Math has been my biggest weakness. I wonder if there are some consulting firms that have less quantitative interviews?
None.
I'm really really sorry. This isn't what you want to hear.
But, those that know me know I don't say what people want to hear (sometimes to my own chagrin/detriment).
Alas, I don't believe it helps anyone to lead people on.
Fix your math.
I'm sorry, but there's no way around it.
By the way, I promise you that everyone can fix their math.
You just have to put in the right time and work in the right way.
I know a lot of people who go to the gym every day, don't see gains, and are confused…"But, I swear, I'm going every day and working really hard".
When I ask what they do (or observe), I see that they're doing 1 workout when they go, they sit on their phone in between sets for 5 minutes, they're not sweating, and when they do the workout they do it wrong.
Why this analogy? Find a way to learn math right.
Certain things work for certain people. Here is my main advice:
Try all of it and try it daily for weeks upon weeks. You will get better.
Good luck to you!
P.S. Get used to having weaknesses and having to fix them. In consulting you will be told your weaknesses monthly. And you will have to fix them. Ah, such is the life of a consultant!
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Regarding Improving Fast Math Skills
Some key formulas/concepts:
Regarding Improving Axienty
1) Practice, practice, practice - just like playing an instrument, practice until it becomes second nature...then when you perform in front of an audience, muscle memory takes over from stage fright!
2) Practice with people who make you nervous - Don't keep casing yourself or casing with other PrepLoungers! You need to feel as nervous when practicing as you will in the real thing. To do so, you can do any (or all) of the following:
3) Practice with the unknown - ask people to give you "weird" cases. Ask people to throw everything they have at you (curveballs, confusing statements, etc.)...you'll get comfortable with tripping up (and recovering)
4) Practice fast math - You said you get nervous here...well, practice it until it's the easiest thing you've ever done! How? Use the following:
How to structure math in a case
Mental Math Q&A: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/is-quick-mental-math-a-skill-that-can-be-learned-5210
https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/mental-math-help-7962
Interview Anxiety: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/tips-on-interview-anxiety-7095
Hi there,
None, really, but that's something you can definitely work on. I've seen people make amazing transformation with their math so I'm confident that anybody can do it. You just need to make it the priority.
Best,
Cristian
You will have to work quantitatively at any consultancy. Analysing data is a core component of the job especially at entry level. I.e., I would suggest you work on your quantitative skills. There is ways to do this. Happy to help.
Hi,
There's no way around maths once you're a consultant. Good news is that it's never very complex maths.
Math has also always been my key weakness. This did not stop me from getting offers from McK and BCG. It required a lot of work: forcing myself to do very quant cases, learning tricks on how to be quicker when solving calcs, doing quicks maths during my commute. This really helped me overcome my fear of maths!
Happy to tell you more on how I did this - feel free to reach out!!
Hi there,
Q: I wonder if there are some consulting firms that have less quantitative interviews?
I agree with the other comments of Clara, Tyron and Sofia and believe you should try to develop your math skills rather than look for a company without math in interviews.
In terms of a direct answer: normally all top consulting firms have a math section in the case interview.
My suggestion would be to post a question with an example of what you find challenging so that we can provide some feedback here in the Q&A.
Best,
Francesco
Hi there,
the interviews, especially in consulting, are somewhat of a simulation of what would await you on the job. Quantitative analyses are integral parts of the majority of consulting projects and are needed as basis for decision making almost everywhere.
Your question implies that you are looking for consulting firms where you have better chances of passing the interviews - based on your perceived weaknesses. But if quant is not your thing, do you really want to work in an environment where that is expected on the day-to-day?
Or maybe quant is not a weakness that you can't overcome after all but you haven't tackled it with enough focus and dedication yet. In any case, I would try to ascertain that for myself first.
Don't just look for the path of least resistance when it comes to entry requirements. Think about whether you would actually want to work in a given job while being aware of what that all entails.
Best of luck
Hello,
Quantitative analysis is a key skill that you will need to demonstrate in all consulting interviews. All firms ask quantitative questions in some capacity. It's good to be aware of what your weaknesses are, but I fully agree with Tyrion that the correct approach here would be to focus more on math in your preparation to get yourself more comfortable with the quantitative elements! Do drills, practice case math questions, review what you got wrong, and so on. If you have any more questions about how to do this or would like to get coached on the quant elements, feel free to reach out!
Dear candidate,
do not worry. You will do very well, there are some easy ways to practice case math such as focusing on the overall formula, conclusions, laying down the assumptions and finalizing
Also you could find out who let's you use calculators. Best regards, Pope
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