Consulting Q&A - Stelle Fragen rund um Deine Karriere in unserem Consulting-Forum

Hi,

Getting a referral could help you:

1. The consultant makes you a reference in the system and uploads your resume. Usually, he has to indicate why he thinks you are a good candidate
2. You skip some steps in the recruiting process (CV screening at McK, Test at Bain)
3. The consultant gets referral bonus ($) if you get a job offer

As you can see simply mentioning a person in your CL does not change the process at all.

The conversion to reference will be higher among consultant / manager level people who are still interested in the referral bonus. The basic idea is to ask these people for a mock interview.

Here are some tips on how you can do that:

1) Leverage your own network - find friends or friends of friends who can practice cases with you or make you a reference.

2) Attend company events. Consulting companies do a lot of events both for graduates and experienced hires. Find the social network groups related to consulting or websites, subscribe to newsletters and stay tuned. Also, check if they have events in your University since you are a PHD.

While some of the events will be open to everyone, others will require a resume and a cover letter, so make sure to prep.

3) Talk to people on the events and send Thank You notes. After each event, there is a Q&A session where you can talk to consultants 1 on 1 or in a group. Ask for contact info or send a thank you note after the event ("I just wanted to thank you for visiting our University... It was especially interesting to hear about... Would be happy to keep in touch and apply in the nearest future.). Alternatively, you may use linkedin for that. If you are an experienced hire I strongly suggest to ask for a 1 on 1 meeting in a thank you note.

4) 1 on 1 meetings. All people like giving an advice. So don't hesitate to ask consultants for a career advice. Tell your story and ask how consulting fits into it

5) Mock interview Depending on where you are in your prep process you may ask a consultant for a mock interview. Consultants are very much opened to help even if it is a cold call e-mail. The main problem is a lack of time on their side. So don't be afraid to remind about yourself if the consultant has already committed but finds it hard to find the time

6) Talking to partners If you are an experienced hire I suggest to talk directly to the partners in your industry or the partner responsible for experienced hires (in consulting partners also have additional roles). Get an intro from the HR or from your friends working there. Partners care a lot about experienced hires with relevant industry expertise. Chances to get referral are much lower though. They also will not be interested in giving mock interviews.

7) If you are an MBA graduate Just talk to your section mates and ask for a reference or a mock interview - they will be happy to help. Make sure you attend all the consulting events.

Good luck!

Hi Anonym,

congratulations on making it this far!

1 The partner interview is basically nothing more than the interviews you did before. Usually the focus is a bit more on the personal fit than on the case and the whole interview is a bit more free/individual.

2) It is true that partners have a very busy schedule. However, there is not only one partner. Recruiting is normally very well organized to enable a fast process and to react flexibly. If you have time pressure (e.g. because of another offer), talk openly about it to find a solution.

3) In preparation I would work on the feedback you have received so far. It may be that you will be assessed especially on this again.

You have now come this far and are about to reach your goal. If you now want to perfect your skills to really get the best out of this final chance, write me and I will help you!

Best regards
Marco-Alexander

Hi Anonym,

maybe, the discussion here can help you, too:

https://www.preplounge.com/de/consulting-forum/interview-with-senior-partner-4798

Best regards
Marco-Alexander

Hi Anonym,

that indeed seems a little long but it was also holiday time.

I would call the recruiting after this time and ask what the status is. This shows that you are still interested and gives you clarity.

Best regards
Marco-Alexander

Hi Anonym,

congratulations on your success!

There is so much you can do, but I think three points are most important:

• Networking: Use every event and every program to meet people from other offices and other practice groups. Often there are also structured programs that provide you a mentor. Ideally, you find your perfect partner/team that you can get along with very well. You can then work with them on a long-term basis.
• Feedback: Demand active feedback, reflect honestly for yourself and work specifically on your potentials.
• Stay cool: Many people stress too much in the beginning. Give your best, but don't let the stress get to you too much. The job usually runs best when it's still enjoyable.

Best regards
Marco-Alexander

Hi Anonym,

three points were most important to me:

• Structuring: Working with MECE approaches makes solving problems and communicating solutions much easier.
• 80:20: You work much more efficiently if you prioritize what is really important. This helps also to achieve top quality and precision in what you prioritize.
• Networking: It's not only about what you know, but also about who you know.

Best regards
Marco-Alexander

Hi Luca,

The way it works is that, your application is reviewed by the first office of your choice, if declined, then by the other offices (2nd and 3rd respectively). Thereby, I would suggest to include multiple offices to increase your chances.

Best,

Deniz

Hi Marco,

As a previous ATK employee, I can tell you that ATK is one of the leading consulting companies across the world, and is working with top-level executives (including Italy) to address their top agenda items.

Best,

Deniz

Hi Anonym,

you can wait a week and if you don't hear anything then ask again.

I wish you much success!

Best regards
Marco-Alexander

My advice: you are in a position every candidate dreams of, so enjoy it and do not stress too much! You have a luxury of going into the BCG interview being calm and knowing you have ATK offer in your pocket (and I wouldn't call ATK tier 2, they are a top notch consulting company).

So, do the BCG interviews and you will see what happens. If they give you an offer, you will have time to think about it and decide. In case you will then think BCG would be a better fit for you, then you will just accept their offer, end of story. Consulting is a very competitve employer's market and everybody at ATK will understand. However, honestly I know people who decided for ATK against BCG, when they had both offers (because of different reasons, like industry focus of the particular office, culture, impressions from the interview, etc.), so just take your time and think about it when the moment arrives.

Hi Alex,

The question you need to ask is this: in which job will you get more responsibilities, more opportunities to prove yourself and more exposure to the senior management? I would go for a position in a small team where as a junior team member you can make a real difference. This kind of experience you can then really sell to MBB as your value proposition. On the contrary, if you work in a big team with hierarchical structures and little exposure beyond your immediate boss – this will be a hardly unique growth experience. So, in a nut shell: think of which one of those will be more exciting for you and which one will boost your professional development more and go for it. As regards the function it doesn't really matter that much.

Unfortunately, if you don't pass the initial screening the only thing you can do then is to reapply in 18 months. You of course will need to make sure that during that time you gather more experience, which will make you an interesting candidate for the MBB (internship at a top corporate, startup experience, prestigious degree, outstanding social engagement, etc.).

But the better question to ask is: how to pass the initial resume screen? In your CV focus on highlighting the virtues, which will make you suitable for consulting: leadership, team work, entrepreneurship, analitical skills, creativity. Make sure your CV stands out: are you a marathon runner? Mention it! Do you love 18th century French literature? Mention it!

Also, if you feel unsure about your CV, my advice would be to apply for participation in events rather than for a job right away. Even though the MBBs argue that there is no difference in applying for events vs. actual consulting job, in my experience screening for events is a bit more relaxed and if you prove yourself active and interesting during the event, you will be invited for the interviews automatically. Another important point is that you can apply for events as many times as you want – if you are rejected for one event, you can re-apply for another the next day, no need to wait for 18 months.