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Skills, Tips, and Tactics

Honing and Highlighting the Consulting Skillset

In the previous article, we introduced the key skills an effective consultant is expected to possess — but now what? As an aspiring consultant, simply knowing which skills to show on your CV is not enough; you’ll also need to know how to hone and highlight these skills, which is what we’ll be covering in […]

Categories
Skills, Tips, and Tactics

What Skills Do Firms Want in Aspiring Consultants?

The role of a consultant is dynamic and complex, requiring a unique blend of skills that go beyond pure technical proficiency. In this 2-part article, I will outline the 5 key skills of an effective consultant, then discuss how to hone and highlight these skills. Being a consultant is no easy feat, and almost every […]

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Leadership

Lead Management: Fostering Good Habits in the Workplace

In the previous article, I introduced the concepts of boss and lead management, and it seems clear-cut that the latter is superior and preferable. In this article, I explore why managers might struggle to implement lead management and fall back into the bad habits of boss management. Scenario – The Tardy Employee Consider a classic […]

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Leadership

Boss vs Leader: Two Distinct Management Approaches

No one likes a tyrannical, controlling, and disempowering boss. A heavily top-down approach might have worked in the past but this style of boss management is increasingly ineffective and alienating to employees. In the modern workplace, the best managers have instead embraced a more empowering and collaborative method known as lead management. While most companies […]

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Career Advice

Consulting: Your Gateway to Diverse Career Avenues

Choosing a career path to dedicate years of your life to is never an easy decision, and this applies whether you are an undergraduate seeking a first job fresh out of university, or someone looking to make a career switch. After all, faced with the tantalising possibility of all the possible paths you could take, […]

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Career Advice

Beyond Consulting: Accelerating Your Professional Career

Individuals looking to fast-track their careers frequently find themselves lured by the exciting world of consulting in today’s fast-paced and constantly evolving business environment. Beyond the veneer of prestige and a lucrative 6-figure salary, however, lies a highly intense and competitive industry, leading naturally to a high turnover rate as many choose to exit this […]

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Lifestyle and Experiences

Pursuing Balance in Life as a Management Consultant

Management consulting is widely known as a highly intense industry. Much is expected of consultants in terms of hours of work, quality of output, and responsiveness to client requests. The sheer intensity of the industry is a big reason why many consultants end up burning out within 2 years, opting to exit into more relaxed […]

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Networking

Networking your Way into Management Consulting

Networking with industry professionals is a key strategy for anyone looking to break into the consulting field. Building relationships with experienced consultants and other industry experts can help you gain valuable insights into the profession, learn about job opportunities, and gain the knowledge and skills you need to succeed. Here are 5 tips for networking […]

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Career Advice

Breaking into Consulting as a Non-Business Student

One of my biggest fears when I first gained an interest in consulting was that I was simply ineligible as a non-business student. Fortunately, this is not the case. Breaking into the consulting industry with a non-business degree can be challenging as a sizeable portion of hires are from top business schools, but non-business hires […]

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Interviews

Acing the Fit Interview — Finessing Negative Stories

Acing the Fit Interview: Strategy and Approach Motivation Questions Effective Storytelling Finessing Negative Stories In the last article of this series, you will learn about complex questions designed to trip up even the best of candidates. Negative Stories Questions that enquire about a weakness or failure can be a point of discomfort. After all, who […]

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Interviews

Acing the Fit Interview — Effective Storytelling

Acing the Fit Interview: Strategy and Approach Motivation Questions Effective Storytelling Finessing Negative Stories In the third article of this series, you will learn about personal experience questions that demand a different approach from motivation questions.  The START Framework Many interviewing guides out there espouse the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) that purportedly outlines […]

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Interviews

Acing the Fit Interview — Motivation Questions

Acing the Fit Interview: Strategy and Approach Motivation Questions Effective Storytelling Finessing Negative Stories In the second article of this series, you will learn about the often-underestimated motivation questions like “why consulting?” and “why this firm?”. “Why” Questions Innocuous as they might seem, it’s important to answer them well because they contribute significantly to your […]

Categories
Interviews

Acing the Fit Interview — Strategy and Approach

Interviews at consulting firms are often broken down into 3 segments: Fit Interview (~10 mins) Case Interview (~30 mins) Questions and Answers (~5 mins) While the vast majority of content out there focuses on the case interview, it is worth pointing out that the fit interview should not be overlooked. Anecdotally, some candidates with poor […]

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Career Advice

The Ups and Downs of a Career in Consulting

Consulting is one of the most prestigious careers you can pursue upon graduation. Every year thousands flock to apply to top consulting firms such as McKinsey and Company, Bain and Company, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Without a doubt, a career in the management consulting industry comes with many short- and long-term benefits. However, many […]