Career Center – Case Study

This selection procedure is primarily used by consultancy firms or investment banks. The case study simulates the day-to-day challenges faced by a consultant. This method is also frequently used for candidates with little or no professional experience, such as recent university graduates. The questions are drawn from the day-to-day operations of the company or the wider economy. They are based on topics such as competition, productivity, strategy, investment or innovation. At the same time, the focus is naturally on your personality and how you behave in challenging situations. In addition to your professional competence, great importance is also attached to your interpersonal skills.

The company wants to find out how you structure a problem, what logic you use to arrive at a solution, how you handle the figures provided, and how you react when faced with uncertainty. It is also important that you understand the question you are asked and prioritise the resulting topics. The company expects you to be able to develop hypotheses, carry out calculations, draw up concepts and make a recommendation for action within a specified time frame. As various solutions are possible, there is no right or wrong answer; rather, the focus is on a convincing and logical presentation.

• Work through case studies independently so that you can identify common pitfalls and develop a routine.
• Collections of case studies can be found both on the internet and in the literature.
• Discuss specific case studies (ideally based on your own experiences) with friends.
• Practise cost calculations and other topics that may feature in a case study.
• Use exercises to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and develop strategies to address them.
• You can find sample exercises at staufenbiel.de, amongst other places

• It’s important to get off to a good start.
• If you don’t understand a question, you can ask for clarification, but try not to ask too many of them.
• Present your approach to the problem clearly and in a structured manner. A visual representation is helpful.
• Please ensure that you follow the priority list (most important points first).
• Take your time when doing calculations – that way you’ll avoid mistakes.
• Please do not hesitate to provide estimates.
• To express your thoughts out loud so that the person you are talking to can understand them.
• Observe the body language of the person you are talking to. This can indicate whether you are on the right track with your approach.
• Keep your cool – that’s the only way to make the right decisions and come across as confident.