Get Active in Our Amazing Community of Over 451,000 Peers!

Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Case Partners to connect and practice with!
Meeting Board
Consulting Q&A
Case Partner

Is numerical data analysis a relevant business consulting skill?

Cover letter CV Quantitative skills
Recent activity on Feb 01, 2018
3 Answers
3.1 k Views
Anonymous A asked on Jan 31, 2018

I have a PhD in physics and a lot of my current academic work involves "number crunching" - statistics, modelling, regression, etc.

Is that a relevant skill for a business consultant that I should strongly emphasize in my application?

On the one hand, it seems quite useful to me that when you receive a load of numerical data from your client, you are able to quickly process and draw meaningful conclusions from it on your own.

On the other hand, that might be an analyst's job and stressing my expertise on that field only shows the recruiter that I am applying for the wrong role?

Your comments on that matter would be extremely helpful to me.

I want to be notified about updates regarding this question via email

Overview of answers

Upvotes
  • Upvotes
  • Date ascending
  • Date descending
Best answer
Retired
Expert
 replied on Jan 31, 2018
Former BCG interviewer

It is a very relevant skill and would emphasize you ability to gain insights from numbers and to use different methodologies to gain those insights (multivariate analysis, montecarlo simulation, forecasting methodologies, etc). However what is also important is to highlight the fact that you will be able to use standard tools (xls, VBA, SQL, tableau, etc) to do the things above mentioned vs. using tools that are not widespread in a business environment.

Hope it helps,

Andrea

Was this answer helpful?
4
Vlad
Expert
 replied on Jan 31, 2018
McKinsey / Accenture Alum / Got all BIG3 offers / Harvard Business School

Hi,

Several points:

  1. It's a relevant skill for any position
  2. Fram it a bit differently. Either "Problem Solving" or something related to digital, eg Data Science, Business Intelligence, Big Data
  3. Make sure you have a mix of technical and soft skills

Best

Was this answer helpful?
2
Book a coaching
Anonymous A replied on Feb 01, 2018

Thank you both for your comments, they were very helpful! They put me in the right track of thinking and I have a much better idea now on how to embed/frame these skills in my CV/cover letter.

Was this answer helpful?
0

Related Products

Crafting Your Entry-Level Cover Letter by Udayan

4.0
1 Review
  • Paragraph-by-paragraph explanations for entry-level positions
  • Format tips with a real-world example
  • Created by Recruitment Coach and Ex-McKinsey Interviewer Udayan
USD 19
Buy now Add to cart
Udayan

Related Articles

Consulting Cover Letter

Full Guide & Free Template

Related Cases

Expert case by Francesco

MBB Final Round Case - Smart Education

Style:
Interviewer-led (McKinsey style)
Topics:
Growth strategy, Market analysis, Market entry, New product Growth strategy, Market analysis
Rating:
4.6
Our client is SmartBridge, a nonprofit educational institution offering face-to-face tutoring services. The client operates in the US.The mission of SmartBridge is to help as many students as possible to complete studies and prevent that they drop from the school system, in particular in disadv ... Our client is SmartBridge, a nonprofit educational institution offering face-to-face tutoring services. The client operates in the US.The mission of SmartBridge is to help as many stude ... (Open whole case)
31.6k
Times solved
4.6
600+ Ratings
Advanced
Difficulty
Expert case by Francesco

Bain 1st Round Case – BlissOttica

Style:
Candidate-led (usual style)
Topics:
Growth strategy, Market analysis, Market entry, Profitability analysis Growth strategy, Market analysis
Rating:
4.1
Our client is a BlissOttica, an Eyewear Manufacturer that is looking to reach a 10% increase in profits. How would you help our client? Our client is a BlissOttica, an Eyewear Manufacturer that is looking to reach a 10% increase in profits. How would you help our client? (Open whole case)
13.6k
Times solved
4.1
100+ Ratings
Intermediate
Difficulty
Expert case by Francesco

BCG 1st Round Case – Water Flows [NEW]

Style:
Candidate-led (usual style)
Topics:
Growth strategy, Market analysis, Valuation Growth strategy, Market analysis
Rating:
4.3
Our client is a German-owned water provider company based in the southwest of the United States. As the biggest water provider in the region, they serve the majority of the southwest region.Profit growth has slowed down considerably in recent years, and the company is finding it difficult to co ... Our client is a German-owned water provider company based in the southwest of the United States. As the biggest water provider in the region, they serve the majority of the southwest re ... (Open whole case)
7.6k
Times solved
4.3
< 100 Ratings
Intermediate
Difficulty
Expert case by Francesco

MBB 1st Round Case - Hazella Light

Style:
Candidate-led (usual style)
Topics:
Growth strategy, Market analysis, Market sizing, New product, Pricing, Profitability analysis, Sustainability Growth strategy, Market analysis
Rating:
5.0
Our client is an Italian multinational manufacturer of branded chocolate and confectionery products. One of their most popular products is Hazella, a hazelnut spread.Despite its worldwide popularity, Hazella is considered to be high in calories by some customers. For this reason, our client has deve ... Our client is an Italian multinational manufacturer of branded chocolate and confectionery products. One of their most popular products is Hazella, a hazelnut spread.Despite its worldwide po ... (Open whole case)
4.7k
Times solved
5.0
< 100 Ratings
Advanced
Difficulty
Expert case by Francesco

McKinsey 1st Round Case - Party Burger

Style:
Interviewer-led (McKinsey style)
Topics:
Capacity change, Growth strategy, Operations strategy, Profitability analysis Capacity change, Growth strategy
Rating:
4.5
Our client is Party Burger, a restaurant chain in the US serving premium burgers and salads for lunch. They rely on the quality of their products to attract customers, and they are usually fully booked. However, reviews have pointed out that the service offered could be improved. Our client is conce ... Our client is Party Burger, a restaurant chain in the US serving premium burgers and salads for lunch. They rely on the quality of their products to attract customers, and they are usually f ... (Open whole case)
4.6k
Times solved
4.5
< 100 Ratings
Intermediate
Difficulty

Similar Questions

Highlighting international projects in the CV

8 answers

CV structure

4 answers

How to update my CV after consulting internships

4 answers

Related Products

Crafting Your Entry-Level Cover Letter by Udayan

Related Articles

Consulting Cover Letter

Full Guide & Free Template

Similar Questions

Highlighting international projects in the CV

8 answers

CV structure

4 answers

How to update my CV after consulting internships

4 answers
Cookie and Privacy Settings
This website uses cookies to enable essential functions like the user login and sessions. ... (Read more) We also use cookies and third-party tools to improve your surfing experience on preplounge.com. You can choose to activate only essential cookies or all cookies. You can always change your preference in the cookie and privacy settings. This link can also be found in the footer of the site. If you need more information, please visit our privacy policy.
Data processing in the USA: By clicking on "I accept", you also consent, in accordance with article 49 paragraph 1 sentence 1 lit. a GDPR, to your data being processed in the USA. The USA is not considered to have adequate data protection legislation. If you need more information please view the individual settings.
I accept
Manage settings individually
Questions or Feedback?
Select category
  • Select category
  • Case Interview Preparation
  • Coaching
  • Technical Problems
  • Other
Your name
Your email address
Cancel