Before the management consulting recruiter allows you to take the tests and appear for interviews, he or she would read your cover letter first and answer the reject-or-process question. To get through this step, read this article and learn five tips you must keep in mind while writing one.

As an aspiring applicant, you wouldn’t want your application to be discarded right away. To prevent this from happening, the very first step is for you to write and proofread an excellent management consulting cover letter. As a vital marketing tool, it summarizes your suitability for a job in a one-page personalized document. To guide you in the process, enumerated below are five tips you should remember during cover letter preparation.

Tip 1: Writing Complete and Accurate Contact Information

Your application letter may be easily detached from your well-written consulting resume. Hence, it should include your complete name, home address, mobile and landline numbers, email address and other contact information for the recruiter or hiring manager to be able to contact you even without referring to your resume. If you want to get a call from the management consulting firm, be sure to include this information.

Tip 2: Addressing the Letter to the Right Person

Take one more step further and figure out who the letter should be addressed to. It would be better to write the name of the Human Resources (HR) Manager since its the HR Department that conducts the preliminary screening. Using the the general salutation, “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam” is too trite and will therefore not distinguish you from the rest. If you have the exact name, it will give the impression that you are truly interested in the company and this may push you on top of the others.

Tip 3: Making the First Paragraph Attention-Grabbing

The first paragraph of your management consulting cover letter sets the recruiter’s mood. If you can get hold of his or her attention, he or she will most likely finish reading the entire document. You can begin by describing how you stumbled upon the job advertisement. If you were referred by somebody from the company, you can state it in this part. End it with a sentence that describes why you are the perfect match for this position.

Tip 4: Elaborating Relevant Skills and Qualifications

In the next two paragraphs, you can highlight your core competencies for the position. Do you have previous work experience that will support your application for Deloitte? What are your skills, abilities, interests, trainings and certifications that will prove you have the best qualifications for a BCG position? Elaborate them in a way that seems beneficial for the management consulting firm. Provide a link between your qualifications and the requirements for the position.

Tip 5: Ending the Letter Smartly

There are a few things you can state towards the end of the letter. You can thank them for considering you for the position or you can reiterate your interest to be a part of the management consulting company.  You can say you are willing to provide references, certifications, recommendation letters and other details should it be necessary. You can also ask for an interview to be able to prove your worth. Here’s an article on what answers to give to some experiential fit interview questions.

Finally, use a formal closing such as ‘Sincerely,’ ‘Respectfully’ and “Kind regards.” Don’t forget to sign the letter if you’re sending a hard copy of your application.

The cover letter is a printed reference that recruiters look into when screening applicants.

Many applicants don’t exert sufficient effort in writing a cover letter. Some even believe their resume would already speak for their credentials. This mindset often leads them to writing letters at the eleventh hour, committing a few stumbling mistakes in the process. Read this post and be familiar with these common errors.

The candidate’s resume was exceptional. It has highlighted relevant skills for the management consulting position. It has stated valuable accomplishments in his previous work experience. It follows the resume structure we suggested in this blog post. The presentation was neat and impressive.

However, when the recruiter read his cover letter, his application was instantly put aside. Most probably, he has committed one of the common mistakes applicants make when writing a cover letter.

Mistake 1: Writing a Generic Cover Letter

Recruiters feel the sincerity of your cover letter. The more personalized it is, the greater the chance of getting through. It may be wise to keep a standard management consulting application letter but make sure that you edit it for every vacant position you apply. Each company has a different set of requirements and your letter must be tailored in such a way that their needs can be met if they choose to hire you.

Mistake 2: Neglecting the Face Value

The content of a management consulting cover letter is much more important than its form. However, it doesn’t mean you can disregard the letter’s face value. Use a neat and standard-sized paper. Mind the margins and spaces between the paragraphs.  Limit your font to the formal ones (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial, Tahoma, etc.). Never use colors and fancy fonts; keep your cover letter simple and professional. Send it in a PDF file.

Mistake 3: Restating Resume Information

Do not just restate your work history on your cover letter in a paragraph form. Concentrate on how you would connect the company’s goals to the services you can render from a general point of view. You can also explain the noticeable inconsistencies or gaps on your resume. For instance, if you are an engineer turned into an aspiring consultant for popular consulting firms like PWC and Monitor, state the reason for the career shift.

Mistake 4: Being Too Casual

You are encouraged to write your resume with a tinge of your personality to get easily noticed by the reader. However, you can’t be too comfortable or informal to include slang words. You must still use the correct tone, language and style. Stay polite because recruiters also assess how professionally you can compose your thoughts.

Mistake 5: Forgetting to Proofread

Ask someone to check the letter for you before you submit it. If you proofread it yourself, you might overlook typos, spelling errors and grammatically incorrect sentences. “Deaf Mr. Williams” or “I am billing to come for an interview” are too embarrassing; they must be avoided.  Getting some objective feedback from another party would be helpful as well. We can do this for you. Our experienced team can provide you with feedback on your cover letter and resume, and increase your chances of landing an interview.

