June R Massoud ⋅ Burlington, VT School Boards/Teaching, Tutoring Business and Technical Business ⋅ 25 years experience

I think they're looking for something original. You must stand out from the crowd. My guess is that all the MBA's are going to repeat the same thing. Besides, what good is it to hire an MBA at an aerospace company, which is heavily focused on aerospace engineering, unless you are trying to skip ranks and get to the top faster, which won't really please the employees who have been there longer than you. This is the reason MBA's can't find jobs, because none of them want to get their hands dirty in a real engineering job instead of starting out at the top in an engineering company where all they're doing is pushing paper or calculating numbers like accountants. This is counterproductive in the long run and can get someone easily fired if they make the wrong move. The MBA is not all it's worked out to be. Young people think this is their ticket to fast, big cash, well, in my experience as an engineer working in several places, let me tell you, they don't like MBA's with no engineering solid experience. That's my opinion which I have given you. Think about it, Food for Thought..... Best Regards, June R Massoud

Andrea Gnilka ⋅ Springfield, VA Deloitte ⋅ 5 years experience

Hi Jose,

I agree that Cosentino's "Case in Point" was a huge resource for me in preparing for the case interview, so I highly recommend that as something to dive into prior. It took some time to absorb and utilize, so allow yourself the appropriate amount of time to read and practice the exercises--a couple of weeks should be sufficient. Definitely look that one up on Amazon!

Best,

Andrea

Matt Zarracina ⋅ Minneapolis, MN Deloitte ⋅ 6 years experience

Jose Luis,

I would tackle the practice piece head on, you can do this yourself as I did it like you. The essence of the case interview is to showcase your ability to problem solve. I started by reading through Case and Point (I did not memorize their frameworks) but did leverage the concepts. I would then google and download practice cases. Start with easy ones and progress to harder. Once you feel ready, start timing yourself. Most Case interviews are 30 to 45 mins and you will have to answer around 4 to 7 questions during that time (time management is key). For example, you can expect to have to illustrate and discuss your initial problem solving approach to a case (how you will break down the problem and get to the answer) in about 60 to 90 sec (and if you haven't done that before that is fast). Once you feel ready on your own, start working with a few MBA friends you know to test you and give you feedback. If you are starting from scratch, I would give yourself ~2 to 3 months before attempting to interview.

Thomas Fineis ⋅ Chicago, IL Deloitte ⋅ 39 years experience

Hello Jose - I have mentored other vets in the interview process, too. It can be daunting for anyone, including those MBAs. A couple of thoughts come to mind: (i) get familiar with the Company - its business initiatives, company culture, growth prospectives, etc. All to frequently people interview for job without doing their homework about the company. Search its website, Google articles, etc. Let the interviewer know discreetly during the interview process that you know the company, and its high level needs and culture, and that you have the experience and skills that fit in; (ii) Practice, practice, practice with friends or family. Don't go in cold. Those MBAs have been practicing as part of their course work, job placement center, etc. You need to, too. Practice makes you comfortable with addressing questions on the fly that you might not have thought about. And you can learn to strike a good balance between not under responding or over responding to a question; (iii) Find a way to blend into your qualification story all the leadership skills, decision making skills - technical and with people, conflict resolution skills, etc, gained through your service experience. Here, you have a distinct advantage over those MBAs as they have a lot of book knowledge while you have LIVED it.; and (iv) during an interview, it is not "we" did this or "we" did that. It is "I" was responsible for this and "I" was responsible for that. You may have teamed with others, as you will in any other non-military job, but learn to take credit in a discreet way for that you have accomplished and the intangibles (very important!) that you offer. Does this help?

Jose Luis Munoz ⋅ Venice, CA U.S. Air Force, Senior Airman ⋅ 4 years served

Matt/Thomas,

Thank you for your insights!

Wish me luck with ATK.