Starting my preparation journey to become a Consultant

Great that you're starting early and asking for guidance. That's already the right approach.

Here's a simple path to get you going.

First, understand what consulting interviews actually test.

They look at three things: how you solve problems (cases), who you are (fit/behavioral), and whether you can handle the math and logic (quant). Your prep should cover all three.

On case interviews:

Start by watching a few case videos online to see what good looks like. Then read a case prep book to learn the basics. Practice easy cases first. Don't worry about speed yet. Focus on thinking out loud and staying structured.

Do 2-3 cases a week to start. Mix solo practice with partner practice. Record yourself and review where you stumble. As you improve, increase the difficulty and practice with people who can push you.

On fit interviews:

Prepare 3-4 strong stories covering leadership, teamwork, conflict, and impact. Use the STAR format but keep it natural. Practice telling them out loud until they flow easily.

Be ready to answer: Why consulting? Why this firm? Why now? Keep your answers clear and genuine.

On quant and mental math:

Spend 10-15 minutes daily on timed drills. Percentages, fractions, division, multiplication. This needs to be automatic by interview time.

On building business sense:

Read business news for 15 minutes a day. You don't need to memorize anything. Just get familiar with how businesses talk about growth, costs, and competition.

On timeline:

If you're starting from scratch, give yourself 2-3 months of consistent prep. Quality matters more than quantity. Stay consistent, track your progress, and adjust as you go.

One more thing:

Start networking early. Reach out to consultants on LinkedIn. Ask for coffee chats. Learn about their experience and get advice. This helps with preparation and can open doors when you apply.

Good luck. Stay focused and you'll get there.

Hey Ashish,

A simple, proven way to approach consulting prep:

Understand the game first: Learn how case interviews work (structure, hypothesis-driven thinking, communication). Start by e.g. watching YouTube videos of people casing to get a feel for the format, and talk to people in your network who’ve been through the process.

Read alongside practice: Use books, articles, and PL resources to build intuition around common case types and approaches, but make sure reading supports practice rather than replaces it.

Build fundamentals: Practice structuring and do daily mental math and market sizing, these are the fastest wins early on.

Practice with people: Start solving cases with peers as soon as possible. Playing the interviewer helps a lot to understand what “good” looks like.

Add guidance early: Having at least one coaching session early on can save you weeks by correcting basic mistakes before they stick.

Don’t forget fit: Start drafting your personal stories early (leadership, conflict, impact) as this is often underestimated.

And remember: Consistency matters more than intensity. Good luck with the journey!

Hi Ashish,

That’s an exciting step and you’re starting in the right way by asking for guidance early. The most important thing at the beginning is to build a solid foundation before jumping into heavy case practice.

Start by understanding what consulting interviews test: structured problem solving, clear communication, and business judgment. Familiarize yourself with basic case formats, common problem types, and what good answers look like. In parallel, work on your fit stories and motivation for consulting, as these matter just as much as cases.

Once you have the basics, move into case practice gradually, focusing first on structure and clarity rather than speed. Practicing with others and getting feedback is key, and many candidates also benefit from working with a coach early on to get the fundamentals right and avoid building bad habits.

Happy to help you map out a preparation plan if useful.

Best,
Evelina

Hi Ashish,

Great that you’ve decided to embark on this journey. Few suggestions to consider:

1. Learn about consulting - if you haven’t already, read up or speak to people who are in consulting and understand about how the industry works, who are the major players, what is a consultant’s role - this is to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. At the same time, if you managed to connect with someone in consulting, ask them if they’re comfortable giving a referral when you’re ready to apply.
    
2. Prepare for case interview - this will probably take the most time and effort so start this early. There are 2 parts to a case interview: (i) fit part to understand if you’d fit into the firm, and (ii) case study to understand your problem solving approach and capabilities. Start by understand the flow, there are plenty of articles, videos, and podcasts out there that shares how case interview works, otherwise feel free to also reach out to myself or coaches here to learn more. 
    
3. Prepare your CV - plenty of resources out there, you want a consulting style CV ideally to be used for your applications. 
    
4. Prepare for the online tests (especially for MBB) - MBB firms each have their own pre-interview screening tests, read up and prepare for them so you’d be ready to ace them when your application goes through. 
   
   Again, #2 will probably take the most time and effort to be prepared, so start early and leverage the resources you have here to maximize your chance on getting an offer. All the best!

Welcome to the journey, Ashish. It's an exciting path, but here is the critical advice that beginners often get wrong: The interview is won on the application, not during the case.

The common mistake is spending 90% of your time diving into detailed case practice. The reality of the MBB funnel is that your bottleneck is not passing the final interview; it is securing the initial interview slot. If you are not coming from a top-tier target school with perfect grades, you must flip that preparation ratio.

Your first 6-8 weeks should be 80% dedicated to maximizing your network and polishing your materials. Find alumni at Bain, BCG, or McKinsey and focus exclusively on securing warm referrals. A referred candidate’s résumé bypasses the initial blind applicant tracking system (ATS) filter and lands directly in front of a reviewer. Simultaneously, revise your résumé to quantify every single impact point using the language we expect (P&L impact, operational efficiency, synergy identification).

Only once you have built those strong foundations and secured the referrals should you ramp up the intensive casing practice. Start preparing your personal story and fit answers now, as this is often where high-potential candidates stumble when they are asked to speak fluidly about their impact.

Best of luck getting started!

Hi Ashish, welcome to the journey 

My biggest advice early on is to first understand what consulting firms really look for and how the interview process works, then build a solid foundation before rushing into cases. Focus on structured thinking, clear communication, and getting comfortable with basic business concepts.

Once you have that base, regular case practice and feedback make a big difference. If budget permits, do an initial session with a coach to have an assessment of your starting point, and direction on where you should focus on most to improve, and another session later on to track your progress.

Happy to jump on a free 15-min chat to answer any other questions, and best of luck with the prep!

Hi Ashish :)

That is an exciting step and you are starting at the right time. My main advice is to focus early on structured thinking, clear communication and consistent case practice rather than trying to learn everything at once, and to get feedback as often as possible. If you want, I am very happy to share a simple and effective prep roadmap, just reach out anytime.

best,
Alessa :)

Ashish, 

Your ideal journey is only yours, meaning it needs to be tailored for you based on where you are now, where you want to get to, how much time you have, and what your innate strengths and areas of development are. 

That's why a lot of candidates choose to work with an expert coach so they can navigate the process in a streamlined way that is outcome-based.

If you need help with this, feel free to reach out, and I can walk you through it. 

Best,
Cristian