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Resume walkthrough: Explain very diverse experiences / previous jobs

CV resume walkthrough
New answer on Feb 14, 2023
7 Answers
436 Views
Anonymous A asked on Feb 13, 2023

Good morning guys,

With my master's degree coming to an end in May, I have a couple of full-time interviews scheduled for the coming weeks, currently preparing my case-cracking as well as more general interview skills. One issue I am struggling with is my rather high amount of previous and, more importantly, diverse set of previous work experiences:

Due to a personal interest in the industry as well as strengths in school-level economics and math, back in 2016, I started a Finance bachelor's degree followed by a subsequent internship in banking. Whilst I enjoyed both the general topic of Finance, I noticed that working in the actual industry wasn't to my fullest enjoyment. Hence, I transitioned to what was most similar to a job in Banking yet different in core aspects: Consulting. 

Here, during a gap-year prior to the start of my current postgraduate (non-experience) degree in Management, I managed to complete two internships which I both highly enjoyed, forming my core motivation to start in consulting after I finish my studies. 

In need of a job to finance my studies + knowing that I'd most likely start in consulting after graduation anyway, in the last twelve months, I took the opportunity to explore “what else is out there” and completed another internship as well as a student assistant role in two big corporates in two very different industries. Recently, I started yet another part-time job in a small Fin-Tech that allows me to fund my studies until I will eventually graduate in summer. 

In previous interviews, this vast range of experiences has mostly shown very beneficial with interviewers, most of them highly appreciating the diverse set of insights as well as strong motivation to continuously work part-time besides my studies. However, during my first full-time interviews end of last week, both interviewers seemed to have very different opinions, highly questioning my actual certainty / motivation in joining consulting. Crucially, given that I repeatedly switched industries and roles in the past, both seemed worried that I might switch roles again shortly after starting my first full-time job in consulting.

Despite carefully explaining the respective reasons for each decision as mentioned above, emphasizing on the fact that most jobs after the successful consulting roles were mostly money-motivated, neither of my interviewers seemed convinced of my actual desire to stay in consulting.

I have never faced any issues within this part of any interview, which is why I am a bit worried at the moment how to deal with this issue at future interviews. Again, all I can do is lay out the true reasoning behind every CV-bullet. Besides majoring in strategy / consulting within my current degree, I am also working as a pro bono consultant in my uni's student's consultancy which, combined with my general motivation to do consulting, I feel should be “enough” to convince interviewers that this is what I really want to do.

Would highly appreciate any guidance or ideas how to avoid future issues with my broad set of experiences.

Best

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Best answer
Benjamin
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Feb 13, 2023
Ex-BCG Principal | 8+ years consulting experience in SEA | BCG top interviewer & top performer

Hi,

Without hearing you share your actual stories & responses, it's hard to give tailored and concrete feedback. But if I think about your situation, a few things come to mind.

A couple of possible scenarios as to why your story may not be convincing / interviewers are not convinced:

  1. The content and messages are not strong and authentic
    • Your points may be too ‘generic’ i.e. they may not have made you stand out from everyone else who is saying similar things
    • You may not have argued or elaborated sufficiently well why you really want to do consulting/motivation
  2. The content and messages are good, but they are not weaved together well to become a tight, convincing story
    • You are not able to weave the 2 different angles of ‘doing other things for money’ and ‘doing consulting related stuff’ well together
    • Thus interviewers are not convinced that one (consulting) is stronger than the other
  3. Your delivery is not convincing
    • Even though you might have the best motivations, you may not be communicating that convincingly 
    • This has to do with diction, tone, pacing, facial expressions etc
  4. The 2 interviewers are an outlier
    • There is a chance too, that the 2 interviewers' responses can be considered as an outlier, and that your story would have worked the rest of the time
    • However, I think the chance of this happening twice is indicative that your stories are not as strong as they could be

What you could do:

  1. Get feedback on your stories with different non-consulting people (friends, family, school mates, etc.)
    • Free option - cheapest
    • May not necessarily be consistent in the quality of feedback you get
    • However, a good story is a good story. And a good story will be convincing to a wide range of audiences, even those who may not know too much of the consulting world
    • Personally, for me, this helped a lot because it forced me to think ‘why does it not make sense for the other person’ and ‘how can i make my stories clearer etc’
  2. Get feedback on your stories with consultants or ex-consultants
    • Free option as well, but probably lower likelihood of getting their time
    • If you have friends/alumni that are consultants, do leverage them
    • They have been through the process as well and can give you good feedback
  3. Get help from a coach
    • Most expensive one, but arguably the most reliable

 

As in interviewer and a CV screener in the past, candidates who have ‘fit the bill’ in terms of internship are dime a dozen. But the way they craft and deliver the stories makes all the difference

Having ‘checked the boxes’ in terms of your CV does not necessarily convince someone you are really motivated to join consulting. I speak about this from experience, because my situation was the exact opposite of yours. I studied a totally non-business related subject (History), and only found out about consulting in my last semester, hence I actually had zero internships during my college years.

