Govt Affairs Thinking About Switching to Consulting

Hey Sam!

First of all, I recommend reading the following:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/pitfalls-case-interview-preparation

https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-get-a-consulting-internship-tips-and-tricks

Different resources have different uses - hard to advise on exactly which will work best for you, but definitely research and told to people. Some good options are Preplounge, MCP, my course, craftingcases, and rocketblocks. All have pros and cons and different uses.

Hi Sam,

Q: Are there any suggestions regarding prep resources/ where to look for the most promising bang for my buck when it comes to prep?

In terms of general prep tips, I would recommend the following:

1. Identify the companies interesting to you. If MBB are not interesting to you, I would check at least Tier 2 companies (OW, RB, Kearney and S&) to expand the list. You can create a DB with all the companies you want to target so that you can look for a referral later for them (see point #7).
2. Define a calendar for your preparation. Identify how many hours you have before your expected interview and allocate the time slots for preparation in your calendar, working on the points below. Many candidates need 100+ hours to be ready before a consulting interview starting from zero so you can keep that as a benchmark.
3. Start reading good MBA Consulting Casebooks – you can find several for free online (INSEAD is a good one to start). Read the cases and try to apply your structure to solve them. Whenever you see there is something missing, upgrade your structure with the new insights. Try to read a new case per day – in this way you will absorb better the information with constant learning.
4. After the first 5-10 cases in books/casebooks and basic theory, start to practice live. PrepLounge can be helpful to connect with other candidates for that. There is a relevant part of the interview score that is based on your communication, which you cannot practice at all if you read cases only.
5. Keep track of your mistakes and see which ones you are repeating. This is extremely important, as otherwise you may do a ton of cases without fixing the real issues. If you find common mistakes, try to identify the reason for them (feedback from experienced partners would be particularly useful for this). Be sure to focus on both the behavioral part and the case part during the mocks. The case part should also cover market sizing, math and graph analysis.
6. Before your application, be sure to review your CV and Cover, so that they are in the required format for a strategy role.
7. At least 3 weeks before the application deadline, start networking to find referrals. You can find some tips here.
8. Before the interviews, be sure to prepare your questions for the interviewer  – a great way to show you prepared in advance and to connect with the interviewer for a good final impression. Ideally, try to find out who they are and study their profile to have good questions to ask.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

If you want to spend a few hours only instead of 100+ and cover everything mentioned above, I developed a program precisely for that. 

I can also share with you real questions for your target office (I have a DB with 1.500+ questions asked in 60+ offices you won't find anywhere else - you can check on my profile if I cover your particular office).

You can check the program at the following link to learn more:

▶ GYM Program

If you have any questions please feel free to PM me.

Best,

Francesco

Hi there!

Lots of helpful answers below. 

I wanted to add an extra tip: consider getting a coach in the beginning, even if for just a session. 

Usually when I start working with somebody I give them all my assets, which means they got for the price of a coaching session not only the coaching, but everything they need for the rest of their prep journey. 

Very few people are aware of this, so usually they spend time and money doing random online courses when they could go straight to the source. 

Best,
Cristian

Hello,

The important things you will need to do for the application process and recruiting cycle is as follows:

• Networking
• Familiarize yourself with case and behavioral interviews
• Write/edit resume and cover letter

Regarding prep material, I recommend the following:

• Look at the websites of the firms you want to apply for - they usually have sample cases and guidance materials
• Classic books like Case Interview Secrets or Case In Point that break down how the case interview process works
• PrepLounge, MConsultingPrep, Management Consulted for access to coaches, forums, and a range of guides and articles

Let me know if you have any more specific questions about the prep and I'll be happy to provide more details.