Introduction

Analyzing 200+ full interviews I have noticed some patterns that you can use, to make your interview flow better. In this specific post, we will focus solely and exclusevely on the intial part of the interview.

The interviewer will give you a case-prompt. Jumping directly to structure a Framework would represent an enormous error on your side. In fact, while this part of the interview is not part of the ‘explicit evaluation’ from the interviewer, it is very much important to give a good impression on your interviewer and to gather info that will be then essential for properly structuring your framework.

What you are expected to do

• check with your interviewer your understanding of the case: Reformulate your understanding of the case, this doesn’t mean to repeat everything that the interviewer said to you about the case, but being able to syntetize the most relevant information.
• In general this can be done by specifing the
• • context: who is the client
  • Event: what has happened that destabilized the customer
  • Objective: Why the client is reaching out.
• Ask clarifying questions: Clarifying questions are very much important as they can be essential to better understand the customer, the case, the industry in which the company is working and to set up in the best way as possible your framework.

Not all claryfing questions will receive an answer, and in these cases the interviewer will just let you know that what you are asking is out of the scope of the case or will lead to an assumption to fill this knowledge gap. You should not worry in this case, asking for a claryfing question is more about the benefits than the costs. I see this step as a battleship game. If you are able to guess where the boat is with your shot, you will have new information to leverage, if you don’t, well the game continues and you can try again.

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What you are not expected to do

• Jump straight to the point: you start to develop a framework, without asking any information
• Insert your assumption: In this step you are just processing the case as it is, you don’t have to insert your assumptions, while, these could represent a fruitful idea for your claryfing questions.
• Asking claryfing question just for the sake of it: Your questions should always be relevent and up to the point. Asking random questions, will not help your interview process.

Suggestions for beginners

• Practice, Practice, Practice: When you start with your interview preparation process, it can be hard to think about questions to ask. No worries, it will come with time, as you will see more cases you will start to see patterns in them. As you develop more framework, will also help you ask claryfing question.
• See our Patterns.

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