I’m starting to feel the weight of interview prep now. I can do cases reasonably well in my own space, but I know that’s not the same as sitting across from someone at a firm who’s evaluating whether you think right. I’ve heard people talk about how the real anxiety isn’t the case itself—it’s all the stuff you didn’t prepare for. The weird vibe. The tangent questions. The moment where you realize you don’t know what they’re really asking.
I’m wondering if talking to people who’ve actually done these interviews would make a real difference. Not just tips, but like—realistic expectations about what you’re walking into. Because right now I feel like I’m prepping for something I don’t fully understand, and that’s creating more anxiety than it probably should.
Has anyone actually worked through mock interviews or debrief sessions with people who’ve been through consulting interviews? Did that change how you approached your actual interviews? What was different about hearing from someone who’s been in the room?
yeah, mock interviews help but not how most ppl think. the real value isn’t ‘here’s how to answer this’—it’s ‘here’s how it actually feels under pressure and how u respond.’ knowing someone crushed interviews doesn’t mean u will. but having someone watch u stumble, then help u see the pattern? that’s useful. your anxiety will go away when u’ve been uncomfortable enough times to trust yourself.
im nervous about this too ngl. would love to find ppl willing to do mocks
You’re going to do great! Get those mock interviews in, learn from real examples, and trust your preparation. You’ve got this!
I did one mock interview with someone from BCG before my actual interviews started and honestly it was nerve-wracking at the time, but then my real interviews felt manageable by comparison. He caught me overcomplicating my approach and pointed out I was talking too much upfront instead of asking clarifying questions. Changed everything. Just knowing what the discomfort actually feels like took away some of the fear.
Data on interview preparation effectiveness shows that candidates who engaged in 3+ structured mock interviews with feedback demonstrated 35% improvement in case performance compared to solo preparation. More importantly, candidates who received realistic expectations about interview format and firm-specific focus areas reported significantly lower pre-interview anxiety. The combination of process familiarity and expectation-setting appears to be the primary driver of confidence, not just technical case practice.