The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a rigorous program of study. While other typical MSc degrees require 30-40 credits, MBAs require 50-60 credits over the course of two years. To graduate from the Global MBA Program at The George Washington University you need 55 credits. That means the program is heavily loaded with classes, […]
Category: Consulting
When it comes to recruiting, consulting firms have a roster of schools’ from which they source the majority of their summer interns and full-time employees. This dedicated school-based hiring is generally referred to as “campus hiring”. Most firms also hire students from ‘non-core schools’, but these are usually a small minority of campus hires. Students […]
Due to COVID-19 and the lack of physical interaction the “virtual coffee chat” has become a thing. I receive 2-3 LinkedIn messages per day asking to schedule a call so that I can share my personal experience in consulting, answer recruiting-related questions, and sometimes even review a resume on the spot. However, due my busy […]
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Market Sizing Case Interview Questions
Market sizing is the test of a consultant’s mettle. It is a classic case interview question, in which a candidate is asked to make an estimate. A market sizing question literally asks a candidate to estimate the volume or the value of a something. This could be the size of a market or something from […]
You can generally tell whether you did well in an interview based on the connection you built with the interviewer. You have probably been in situations where an interview felt uneasy and awkward because of a lack of chemistry with the interviewer. Have you ever thought, “I just couldn’t click with the interviewer” following a […]
Making a shift into the consulting world may feel daunting, especially if you have no prior exposure to the industry. As such, learning how to be as confident as a consultant presents a conundrum. How are you supposed to be confident when you do not have a consulting background? Case interviews are synonymous with consulting […]
Everyone I know in consulting entered it in large part as a means of career advancement, be it through the ranks of the consulting industry or with the intention to pivot into a different career down the line. Yet, what does it mean to get the most out of the consulting experience for career advancement? […]
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Do’s and Don’ts of Case Interviewing
Interviews are difficult – they involve researching the company, preparing for informational interviews, and practicing behavioral questions. If you are aiming for a consulting internship or full-time job, there is also an unavoidable hurdle you will need to jump – case interviews. These evaluate a candidate’s thought process, business acumen, familiarity with frameworks, communication skills, […]
Thinking about consulting as a career? Thinking that an MBA program is a good place to start? Well, you’re on the right path! You are probably curious about HOW exactly an MBA program will support you with your transition to consulting. Maybe you’ve heard about school consulting projects, strong alumni networks, and classes that can […]
It’s been a while since we were distanced from the office, and it’s not looking to end anytime soon. Many tech companies such as Microsoft have announced that they plan to let employees work remote permanently. Working from home is the new normal. As much as people are tolerant of interruptions from a weak internet […]
With virtual internships emerging as the new normal for the foreseeable future, it may be best to examine how to successfully stay on top of your virtual internship and complete it as if you were doing it physically. To make the most out of your virtual internship, it matters what you put in. Aspects such […]
Employers think ex-consultants are the bees-knees. There are lots of reasons for this. Here are four of the best. 1. The Experience In principle, consulting provides an incredible grounding in business. A consultant who does two or three years is likely to be exposed to all sorts of industries and commercial situations. A consultant might […]
According to Business Insider, the odds of getting hired by McKinsey & Company are less than 1%, although this is not unique to McKinsey. To secure a final round interview at Bain, you would have to be in the top 3% of applicants for that office. No one enjoys being turned down, especially in the […]
There are various reasons why people decide to pursue an MBA including career advancement, career change, wanting to start a business, and professional networking. Most MBA programs teach the same core topics: finance, marketing, human resources, negotiations, strategy, consulting and organizational management. What really distinguishes a program from its peers are the students that the […]
Everyone was new once. For many of you, that first day is still to come. In this blog post, we will focus on three things that young analysts need to be aware of. Some mistakes are avoidable if you can get your head around them. Others you will probably notice yourself doing anyway. Hopefully you […]
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Coronavirus & Consulting Offers
The coronavirus epidemic has rattled the planet. Universities are shutting down or going to online learning, California has issued a mandatory lockdown for its 40 million residents. The UK has 3,500 known cases of the virus and London will probably be shut down in the next week, if not before. Commerce has ground to a […]
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Mental Models: Maps of Meaning
A mental model is simply a representation of reality. The world is complex, and so we cannot account for every moving part and keep all the details in our brains. In the words of the famous physicist Richard Feynman: “You only think you know, as a matter of fact. And most of your actions are […]
