Will I get only life science industry focused cases if I apply to a life science consulting role?

Hi! 

It depends on the specific role and practice you are applying to, and the company of course. 

I would expect most of your cases to be in the life science industry, especially if you are applying for a practice where you know you are going to work 100% only on life science projects. E.g., a lot of risk consultants are hired to work 100% only on risk projects, thus being tested mainly on those skills.

On the contrary, if your role will define you as an expert in life science, but you may have to work occasionally in other industries, this will increase the probability of you having non-life science cases during the interviews. 

As a final remark, the skills tested in consulting interviews usually go beyond sector-specific knowledge (e.g., analytical thinking), so I would always advise to be prepared to handle different topics.

I hope this helps!

Hi there,

That depends on the consulting firm you are applying. It seems reasonable. Ask your recruiting contact to double check.

Best,

Alberto

Hi there,

if you are applying to a boutique consulting firm with a narrow focus, then it will be likely that you will get “tested” on that area in some form during your interviews. However, you will also get tested on your general business knowledge for which you won't need specific industry or functional expertise. 

The safest bet for you will be to not assume that you will only get cases immediately related to life sciences.

Best

Hi there,

Unlikely. 

It depends a bit on the firm and location but you should be prepared for every type of case context.

Interviewers evaluate problem-solving, analytics, and communication among other things, not domain knowledge.

All the best,

Florian

Hi there, 

Given you will have 4+ interviews for a consulting role (depending on the company) and the role you mention is a life science consulting role, I would say it is likely that one of the cases would be focused on the industry. 

I think it might also depend if you apply as an expert in the field or a generalist; in either case your problem solving skills will for sure be assessed as the other respondents mentioned.

Good luck,

 Ariadna   

Typically, no. 

But you need to check this directly with the recruiter who is overseeing your interview process.

This differs a lot from firm to firm, and the process also changes often. 

So you can get the best info straight from the source. 

All the life sciences candidates I worked with had a combination of cases from both life sciences but also outside of the field. That's mostly because consulting firms try to test for their skills, not only their knowledge. 

Best,
Cristian

I would agree with Pedro's answer here.

If the firm is in LS - then most of the cases will be LS related.

If the firm is not LS - but the role is LS specialised - then the cases can be other sectors as well (with mostly at minimum 1 round having an LS case)

Hi there, 

Q: Will I get only life science industry focused cases if I apply to a life science consulting role?

Not necessarily. Based on the feedback from my mentees, even at companies where the main focus is life science (e.g., IQVIA), they might ask questions unrelated to that sector. However, most likely at least some questions will be related to life science.

Good luck!

Francesco

1. If applying to a life sciences focused boutique, it is safe to assume that all cases will be life sciences related

2. If applying to a large consulting firm, even if the role is life science focused, you should still expect to have 25-50% of the interviews within other industries.