Tell me about yourself

Hi Anonymous,

this question mainly aims to understand if you have experiences that show the skills needed to be a good consultant.

A good answer would emphasize:

• Three parts of your CV that you consider most relevant. This may involve working experience, education and extracurricular activities, or more focus on one of these areas, according to your profile. The order is up to you, but ideally you should use recent experiences (eg not something you did 10 years ago).
• The specific description of what you have done
• How such experiences helped you to develop skills that are useful in consulting. This is the selling part you mentioned. Ending the story which such takeaway will let the interviewer perceive you have indeed the characteristics of a good consultant.

You may then conclude saying that such path naturally brought you to be interested in consulting.

In terms of skills to emphasize, potential useful ones include:

• Analytical skills
• Communication skills
• Sales skills
• Ability to interact with C-Levels
• Teamwork skills
• Ability to achieve results under strict deadlines and constraints

The key in all the examples is to be extremely specific. One of the most common mistakes candidates do is to think that they can give a general idea to the interviewer of what they did and that this would be enough. This is rarely the case. To really understand you, the interviewer needs to understand and visualize the experiences you had and he/she cannot do this without specific examples.

Best,

Francesco

Hi,

“Tell me about yourself” or “walk me through your resume”- this is how Consultants usually begin the interview. It's an opportunity for them to learn about you and to pick some interesting facts. "Tell me about yourself question" is similar to "Walk me through your resume"

1. This is not the story, so you don't need to have the story structure
2. This is not about the challenge, its about your career path
3. Depending on your experiences either start from the first or from the last role (the later you are in your career the more sense it is to start with last one)
4. You can mention your unique selling point and structure your lifepath around it
5. Add 1 memorable projects or experience with high impact / cool companies and brands involved that will stay in the memory of the interviewer
6. In the end, say why consulting is a logical continuation of your career path

Best

Hey this could be a nice flow for instance:

Absolutely, I'd be happy to share a bit about my background. I've always been passionate about [specific field or industry]. I started my journey at [Previous Company] where I gained valuable experience in [mention key skills or projects].

Following that, I pursued [any relevant education or certifications], which equipped me with a solid foundation in [highlight relevant skills]. During my time at [Current or Previous Company], I had the opportunity to work on [specific projects or achievements], where I honed my skills in [mention key competencies].

What really excites me about consulting, particularly at [Company Name], is [highlight a specific aspect of the company, e.g., its commitment to innovation, diverse projects, or impactful client work]. I believe my experience in [specific skills or industries] aligns well with the challenges consultants often tackle, and I'm eager to bring my unique perspective to the team.

Looking forward to discussing more during our interview!

Hi,

In general, this should be a story that highlights (1) what brings you to the interview and (2) why they should select you.

I prefer to tell it chronologically since it is easiest for the interviewer to follow. You should make sure that you communicate the why behind your resume (why did you switch jobs, etc.).

Hopefully this helps.

Jorn

In your answer you need to make sure you walk through your resume by highlighting:

• How each key action you took brought you to choose consulting and to be in front of the person interviewing you for a consulting postion (e.g. my learning curve is flattening and I want to continue to learn, I want to work on problems that are the core of each industry, want a more fast paced environment, etc). Even better would be if you explain why you are excited about the specific company
• How your profile (skillset and personal characteristics) is a great fit for consulting jobs and that firm in particular

Hope it helps,

Andrea

Hi there

This is the framework I like to use - past, present, future. And definitely only focus on highlights that you think will be relevant to the interviewer. The "present" part is most relevant if you switching jobs. If this an entry role, you can consolidate past and present.

Dear A,

The beauty of this question is that it helps you to pitch yourself to an interviewer, break the ice and help direct the interview right from the start. It is most likely that you may be asked this question, so structuring it well will help you guide the interview to your comfort zone. 

Also, I would recommend you to fit your answer in this common framework:

1. Situation

2. Problem

3. Solving

4 Result 

5. Your learnings.


Good luck!

Best,
André

Hi anonymous,

This question comes up in every single consulting interview I've been to.

I feel it's one that people often overlook as one tends be confident about what is written in your cv. However, I feel it is important to practice it and to encounter the right balance. With balance I mean, not spending too much time on irrelevant things and picking up the "interesting" points about your personal story.

My advice would be to pratice it with friends. If they get bored, try and get it short and crispy. If the interviewer wants more detail about one particular area of experience, he/she will ask for it. 

Hope this helps! 

Good luck

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Best,

Clara