastering any skill. Walk an extra mile— Record it. After reviewing the recording, try practicing your interview again to improve any areas that might need work.
To watch mock interview examples — PM Lesson
To find peers and learn frameworks — stellarpeers.com
Research the company
Review the company’s website, recent launches, and announcements and any news articles that may be available. You should know about their mission statement, values, and relevant recent changes. Try to include your research in your mock interview answers to practice delivering responses that will show the hiring manager you’re interested in the company.
On the interview
Make it a conversation, keep calm, take your time answering questions to consider questions carefully, and structure your thoughts to form thoughtful responses.
🥳Have fun! The most unusual but valuable advice.
An interview helps you to meet an exciting person and spend valuable time mastering your skills.
More about interviews:
Pre-Interview checklist, ✔️7 steps to nail any job interview, Essential business skills.
Enjoy it and comment if you need an advice! 🍀 Wishing the best of luck!