Recruiters consider fit interviews important because the results determine if you can adapt with the firm’s culture, with the pressures of the position and with the people around you. Given this fact, you must find out the right answers to nine common fit interview questions.

Most consulting applicants like you prepare for the challenging case interview. You diligently go through scripts and practice analytical issues with a friend or a mentor. However, though it’s quite significant in the screening process, it’s not the only interview you should prepare for. The recruiters will also pose questions related to your education, experience and personality. Find out the top nine interview questions or statements that are commonly asked during management consulting fit interviews.

Tell Me Something About Yourself

This broad statement can dig a variety of answers from applicants but not all of these answers are encouraged to be mentioned during the interview. To know the best answer, ask yourself, “What does this recruiter want to know about me?” Of course, it’s not the list of awards you’ve earned in elementary or high school. It’s not the trophy you’ve won during the singing contest in your community.

What the recruiter wants to know is an overview of your professional credentials that are related to management consulting. You can share how you got interested in this field, your relevant experience that can help you perform your job and your skills that will boost your application. This general background serves as the recruiter’s basis in formulating specific questions that will pull out more relevant information from you. Avoid sharing personal matters since these are not necessary anymore.

What Are Your Weaknesses?

Answering this question is like being torn between the devil and the deep blue sea. For a management consulting applicant, revealing the truth might cause rejection but lying isn’t a good idea, either. To answer the question, try to rephrase it. Ask yourself, “What are my points for improvement?” This elicits a positive response, a turn-on for recruiters.

You can start describing your weakness but never leave it as it is. Add details on how you are resolving it. Emphasize that you’ve already started working on it. For instance, if you’re a management consulting applicant who’s not excellent in preparing presentations, you can say that you’re currently taking a crash course or you’re learning the application with a friend. You can mention that you’ve realized it’s not that complicated after all.

Never state a weakness that opposes any of the main requirements of the job. For instance, if you hate numbers, don’t make the mortal sin of mentioning this. You will instantly get rejected since consultants are bombarded with numbers for research and analysis.

What Was the Reason Why You Left Your Previous Job?

You are expected to tell the truth in answering this question but make sure that you focus on the act itself, not on the person nor on the organization. If you stick with the act, you get direct to the point. For instance, if you resigned because of your supervisor’s contagious inefficiency, you can just say, “I’m looking for a challenging environment where my skills can be fully maximized.”

Preferably, focus on your search for growth and betterment. Ranting will only lead you to saying negative impression about your boss and the people around you. A management consulting applicant who badmouths his or her previous colleagues and/or company usually gets rejected.

Badmouthing implies ungratefulness and poor social skills, two factors that adversely influence your performance.

Why Do You Want to Apply for This Position?

When the interviewer asks you this question, he/she wants to know three things: how fit you are for the position, how well you know the company and how you can reconcile both. If you’re applying for a position in McKinsey, research what their ultimate goal is. If you’re trying your luck in Bain, find out what makes it different from the other management consulting firms. Then draw a line that connects the company’s vision and your personal interests, objectives and competencies.

What Are Your Goals?

This question aims to check if the position you’re applying for will help you achieve your career goals. Ideally both must be parallel since it helps you perform your responsibilities in a more effective and fulfilling manner. If they are situated on opposite sides, there’s a great possibility that you’ll find dissatisfaction in your job. This will consequently lead to poor performance and eventually resignation or termination.

When you are asked to answer this question in a management consulting job interview, establish a connection between the position and your career goal. For instance, if your dream is to be a Senior Consultant, you can explain that the Analyst position is a good stepping stone since your analytical and critical-thinking skills will be enhanced.

How Did Your Education Prepare You for This Job?

Some management consulting companies are interested in your educational background since it’s the longest training you have had. Those who graduated from universities known for their integrity, excellence and prestige are preferred as proven by their alumni.

However, going to the best school in the country doesn’t make you the most qualified applicant. You should also be able to explain how your holistic education have prepared you for the job. You can also mention your extra curricular involvement that equipped you for this position.

What Is the Most Difficult Decision You Have Made at School or at the Workplace?

This question finds out how a candidate deal with stress. When you need to make a difficult decision, there are choices you need to weigh, changes you need to face. How you deal with them is vital for any management consulting position since there are plenty of stress-provoking incidents in this field.

When asked with this question, try to recall a situation where you displayed competencies necessary for the management consulting position. For example, a problem that was resolved because of your leadership skills or a dilemma that was clarified because you’ve convinced the other consulting club members to brainstorm possible solutions.

How Do Your Colleagues or Friends Describe You as a Person?

This checks your interpersonal skills, an important factor that recruiters seek in management consulting applicants. Consultants should be people person. They are expected to deal with different kinds of personalities in different position levels to be able to generate excellent recommendations.

When asked with this question, focus on how you get along well with others. You don’t have to be loquacious; you must only be able to work in teams, establish rapport, collaborate and provide feedback.

Do You Have Any Questions?

