Live for the moment, seize the day, carpie diem. These well cited cliches for stress management are based on the logic that by focusing intently on the present moment we can set aside past regrets and future anxieties. Doing so can provide us with a greater capacity to perform and succeed. Interestingly, such mottos directly […]
Category: Consulting
You did it! You successfully interviewed for a position at your dream consulting firm, and you have received and accepted an offer. However, you have multiple months before you begin. Maybe you received this offer after a summer internship and must return to school for a final year. Maybe you interviewed in the fall but […]
In June 2021 at the annual G7 summit in Cornwall, major western powers committed themselves to the idea of a global minimum corporate tax. This shift is part of a longer-standing endeavour by the OECD to prevent international tax avoidance called the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) initiative. The BEPS initiative has two main […]
The first time I attended a large financial institution’s information session at my university, I showed up in casual clothing and stood in the back of a sea of blue and black suits. After an introduction speech all the employees spread around the room and crowds of students formed around them. The room became remarkably […]
This article was inspired by a recent conversation with an IT prodigy who specializes in building virtual games used for recruitment purposes. Online assessments, aptitude tests, and gamified problem-solving tasks have become ubiquitous in the recruitment processes of top companies, with consulting firms being some of the earliest adopters. However, the scope of these tests […]
If you have the privilege of attending university and are excited about problem solving, you may be interested in building software solutions. Being a student at university is a great time to build products that serve as a solution to problems the world may face. As a student you have access to incredible resources such […]
Whether it be a personal website or your client’s e-commerce platform, understanding website analytics can help you to uncover critical data that leads to success. In this article I will explain a few key analytics that you should look for, and quick fixes to improve website engagement. What are analytics? Website analytics involves tracking and […]
Have you ever wondered why someone would be attracted to consulting as a profession? Prior to Accenture offering me a position, one of my interviewers asked me “what attracted you to consulting?” This is a common question in consulting interviews, and it is one that usually throws people off. I often hear people say they […]
As a young professional, fresh out of university I was certain I knew which career path I wanted to take. I had done extensive research into the consulting industry and was a member of the consulting club at my university. I knew then without any doubt that consulting was the great career choice for me, […]
Although virtual meetings have become a norm of working life post COVID-19, there is much that still feels strange about them. Be it physiological difficulties caused by staring at a screen for hours at a time or psychological troubles resulting from the knowledge that your face is being projected onto other people’s screens, there is […]
Some of the best years of your life will be spent at university. After spending 18-years under the guidance of your parents, you gain the freedom to explore the world, study a degree of your choice, discover who you are, and explore potential career options. Pursuing tertiary studies is not only about the academics, but […]
The past two years have certainly been challenging. Every business sector was disrupted and negatively affected by the pandemic and its aftermath. Today, companies are desperately seeking strategies to retain customers, rebuild inventories, and restructure operations to fit the new business environment. Companies are also starting to adopt digital tools to streamline daily operations. These […]
Whether you are in school or working full time, the goal is to eventually make enough money to become financially free. While many consulting blogs help you land a lucrative main job and career, this specific article will suggest some side hustles to bring in extra cash. Since there are different opportunities at the various […]
When asked what consulting firms do, consultants often simplify the industry by describing it as a “one-stop shop” for formulating and implementing strategies that lead to solutions for their clients. Working for a multinational consulting firm such as McKinsey, Deloitte, or Accenture exposes an individual to various industries, companies, and well-known brand names. The value […]
The concept of virtual meetings is fairly simple. You host a meeting that would otherwise be held physically via an online platform, most probably Teams. One may assume that the etiquette that applies to in-person meetings would also apply to virtual meetings. This would not be completely incorrect. All of the basic rules of etiquette […]
Marketing is an incredibly important function of any growing business. Marketing is generally the initial point of contact in a customer’s purchasing journey. It is where the company connects with customers. In this article, I would like to share a few tangible pieces of advice that may benefit you if you are planning to jump […]
Has your manager ever said, “Could you build the team slide deck?” Have you felt unsure where to begin? Communicating through PowerPoint, also known as a “slide deck”, is an important part of any consulting, strategy, or analyst role. These materials serve multiple purposes including as a visual presentation aid, material that can be shared […]
