Management consultant interviews: 10 critical preparation steps
Here, I’ll focus on 10 important steps to prepare for business consulting interviews. As an overall piece of advice, the best way to become a strong interviewer is to interview in live situations frequently - thus the reasoning behind spreading a very wide net and applying to many different consulting firms.
Case study prep
1. Browse Case In Point - a very high-quality, 100% case-focused preparation guide
2. Peruse Victor Cheng’s website www.caseinterview.com - as a former McKinsey consultant, Victor has a strong grasp of successful case study techniques and strategies
3. Practice online case studies - most firm websites have plenty of cases (some like Bain even have video case studies). The key is to answer the question yourself before reading the suggested answer. There are good consulting websites with case study materials as well, including Rice’s Consulting Club
4. Practice with friends - if no friends can be found, search sites like Craigslist, consulting forums, and the like for suitable partners
5. Practice guesstimation/sizing questions in spare waking moments (eg, if you see a Ford while driving, think about how many Ford cars are manufactured in Mexico). It seems silly, but this is exactly how to become an expert at case studies
The most critical thing: practicing cases with current consultants. Don’t underestimate their ability to help.
Fit/experiential interview prep
1. Create fake fit interview questions and prepare sample responses - avoid rote memorization, but outline your main bullets.
2. Practice answering in front of a mirror - this helps familiarize you with body language, pacing, volume, and more
3. Practice with friends and colleagues - ideally have them ask you unexpected questions. Becoming good at improvising is crucial to acing consulting interviews
General interview prep tips
1. Wear something that looks clean, sharp, and makes you feel confident - first appearances are deceptively powerful. Dress like a management consultant, and people will think you deserve an offer.
2. Talk to as many consultants as you can - the better you understand the actual job, the more comfortable you are with consulting terms like “5,000 mile view” and “good client hands“, the better you’ll do. It’s also great for consulting job networking
That wraps up our tour of the necessary steps to prepare for management consulting interviews. Good luck!
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