What is a case study interview and why are they used?

- When I was in my college business classes, I would sometimes think, am I ever going to use this stuff? Sometimes I felt like the material was incredibly relevant to what I wanted to do, and sometimes I felt like the principles weren't actually going to be helpful in real life scenarios. That's why companies use case studies. They want to see that you're able to translate what you learned in school to real-world problems at their firm. They want to see that you understand what makes a company profitable, or how to implement a solution, or develop a go-to-market strategy that will create real results, or craft a plan to reverse a declining business. Essentially, in a case study interview, you're proving to the employer that you can do the job before you have the job. At its core, a case study interview is an interview in which the candidate is given a challenging business problem that they have to find a solution to. It mirrors what happens on the job, except for one teensy tiny detail. This type of interview condenses what would normally take a team six to eight months to solve into 30 or 40 minutes for the candidate to solve. Talk about warp speed. The common place this interview style is used is for management consulting roles. However, you can find them in a variety of professions. It just depends on the company's hiring process. Additionally, case study interviews can be written, in person, or in a group format. Regardless of format, these are known to be challenging, high-pressure, and exhausting. That is by design. But if we look at it from a different perspective, we should kind of be glad they make it so challenging. After all, an employer wants to ensure that you won't be drowning if they do give you a job. The worst thing that can happen is you land a job, get overwhelmed, and move on. They are not only looking for rock star professionals to help them in their business now. They want to see you be successful in the long term. Remember, in a case study interview, there is no one right answer, but rather showing the employer your process to coming to your conclusion. And, if you think of it as a fun project, rather than a timed test, it will be a lot easier to complete.