Time is like currency. You spend time completing tasks, eating meals, working out, and hanging out with friends. When you spend your time, it is not lost, but rather exchanged for something else. You may receive a salary, full belly, stronger muscles, or simply an enjoyable time. This basic transaction occurs every day of your […]
Ever heard of the saying “take care of your mental health before your mental health takes care of you?” This sums up the fast-paced, highly pressured environment of management consulting. There are a number of reasons why people decide to take up a career in consulting, including: Exposure to a variety of projects and industries […]
As a management consultant at Accenture in South Africa, many students, graduates, and aspiring consultants ask me how they can maintain confidence throughout their consulting journey. Truth is, I am still trying to figure it out myself. As an extroverted individual with a bubbly and outgoing personality, I have always had the ability to bring […]
A manager at Accenture has been known to say that “analysts are often over enthusiastic about the consulting industry”. At first glance, I did not understand what this meant because it seemed normal to take on as many roles and responsibilities as possible. The motto analysts live by is “never say no to managers or […]
As part of a consulting engagement or broader enterprise strategy alignment, you can expect to plan and run an offsite at one point of your career. While an offsite can provide a great environment for team building and alignment, planning and running one could be stressful and time-consuming as it involves multiple executive-level stakeholders and […]
There are many steps to take in preparing to apply and interview for a consulting position. If you are just starting out, you will find yourself editing your resume, preparing answers for experiential questions, and practicing business frameworks to use in the case interview. However, there is another hurdle that you must keep in mind […]
When applying to consulting companies, you will encounter a questionnaire that asks you to select your office(s) of interest. This process is unique to consulting, compared to some other industries. For example, if you are an engineer or a scientist, you might be limited to a specific location that performs the work you are trained […]
Categories
Investigating Career Journeys
A career is as unique as the individual. Most people I talk to, regardless of what stage they are at in their career, can connect the dots as to how they arrived at their current position. However, if you asked them to predict their current job 5 years ago, most of them wouldn’t have been […]
The current era is one of innovation and transformation in which new discoveries are constantly being made. This is occurring in all fields of knowledge, but some are making more progress than others. Innovation is of great importance to corporations as new methods can be used to operate more effectively and efficiently, which can ultimately […]
As an underclassman eager to gain professional experience, you may be curious where to begin. There are plenty of ways to gain experiential learning opportunities as a freshman and sophomore. Although these are not “traditional” business internships, these experiences can teach professional and leadership skills, and educate you about certain industries. In this article, I […]
The most common reasons people choose to pursue an MBA is for a career switch or as a steppingstone to a managerial role. MBA candidates have the opportunity to acquire a multitude of skills that are applicable to a variety of industry and managerial positions. One of the less pursued career paths is that of […]
Categories
Maximizing Your Summer Internship
Stepping into an internship programme can seem like a nerve-wrecking challenge. But you should be excited about the opportunity to gain new knowledge, acquire great skills, and meet incredible people. The following article will help to maximize your internship before the program starts. 1. Before the Internship Evaluate Commitments Firstly, do your best to evaluate […]
This article continues on from Part 1, in which I shared some of my experiences of working with an internal strategy team at a large financial institution, and some of the main projects and activities I undertook. In this article, we will explore the 7 main differences between internal strategy and management consulting. Note that […]
Each industry, company, and project team consists of people doing specific types of work. As you join a new firm or a new group within that firm you will need to leverage what you already know and be prepared to learn new things. You will have some time prior to accepting a new position when […]
I initially started out my career in management consulting, exited to an internal strategy team in industry, and pivoted back to consulting. This two part article series will provide valuable perspective for those who are considering internal strategy teams as their next career option as I unveil my personal thoughts and experiences. In this article, […]
Your manager is arguably one of the most important people you will engage with during a summer internship. Your manager may be assigning deliverables, connecting you with colleagues, and answering your questions. Regardless of what company or industry you work in, you will most likely have one-on-one meetings with your manager. The cadence of which […]
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with nearly 800 million members in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. It is also the oldest of the major social media networks, being launched in May 2003, nine months before Facebook. LinkedIn is a crucial tool for finding and posting jobs. Around 45 million people use the platform […]
