Hey everyone! I’m going through the interview process for a management consulting position and could really use some guidance. I’ve made it past the initial screening and HR round, but now I’m facing the case interview portion and honestly feeling pretty nervous about it.
My background is in liberal arts from a well-known university, so I don’t have much exposure to business concepts or corporate environments. Most of my experience has been in research and some work in healthcare/education settings. I’ve been trying to prepare by reading up on business cases and watching prep videos, but everything seems so focused on having that business foundation that I’m missing.
I’m usually pretty good at analyzing information and problem-solving thanks to my research experience, but I’m worried about not knowing the right business terms or frameworks. Has anyone here been through something similar? Would love to hear about your case interview experiences or get some tips on how to prepare better when you’re coming from a non-business background. Any encouragement would be awesome too since the nerves are definitely getting to me!
My friend jumped from English lit straight to Big 4 consulting and killed it! What helped her most wasn’t cramming MECE or Porter’s Five Forces - she just treated each case like writing a thesis. Break down the problem, gather evidence, test your hypothesis, present conclusions. You’re already doing this in research, just need to translate it. Practice a few cases out loud (talking through it helps way more than you’d expect) and you’ll nail it. The nerves are totally normal!
I made the same transition from academia to consulting, and your liberal arts background is way more valuable than you think. Consulting firms actively recruit from different academic fields because they need people who can think critically and explain complex concepts clearly—you’ve already developed these skills from your research experience.
Here’s a key insight: case interviews aren’t solely about business knowledge; they focus on your ability to approach problems systematically. Your background has trained you to dissect complex problems, formulate hypotheses, and draw meaningful conclusions from diverse data sets. That’s precisely what case interviews evaluate.
Instead of memorizing frameworks, concentrate on formulating a consistent approach to problem-solving. Practice articulating your thought process out loud and don’t hesitate to ask insightful clarifying questions upfront.
Many successful consultants come from non-business backgrounds, and their unique perspectives become tremendous assets once they leverage their analytical skills in a business context. You’ve laid a solid foundation—now, work on building confidence through practice.
Your liberal arts background is actually a huge asset for consulting! The research skills and critical thinking you’ve developed translate perfectly to case interviews. Don’t worry about memorizing business jargon - just show them how you break down problems step by step. You’ve already done this tons of times with academic research. Case interviews are really testing whether you can think logically and explain your reasoning clearly. They’ll give you the industry context you need. Do some mock interviews with friends or hit up career services to get comfortable with the format. That analytical foundation you built? It’s exactly what tons of successful consultants started with.
don’t stress about the biz terms - they wanna see how u think more than fancy frameworks. ur research background is great for breaking down problems. just practice talking through ur thought process and ask clarifying questions. that’s what they really care about.
Honestly? Consulting firms love liberal arts grads because you don’t think like every other MBA clone. They’ll teach you their frameworks - that’s easy. What they can’t teach is critical thinking, and you’ve got that covered. Forget the “business terms” stuff and just structure your thoughts clearly. Case interviews are basically logic puzzles with fancy corporate language. Your research background is actually a huge advantage, so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
Your research skills are exactly what they want! Liberal arts build solid critical thinking. Just practice walking through your thought process clearly - that’s way more important than cramming frameworks. You’ve got this!