What follows is a question from a CaseInterview.com student about his final round interview at Monitor Deloitte. The interview was described to him as a “role play” interview and he would like to know the best way to prepare for this kind of interview,  I include his question as well as my response.

Student Question:

Thanks for your website! It’s due to your advice and suggestions that I’ve received an internship offer for BCG in Europe.

My question is the following: I’ve also been invited to the last step of Monitor recruiting, and I was told it will be also about a “role play” – what is the best way to prepare for such a step?

I realize they will want to test my ability to stand in front of a senior CEO and be able to give smart, clear answers to possible objections on our proposed strategy, but how do I prepare for this type of interview ahead of time?

Thanks for your help!

My Answer:

Do case interviews with other people, where instead of being the interviewer they pretend to be “the client”… so instead of saying, “I would ask the client for A, B and C,” you ask the client directly.

The harder parts of these interviews are if/when the client aggressively disagrees with you or challenges your thinking (they do tend to do that in real life).  If the client is skeptical, they want to see 1) how you handle it from a professionalism and demeanor standpoint, and 2) how you logically prove your point to overcome the skeptic.

Best of  Luck