Tips to ace your next interview with Oliver Wyman

With a mix of conversational and case interviews, our approach is designed not only to get to know you and to understand more about your strengths and interests, but also to enable you to learn more about our people and our business.

Conversational Interviews

These interviews provide the opportunity for us to find out more about your background and interests, as well as for you to learn about our firm. Ultimately, our goal is to assess and understand your interest in business and your goals for the future. You can expect to hold a conversation with your interviewer about your accomplishments, experiences, interests and career objectives. This is also a good opportunity to ask questions about Oliver Wyman.

Case Interviews

The case interview is an interactive exercise in analytical thinking that allows us to assess how you approach and evaluate a problem. There are many types of cases; all are designed to allow you to demonstrate your problem-solving abilities. And you’ll learn a lot about the kinds of problems we solve for our clients, since many of your case interviews are based on real world challenges.

Think of the case interviewer as your client. Your interviewer wants you to solve the problem, and can help. The key is to work together!

• Pinpoint the issue – think about the scenario. Ask clarifying questions. Summarize your understanding of the situation in your own words.
• Break it down – are there smaller problems inside the big one? Put your initial thoughts on paper. Diagram your ideas. Structure your thinking process. Ask for the additional information you need.
• Pick an approach – show your client why it’s better than the alternatives. State your assumptions. Agree on the key concepts to explore more fully.
• Analyze the issues – analyze and incorporate data into your thought structure. If you need more data, ask for it. If you’re stumped, take a creative leap.
• Use numbers – show your quantitative skills. Be careful with simple calculations.
• Make a recommendation – summarize your key findings: What has your analysis told you? Tie it all together: How does your recommendation answer the key issues? What should your client do?