Interview Preparation

How we interview; preparing for an interview

Novantas interviews are structured around case situations and problem solving. Most interviewers begin by asking you to describe your background, skills, interests, and attributes that would make you a good member of a problem solving team. Think about your answers to this before you sit down in an interview room. Appearing unprepared, particularly in describing yourself, is a poor way to begin.

The main part of the interview consists of solving business cases. Occasionally, interviewers ask you to solve math problems in addition to business cases, particularly if it is not obvious that you have a strong quantitative background.

The case is not a test, but rather the basis of a dialogue between you and your interviewer. Some do’s and don’ts are described in the case preparation section, but at a minimum, you should anticipate how you will approach a case interview and seek some feedback from friends or family as to how your approach comes across. For example, once you have the basic information from the interviewer, do you intend to ask questions to gather more data? Or ask questions to validate your analytical framework? Or describe how you are going to solve the case? Or raise the important business issues as you see them? There are many ways to approach problem solving, and you should at least have practiced how you intend to do so prior to walking into the interview room.

Finally, you will have some time to ask some questions of the interviewer. Before your interview, think about what questions or concerns you have. Try to answer the question yourself, and test as to whether it’s a good question or frivolous. Not having questions, or asking frivolous questions, are usually perceived as a lack of interest on your part.