I’ve been poring over the community’s case study archive trying to crack the code on translating consulting skills to PE interviews. One example that stood out was a member who reframed supply chain optimization work as ‘pre-due diligence’ by emphasizing cost reduction impact on EBITDA margins. But sifting through 50+ examples feels overwhelming – how are others identifying which operational analysis projects actually resonate with PE hiring committees? What frameworks are you using to cherry-pick the most relevant case studies?
the secret sauce? stop overcomplicating it. PE guys want 2 things: how you made/saved money, and how fast. that ‘supply chain’ example only worked cuz they quantified the $$ impact. half these case studies are fluff - focus on numbers that survived real dd, not pretty frameworks
omg the healthcare ops case study from user @MBB2PE helped me so much!!! they showed how clinic turnaround=portfolio co value creation. my takeaway: always connect past work to future value generation. gonna try this in my upcoming interview!!!
Prioritize case studies demonstrating three elements: 1) Tangible financial outcomes (minimum 15% EBITDA improvement equivalent), 2) Stakeholder management in uncertain environments, and 3) Speed of execution. The best examples I’ve seen use consulting methodologies but frame them through an investor lens - e.g., market sizing becomes TAM analysis for potential add-on acquisitions.
You’ve got this! Focus on stories where you drove REAL change. The right examples will shine through - PE teams love actionable insights!
My ‘aha’ moment came from a case study about post-merger integration. Never thought my consulting work there mattered till I saw how someone spun it as ‘developing playbooks for rapid portfolio company scaling’. Now I use those same slides in PE interviews - got 2 second rounds so far!
Analysis of 23 successful transition cases shows 82% highlighted at least two concrete value creation levers. Top 3 referenced skills: 1) Operational efficiency quantification (58% of cases), 2) Management team assessment experience (42%), 3) Synergy realization frameworks (37%). Pattern suggests combining technical rigor with leadership narratives.