All the best!

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Francesco
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Content Creator
replied on Feb 14, 2023
#1 Coach for Sessions (4.000+) | 1.500+ 5-Star Reviews | Proven Success (➡ InterviewOffers.com) | Ex BCG | 10Y+ Coaching

Hi there,

Q: Would highly appreciate any guidance or ideas how to avoid future issues with my broad set of experiences.

It is very difficult to answer without hearing what was your exact reply to the question of the interviewers that challenged you. 

I agree with what Benjamin wrote and possible reasons why the answer was not convincing could have been:

  • Content not convincing
  • Content convincing, bad delivery
  • You have just been unlucky and the two interviewers were outliers

You can follow the path he recommended to get feedback, asking to:

  • Friends and family
  • Current or ex consultants

This should help to understand how to better deliver your answers.

Best,
Francesco

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Ian
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Content Creator
replied on Feb 14, 2023
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

Hi there,

I need to hear your answer.

Words on a page mean nothing unless I can actually hear how you present this. If you care about getting this job, consider investing in a coaching session to make sure you get it (do a cost-benefit analysis here).

My gut tells me that you are way too focused on the details/weeds. The interviewer doesn't care about every explanation: they care about your overall story AND the FEEL of your answer.

Read this article for case prep tips (Read #3: Going cheap): https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/pitfalls-case-interview-preparation

 

 

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Cristian
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Feb 14, 2023
#1 rated MBB & McKinsey Coach

Hi there, 

Sorry to hear you faced some trouble in your recent interviews. 

I wouldn't read too much into it however - some interviewers are also role-playing and the fact that they are probing further into your answers might just mean they want to understand your background better, not that they don't believe. There might also be a layer of personal self-doubt that made you believe they were skeptical.

Aside from this, I'd suggest you look at your wide range of experiences as an asset, not a liability and you should present it like that. Be fully transparent that many of these decisions had a financial motivation and they will understand. 

Best,

Cristian

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Lilit
Expert
replied on Feb 13, 2023
Associate Partner at Bain| ex EY-Parthenon|5+ yrs of coaching | Personalised approach and detailed & actionable feedback

Hi there,

Thanks for sharing the details.

Given how many different experiences you have had, it might be slighly confusing for the interviewer to hear the rationale for every single decision you made.

I don't see any issue there as all those roles were effectively prior to you starting you full time career.

The key messages I would try to get accross would be:

1. You have tried different sectros/ roles because you wanted to have as much and as diverse of a real life professional experience as possible to make an informed and mature decision about what you want to do/ focus on long term after graduating

2. Some of the roles you took during your studies were driven by convenience and remuneration as you had to pay for your studies

3. You have done a couple of consulting internships and have got a very good understaing of what a consulting job is and compared/ contrasted it to other roles and made a conscious choice on building your long term career in consulting

Best,

Lilit

 

 

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Victoria Christine
Expert
replied on Feb 14, 2023
1st&2nd session 33% off|Incoming BCG Consultant ME|President of the Consulting Club|Esade MBA|Offers from McKinsey & BCG

Your diverse set of work experiences can be a valuable asset, demonstrating adaptability, versatility, and a willingness to learn. However, it can also raise concerns about your long-term career goals and commitment to a particular industry or job. 

Be clear about your motivation for pursuing consulting, including specific aspects of the job or industry that appeal to you. You can also discuss how your previous experiences have informed your career goals and led you to this point. Try to tie together your various experiences and highlight how they have prepared you for a consulting role, such as developing analytical skills, communication skills, and an understanding of different business models and industries.

In addition, you can address concerns about your potential to switch roles again by highlighting your current commitment to consulting, such as your pro bono consulting work and your eagerness to pursue a full-time consulting role. Be clear about your goals and vision for your career, while also being open to opportunities for growth and learning within consulting.

Overall, use your diverse experiences as a strength to showcase your adaptability and transferable skills, while also emphasizing your genuine interest and commitment to a consulting career. 

Good luck with your future interviews!

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Hagen
Expert
Content Creator
replied on Feb 14, 2023
#1 Bain coach | >95% success rate | interviewer for 8+ years | mentor and coach for 7+ years

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about the poor experience during your last two interviews!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

  • Generally speaking, the root cause could be that either what or how you presented it was not convincing, or that you simply had bad luck with your interviewers. Given it worked well before, it could very well be an interviewer-/ company-related issue. Still, since I have not been part of the situation, it is hard to provide a meaningful assessment of it.
  • In such a situation, I would highly advise you to seek professional help, either from a coach or an (ex-) consultant from your personal network, in order to make sure your diverse experience is presented in the best possible way.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

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