How Management Consulting Firms Hire Consultants
Management consulting has been a dream industry for many candidates, despite the extreme competition during the selection process. Recruiters receive thousands of applications each year even if a large percentage of the pool is rejected.
The challenge for you is to prove that you belong to the cream of the crop. One way of making that possible is knowing how management consulting firms hire candidates. The awareness allows you to direct your application in a more effective way.
Job Advertisement and Recruitment
Recruiters implement various strategies to attract capable applicants. Some of them are the following:
| Online Application | McKinsey, Deloitte, BCG and other consulting firms accept job applications online. They usually allot a career section on their website where you can upload cover letters and resumes. |
| Online Job Platforms | Many firms make use of online job platforms such as LinkedIn and Indeed to post vacant positions. At times, they also announce openings on their social media profiles. Boutique and smaller consulting firms use this option more than top tier consulting firms. |
| University Recruiting | Recruiters visit universities during job fairs and other career events where they can introduce their firm. At times, firm reps are also invited by consulting clubs to share consulting trends. To learn how management consulting firms hire at campuses in detail, you should consult your university career office. |
| Activity Sponsorship | Some firms sponsor a dinner, a sports event or a simple gathering where they can spot and converse with qualified candidates in a natural and relaxed setting. |
| Referrals | Networking plays an important role in this field. When firms have an opening, some prefer not to advertise it. Some recruiters just communicate with their contacts for referrals. For them, this technique has always been cost-effective and reliable. |
| Direct Applications | Like other companies, the HR departments of management consulting firms accept direct applications (sent by mail or email). |
Resume Screening
Due to high turnover of employees, firms continually conduct screening of applicants. Recruiters go over the information on the submitted documents and decide if the applicant is worth scheduling for further assessment. They will probably also look you up on LinkedIn. Don’t be fooled though – a recruiter will initially spend very little time screening your application – maybe less than a minute. Quite often, a recruiter can immediately spot whether an application is interesting or not.
Testing
Some management consulting firms skip this selection tool and just proceed with the interview. Many, however, administer a combination of the following tests to screen and sift applicants:
| Numerical Reasoning Test | This measures your logical ability to interpret quantitative data in tables, graphs and charts. |
| Verbal Reasoning Test | This gauges your capability to understand passages and infer conclusion from a printed material. |
| Personality Test | The results generally indicate if you can fit the demands of the position and culture of the firm. |
Interviews
A consulting interview consists of two parts and mostly you will have both parts in every single interview.
| Fit Interview | The questions focus on your skills, abilities, education, experience, involvement and behavioral inclinations. |
| Case Interview | In this type of interview you will get a business case. The recruiter will expect you to come up with sound recommendations towards the end. |