There are a few reasons they might want a concrete answer to the question. The main one that I can think of is that consulting is an extremely demanding career, and if you do not have a strong ‘why’ motivating you at all times, you are likely to become disillusioned very quickly with the job.

Take some time to think about what in consulting appeals to you. It does not have to be something amazing just something that is honest to you. For example you could see yourself as a leader in the non profit world and you see consulting as a way to build your hard skills that will serve you will in the non profit world. At the end of the day there are many paths you can follow post consulting, what you need to do is to think about what appeals to you in the long run and HOW consulting can help you get there.

All the best,

Udayan

Hi there,

An interesting question indeed if the Partner is insisting on a concrete answer as opposed to the typical buzzword bingo, which is very unusual.

Is there anything or anyone you aspire to be? In my case, it was always going to be an entrepreneur educator. That can still mean a lot of things and I’m able to break it down based on my talents, interests, and business acumen.

In your case, you might also want to craft a term that sounds concrete, fits your personality, and still leaves plenty of wiggle room. Just don’t be too presumptuous e.g. POTUS #47 or try to be too original just for the sake of it… 

Hope this helps a bit! Best of luck!

Hi there,

Daniel is exactly right! You need to say "Genuinely, there are so many pathways that interest me. I could do x, y, or z. Ultimately I'm confident consulting will not only build the skills I need to pursue those pathways but also expose me to a wide range of areas so that I can start to see exactly what end goal works best for me).