Consulting Club Case Weeks 2014 with Excursus on PEI
This March the Consulting Club at the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) organised in cooperation with PrepLounge the Case Weeks 2014, a three-week event with one goal: helping participants successfully cracking the case! We started with a greatly informative introduction to PrepLounge and case solving approaches by its CEO Fernando Martinelli. Equipped with our case solving toolbox we were ready to solve the six challenging cases on PrepLounge during a three-week period in March. The Finale then took place on March 20th 2014 at the University where we had to show our case solving skills when competing against our colleagues from the Consulting Club. On top we got feedback from consulting experts. Very helpful!
Apart from case solving trainings and the final competition, the members of the Consulting Club had the opportunity for a unique excursus: a Webinar with a McKinsey Consultant on the Personal Experience Interview (PEI). We learned that high academic records and case solving competencies are just one part of the challenging application procedure on the way to becoming a consultant. An equally important point is the personal fit. The PEI is a popular approach used at McKinsey to find out if there is a match. The consultant gave us some great pieces of advice how to ace the PEI. First of all: be natural. Talk formally, but with a personal touch. Second: be structured and make it easy for your vis-à-vis to follow you. The interviewer wants to know how you think and how you behave when you’re leading a team or making a decision. So think about those situations in your life, at work or university and be prepared to describe exactly what you did and why. This type of assessment is vastly important as consultants spend much time with their colleagues at the office or onsite at the client’s premises. So they want to know with whom they will be working together. In this context the McKinsey consultant showed us impressively how a PEI is conducted and gave us great insights in order to be prepared for it.
Overall, the last three weeks were quite intensive and challenging. For some members of the Consulting Club it was the final preparation for upcoming interviews at renowned consulting companies, for some it was to get a first impression what it means to solve cases and perform in interviews. But one thing I’m sure of: For all of us it was a great experience!
Special thanks to: Fernando Martinelli (CEO of PrepLounge) and the Consulting Club Case Weeks Team.
Alexander Rüegsegger