My hands shake during mock cases when I hit a blank. I’ve heard some folks here at MBB/FAANG swear by drills or accountability systems to stay calm. What specific techniques worked for you? How do you simulate real-pressure environments without burning out pre-interview?
Had the same issue! My mentor made me do cases while blasting white noise and texting me random math problems mid-case. Felt brutal, but by week 3, real interviews felt easier. Partnering with someone equally desperate helped—we’d shame each other into showing up at 6am to practice.
A 2023 survey of 120 candidates showed 68% reduced anxiety using timed drills with incremental complexity. Start with 15-minute cases, add distractions (e.g., background chatter), then scale to 30-minute sessions. Track physiological responses weekly to desensitize systematically.
stress management? just accept you’ll bomb a few. firms want robots, not humans. pro tip: beta-blockers. half my cohort used ’em. nobody talks about it, but hey, a VP once slipped me the name of their ‘vitamin cocktail’ before superday.