Category: Consulting Interview

Candidate completing an online case interview with an interviewer over video

Online Case Interview: How to Ace It on Video in 2026

Updated July 2026. By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant. An online case interview is a normal consulting case interview run over video, almost always on Zoom, and the firm scores it with the exact same criteria it uses in person: your structure, your math, and how clearly you communicate. What changes is everything around…
Read more

Professional cover image for an article on answering “Tell me about yourself” in a consulting interview, showing a candidate in a business interview setting with the themes structure, relevance, and impact.

How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” in a Consulting Interview

By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated June 15, 2026 “Tell me about yourself” sounds easy, so most candidates wing it and ramble through their resume in chronological order. That is a wasted opening. It is the first 60 to 90 seconds of your consulting interview, it sets the interviewer’s impression before the…
Read more

the image is a cover for an article about consulting coffee chats

Consulting Coffee Chat 2026: Questions, Prep, and Referrals

Updated July 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant A consulting coffee chat is a 25 to 45 minute informal conversation with a consultant (typically Senior Associate, Engagement Manager, or Partner) at McKinsey, BCG, Bain, or another consulting firm, used by the firm to assess your fit and used by you to learn…
Read more

Cover image for “Case Interview Dress Code: What to Wear” showing two professionally dressed candidates in navy business attire walking through a modern office, with the StrategyCase.com logo in the lower-left corner.

Case Interview Dress Code: What to Wear in 2026

By Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant · Updated June 2026 The case interview dress code at McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and other top firms is conservative business formal: a well-fitted suit in navy, charcoal, or grey, a crisp white or light-blue shirt or blouse, and polished closed-toe leather shoes. When in doubt, overdress. Here is the…
Read more

Consulting professional thinking through complex problems for a guide to consulting brainteasers and practice questions.

Consulting Brainteasers: 15 Practice Questions + Solver’s Guide (2026)

Updated July 2026 · By Florian Smeritschnig, Former McKinsey Senior Consultant Consulting brainteasers are short logic, math, or lateral-thinking puzzles used by tier-2 firms, the Big 4, boutique consultancies, and in-house consulting teams to test structured problem-solving under pressure. McKinsey, BCG, and Bain almost never use them, so if MBB is your target, brainteasers are…
Read more