What to ask to the interviewer

The case you've been given is more likely than not a (very simpified) real life project that they worked on .

Ask them something about the case you just did!

I.e. "So, was this a case you worked on? Ah! Did it end with a similar recommendation? How did you handle x issue? Did you also consider y?"

People love talking about themselves AND the interviewer wants to know you'll be interested in the job itself. Two birds, one stone!

Hi,

The main objective is to have a good conversation and highlight your intellectual capacity and curiosity. Thus:

It is ok to ask:

• Questions that cause positive emotions and highlight consulting pros (e.g. Mck people, getting industry knowledge, becoming an expert in something, building a great network, etc)
• Questions on the topics you are excited about (e.g. data science, digital, etc)
• Topics related to the industry in which the interviewer specializes (hint: think of the most common industries in the particular office, go to the company's website and read the recent articles about these industries to come up with the good questions)
• Non-business questions (e.g. team retreats, office traditions and celebrations)

It's not ok to ask:

• Questions that can cause negative emotions (e.g. work hours, most difficult project, etc) - you don't want to finish on a negative note, right?
• The information you should learn before the interview (e.g. typical career path, etc)
• Questions that may show that you are unfamiliar with consulting work ("Will I be able to work specifically on strategic projects?")

Be prepared and good luck!

Hi! 

There is a whole lot of great questions you can ask. My best advice is to really think through what interests you most about the job, the firm, or the industry! If you have a particular interest (industry sector, nonprofit area, social engagement, etc.) you can ask if there are touch points/adjacent areas in the firm you could explore. Also, make sure to relate your interests and questions to your background and/or career/life objectives.

That being said, here are a couple of example questions – but by no means exhaustive:

1. "Can you tell me about your background, and in particular how you ended up as a [company name] consultant?" (if the interviewer has a rather exotic professional/educational background)
2. "I’d be interested to hear what your most challenging case has been thus far in your career?"
3. "What do you think are the biggest misperceptions that applicants have about consulting?"
4. "I’m really interested in [particular interest, such as public sector consulting or renewable energy]. I’d be interested to hear what you know about that area at [company name]"
5. "I’ve heard from various people who say your firm is [something good about the company] but also that [something bad about the company]. To what extent is this impression accurate?"
6. "If the interviewer has enough tenure: From your position, how do you think the economic cycles have affected the consulting business over the years?"
7. "What was your perspective on [company name] before you came in, and how was that changed in your time there?"
8. "If you could recommend 2 books that all prospective management consultants should read, what would those be?"
9. "When you think back to your university days, what would be the 2 or 3 things that you wish you’d learned that would have better prepared you for the job today?"

Cheers, Sidi

Hi A,

There is a bunch of questions you can ask the interviewer to show your interest and engagement. For example, you can ask about his background or what tools he used to manage one of his most challenging cases.

Best

My personal recommendation is to ask questions that a first year consultant might ask and less an interviewing candidate. The last few mins for questions is fully under your control to leave a positive (final) impression!

Beyond the typical questions around the interviewers experience, office culture, projects, etc., as a candidate, I tried asking questions that made the interviewer leave the interviewing feeling they could see me joining and being successful at their firm. 

A few examples:

+ Beyond hard skills and experience, what do you look for when you're staffing for your project? What differentiates a consultant you want to staff again on your project?

+ The diverse experience at X is something I find compelling but I'm curious to hear about your experience and advice on how to best navigate the firm?

+ What should I prioritise/look for in my first few projects?

Questions should be very specific, yet also general enough to be of help to you and not come across as a question for the sake of a question. 

What I mean with that: Don't ask stuff like "What industries is your company strongest in?" or "How many partners work in this office?". These are questions that you can easily check on the company's website - yet, I hear them in interviews way too regularly. 

On the other side, don't ask stuff that is irrelevant for you "I wonder about how you ended up in consulting?" or "I noticed you worked in industry X before joining consulting. How did that help you in the process?". Rather point to similarities and ask about stuff that is relevant for you as well. E.g. "I noticed, that just like myself, you studied X. Did any of your classes prepare you for your current role? Which ones?" 

Otherwise, it is all too obvious that you are just asking because you heard you should ask some questions.