Whilst COVID has been a universal force of devastation, bringing both the greatest number deaths and economic declines seen in decades, it has also been a force of transformation. For all the destruction, there has been an equal and opposite force of construction as people have found ways to adapt to the ‘new normal’. This […]
Categories
Your Network is Your Net Worth
If you choose to pursue an MBA, you will surely learn a lot. One of the most consistent lessons that you will learn from the first to the last day of your MBA is the power of networking. From classmates to professors, guest lecturers, alumni, and LinkedIn connections – your duty is to increase and […]
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Mastering Cold Outreach
One of the best ways to learn is from other people. People are databases of knowledge. Through conversation, you can tap into a professional’s experiences, opinions, and network. The art of mastering cold outreach is one that takes practice but can become an incredibly useful tool. This article will explain how to make the most […]
It’s no secret that a healthy workplace is a more productive workplace. However, with remote work and working from home on the rise, many employees have faced challenges with transforming their spare bedroom or basement area into an organized and productive home office. The environment which is chosen for your day-to-day work should be well […]
Categories
How to Get an Economic Consulting Job
Economic consulting is the more analytical but lesser-known sibling of management and strategy consulting. The industry comprises global players like Analysis Group, Cornerstone Research, and Charles River Associates that help hundreds of clients each year with complex economic problems that often require a lot of expert-level testimony and data analysis. This space provides a perfect […]
When we start using Excel, a lot of us dabble with it by creating simple formulas. After that, we might perform some more complex calculations using some of Excel’s pre-set functions, and in this context by far the most powerful feature in Excel is the nested IF function. In this short post, we will first […]
Career paths which are dominated by knowledge workers all have one thing in common. The personal interests of the individual drives their career. I have heard about and personally experienced the “choose your own path” phenomena of consulting. Wherein you can express interest in a certain type of work and network with managers and principals […]
So, you recently graduated high school, got into a top school, and now suddenly you are bombarded with talk about internships, clubs, top firms, consulting interviews, and more. It can feel overwhelming at times, especially so as a freshman, but as interview cycles are pushed further up the calendar, and slots become more competitive, thinking […]
Academic learning is no doubt incredibly important. Attending lectures delivered by experts is the foundation of a university program. However, learning does not end at the end of class. Experiential learning is the idea that you can learn by doing. In experiential learning, you learn skills such as communication, project management, and teamwork. These skills […]
Frameworks. Experiential Questions. Case Studies. Presentations. Questions. Resumes. There is a lot to think about when preparing for consulting interviews, and you may want to check out some of our other blog posts and guides for preparing your resume, creating your cover letter, and improving your network. This post will focus on the main similarities […]
Consulting is one of the most sought-after careers for graduate students looking to work in a high-responsibility and dynamic work environment. While almost everyone has heard about the prestigious careers in management consulting, there is a career that is quite similar and just as lucrative in economic consulting. In this article, we will examine a […]
Whether it’s your first time on a new project, or a task you have done many times before, you will always have to balance the volume of work with the time available. If you are working in a new functional team serving unfamiliar clients in a new industry, then there will obviously be tasks that […]
Congratulations! You received an interview with a consulting firm! Management consulting interviews generally have two types of assessments, behavioral and casing. This blog will help shed some light on what to expect and how to prepare for behavioral assessments. Behavioral interview questions help shed significant light on you as a candidate. Recruiters are assessing your […]
As work and non-work activities become increasingly blended, having a clear purpose and creating your own definition of work-life balance will be critical to a sustainable career. As most of us spend the majority of our time working, it’s important to consider where that time is spent, how to manage your tasks and energy, and […]
If you are interested in consulting roles, case interviews are an integral part of that process. Your heartbeat will pulse with excitement when you receive an e-mail letting you know that you made it to the interview stage. Yet, this is also where the challenge begins. The interview is a nerve-wracking experience. No matter how […]
Tax advisory is primarily the province of the Big Four: Deloitte, PwC, EY and KPMG. A major specialisation of the tax departments of all four of these special services firms is transfer pricing, making it worthy of a closer look if you are considering entering this field. Transfer pricing comes into the picture when the […]