By no means do I pretend to see the future, but I think I can take an educated stab at how consulting life may change once the COVID crisis is over. Many prospective consulting candidates are probably keen to know what to expect. I want to highlight that I speak not only from my own […]
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Creating a Dashboard
At the most basic level a consulting engagement (or any strategic project) will typically contain three-phases: Structure and propose a strategy Implement and execute on the strategy Track the performance of the strategy Phase 1 and 2 are where the consultants spend most of their time, but phase 3 is also an essential part of […]
As someone who does volunteer career coaching, I have unexpectedly been fielding some questions from prospective consulting candidates about how best to manage a second job while attending to a consulting career. The people I talked to wanted to continue doing something they were passionate about, things like running a start-up or bartending. I’m sure […]
What is essential for successful marketing mix modeling? Regardless of method, MMM can be successful only if accurate and highly specific data are available upon which the modeling can be based. The greatest barrier to successful modeling is always a lack of relevant, specific, accurate data. So, the first step in any modeling effort is […]
When you walk into an interview, even before you speak, shake hands or talk through your resume, something else is doing a lot of talking in your behalf: your appearance. Even though your clothes do not speak, they communicate a lot about you. Whether you like it or not, physical appearance has an effect on […]
Most consultants reckon that about 70 percent of projects fail to meet their objectives. Reasons for this are wide-ranging. Many issues are project specific. They may relate to specific management issues or special situations that limit consultants’ effectiveness. Some of the problems with consulting projects happen ALL the time. 1. Non-implementation The first problem is […]
Dear University Student Seeking to Enter Consulting, Let’s be honest. Due to the global economic and health impacts of COVID-19, getting any job offer just got a lot harder. The consulting industry at large has scaled back hiring, and so securing a consulting opportunity will be difficult. For many of you, the realistic challenge is […]
There’s a lot more to being a great intern than being intelligent and producing high-quality work. It can be summed up in one word — professionalism. Professionalism is an ambiguous concept. It was only a few years ago that I began to realize its importance. To have a decent chance of receiving a return offer, […]
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A Note to University Seniors
Dear university seniors, I really sympathize with the senior year recruiting grind. It’s not easy, and I would argue that for many of you this will be one of the most challenging points in your career. Why? I’m going to painfully lay out your situation. You have no full-time work experience except university, which has […]
I don’t remember anyone talking about it back when I was recruiting for consulting, but I have noticed that one major contributing factor to consulting workplace satisfaction is having friends at the firm. By friends, I don’t mean the typical “workplace friends” that you get along with at work, get coffee with, and maybe go […]
Networking is a normal part of student life. The term networking nowadays usually connotes interacting with business people with the goal of achieving a professional outcome, and this becomes increasingly important as the academic journey comes to an end. In the consulting industry networking is more than just gaining a few names and LinkedIn contacts, […]
As a volunteer graduate school advisor, I often get asked if acquiring an additional graduate degree in addition to an MBA as a dual degree student improves consulting recruiting opportunities. As a dual degree myself (MBA and MPP) who has encountered numerous MBA dual degrees in consulting of all types, I thought it would be […]
As a consultant you’ll have plenty of things to think about as you build your career. This article looks at some of the key questions to consider as you pursue a career in the management consulting industry. Is consulting for you? Probably a good question to ask upfront. When wondering whether consulting is for you, […]
Every year strategy consulting firms and agencies that specialise in executive business management and the “maximising shareholder value” approach receive billions of dollars for their services (Management Consulting, 2020). Are consulting firms about more than just advising management? What else do consultants accomplish for a business? To understand what value is offered by consultants, we […]
Are you interested in pursuing a career in management consulting? It can be difficult and time consuming to figure out which firms to target in your journey to break into the industry. To help you get started, we have prepared a number of guidebooks, which list many of the top consulting firms. The guidebooks give […]
In my previous article, I shared my thoughts on mentorship and how to become a more effective mentor. However, that article only highlights one side of the mentorship journey; mentees play an equally important role in determining whether that relationship becomes valuable and long-lasting. While there is no “perfect” mentor, finding a mentor who is […]
Although COVID-19 has created new problems and obstacles for many of us, the situation has also brought out the best in all of us in terms of our willingness to help others. Over the past few weeks, I have observed people giving back to their communities by supporting local businesses, creating services to help job […]
Negotiating is something we do every day, with everyone, for everything. We started negotiating as babies when we cried to get what we wanted and gradually built up our negotiation tactics to negotiate dinner locations, job offers, problems with partners, and basically anything that life throws at us. Knowing how to negotiate successfully for whatever […]
As I’ve watched the COVID-19 situation unfold, like many of you, I’ve been fearful for the future of the economy and the well-being of individuals around the world. Quite honestly, however, during the first few weeks of the crisis I hadn’t focused on how it would impact my own situation or how it would disrupt […]
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The Intern Guide
Insights from 2 years of Successes and Failures in Internships During university I had the opportunity to do five different 4-month co-ops (internships) in capital markets, management consulting, and strategy. Let me begin by saying that I was not a superstar intern. I made mistakes and always had room for improvement. I was constantly learning, […]
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How to prepare for case interviews
Case interviews can be a hurdle or stepping stone at the beginning of your consulting career. The difference lies in your preparation and ambition for a consulting career. The interview tests your problem solving ability, communication skills, composure and interpersonal skills. Many resources exist to prepare for the case interview, which can make it overwhelming, […]
During COVID-19, working from home has become the new norm. This is a new experience for many of us, and poses new challenges and distractions that can make it difficult to stay focused and productive. I’ve been getting asked a lot lately about productivity, and so I thought I should dedicate an article to it. […]
Managers come in all shapes and sizes. They naturally have different styles and the junior consultants who are best at adjusting to them often have the most success. Of course, when you get to the very top of a consultancy or any other organisation, managers tend to be good. Partners are partners because they are […]
Consulting is a career where you hit the ground running. Having a clear direction and strategy for your career early on can grant you amazing advantages, but so can keeping your options open and exploring the opportunities offered by consulting. This article identifies what lies ahead for graduates considering a future in consulting, and highlights […]
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EY buys Port Jackson Partners
EY has purchased Port Jackson Partners, a Sydney based boutique management consulting firm. Founded in 1991 by ex-McKinsey Directors Terrey Arcus and Fred Hilmer, PJP works with CEOs, boards and executives in Australia and overseas to set corporate direction, define business strategies and develop organisations. EY-Parthenon already has around 15% market share in Australia, but MBB […]
Consulting is a complicated job that requires a deep understanding of the problem at hand, processing large volumes of data, producing a solution and communicating clear action-oriented recommendations to the people in charge. When you have to work from a distance, conducting these steps can be an issue. Due to the latest situation created by […]
During the recruiting process, it was interesting to hear consultants talk about how much of their job is about conducting learning activities. By learning activities, I am not speaking about on-the-job-training. I am specifically talking about structured formal learning events such as classroom learning (including online), instructor led workshops, and interactive lectures. For prospective consultants […]
First of all, I am not going to presume that I can see the future, but I’m going to base my thoughts upon two broadly appreciated assumptions about COVID-19’s impact on the future. Any recessions brought on by COVID-19 will have effects that persist at least through 2020. Aspects of social behavior initiated as part […]
During both consulting recruiting and the initial months working in consulting, experienced by myself and my friends, the top priority for a consulting career which has been consistently emphasized has been delivering excellent client work. Arguably, the second priority has been persistent learning. Both of these are pretty self-evident to understand and appreciate. However, there […]
Companies sell products to a broad variety of industries and customer segments, and it’s often hard to know where to focus the sales, marketing and product development efforts. Who should you listen to and who should you be chasing? Within your target market, there will be customers that are “ideal” you. They buy quickly, […]
The past couple weeks have been a crazy time – millions are getting sick, cities are on the verge of shutdown, and firms are having all non-essential personnel work remotely. COVID-19 has certainly changed the way many are living and working all over the world. As my firm and project team have adjusted to working […]
It is said that to really understand somebody you have to walk a mile in their shoes. Analysing a customer journey, from prospect to buyer, allows the business to step into the customer’s shoes and experience the whole process from their perspective. Professor Bernd Schmitt of Columbia Business School is credited with creating the concept […]
You might have been given an opportunity to have a coffee chat with a firm representative or with a Partner at your dream consulting firm. However, one observation that I have made as both a potential hire looking for a job and as a consultant guiding others is that oftentimes, we are not prepared for […]