A good recruiter always gives the applicant a chance to ask questions at the end of the interview to clarify any confusion. This is a good chance for you to prove you can pose intelligent queries. Do not look for answers that are already provided on the job description. Instead, ask questions that suggest your interest in management consulting and that are interesting enough for the interviewer to answer.

Shortlisted management consulting applicants usually undergo two to three interview rounds before they get hired for the position. This is the most critical part of the recruitment process since the logical capability and communication skills are tested in person. To prepare for this challenge, you must know the facts listed in this post.

Talking to an interviewer in a room can be a daunting experience, especially when the questions being asked are technical, not experiential. In the field of management consulting, these technical questions are raised from a complicated business dilemma you must quickly grasp in just a few minutes. This is doable though, if you come to the interview well-prepared, confident and relaxed.

What Is a Consulting Case Study Interview?

This type of interview uses situational cases of different industries. Instead of asking very general questions, interviewers present an ambiguous business problem you have to ponder and resolve. It usually lasts for 25 to 35 minutes. The topic can range from healthcare strategies to manufacturing issues to manpower downsizing. Management consulting firms like McKinsey, Bain, BCG and Booz keep a multitude of cases since they need to find out if applicants are capable of interacting with different clients.

Why Do Consulting Firms Use Case Interviews?

Most management consulting companies use it because it effectively weeds out the best applicants from the good ones. Case interviews allow the recruiter to get to know the applicant in a deeper level. Through the exchange of thoughts and ideas, those who have the critical thinking, creative problem-solving, communication and excellent organizational skills will stand out from the crowd. These skills may be stated on the resume and initially assessed during testing but they can only be confirmed through direct professional interaction.

What Are the Types of Cases Used by Interviewers?

The three types of cases often used by management consulting recruiters are the business case, estimation case and brain-teasers. In the first type, you are given a business situation similar to what consultants work on every day. Given some information, you are expected to give practical recommendations at the end of the interview. For example, you will evaluate the feasibility of opening a hardware branch in another city or the plan of merging two companies.

In the second case, you will guesstimate the number of objects, people or incidents in a certain area or within a specified duration. This tests your ability to arrive at an answer in a systematic manner. The questions may seem too vague and impossible to answer without sufficient data. You can be asked how many cups are produced in China in a year or how many Americans travel to Europe annually.

In the last case, you will be given a puzzle or any mentally challenging problem that calls for creativity, thinking outside the box and sharpness. For instance, you will be asked to enumerate fifteen things you can do with stones or why manholes are round. This type is seldom used by management consulting recruiters, though.

How Are You Evaluated by Recruiters?

You are evaluated through the methods you utilize in approaching the problem, not on the solutions you generate. There are two reasons for this process-oriented assessment. First, there’s no correct answer for each presented management consulting case. What’s more important is for you to arrive at a valid, reasoned and well-explained conclusion. Second, it is during the process when you muster your abilities to resolve a problem. For recruiters, the way you think has more bearing on their decision.

How Do You Prepare for Consulting Case Study Interviews?

Preparation for management consulting interviews can be done cognitively, affectively and physically. In the cognitive aspect, you must enhance your mental math skills since in most cases, you will deal with numbers. You must also know the common frameworks used for assessing business problems. Along with your logical thinking, this will provide structure to your answer. You can check our guide to consulting frameworks and be well-versed with resolving practical cases.

In the affective aspect, you must condition yourself to project confidence during the interview. To accomplish this, try solving business cases with a friend or a mentor. There are tons of resources on the Internet and you can refer to them for exercises. You must also relieve yourself from too much anxiety as it will cause you to panic and stammer in front of the recruiter. Stay graceful under pressure.

In the physical aspect, dress up neatly and professionally. Fix your hair properly and don’t wear too many accessories. Ensure that your fingernails are trimmed and your shoes are cleaned. Demonstrate enthusiasm through your facial expressions. Your corporate image will create an impact on the recruiter.

The management consulting case interview is the last step to getting your dream job. If you outperform the other shortlisted applicants, you will be selected to fill the vacancy. So make sure you’re prepared for it and you answer each question well. Should you want more interview tips, check this guide for additional reference.

The competition in getting a consulting internship opportunity may be as tough as getting a job. Many students would like to get hold of and maximize this opportunity. To arm you for this endeavor, read this post and have a solid background about this program.

After years of intellectually feeding your brain with theories and principles at the university, you must be too excited to apply them in the real world. Your stock knowledge about the culture of business, nature of organizations and management strategies is never enough to make you an outstanding management consultant or analyst. You need the practical side of things; you need the experience factor. The internship program in a management consulting firm can be the answer to that missing piece.

What Is a Management Consulting Internship Program?

A management consulting internship program is a systematized on-the-job training that allows undergraduate or postgraduate students to be immersed in the field for a specified period of time, usually about 10 to 14 weeks. You are given a day or two for the company and job orientation but after that, you will be assigned to work on tasks like everyone else. A supervisor will be assigned to you to answer your inquiries, monitor you during the program and address your other concerns from time to time.

Should You Take a Consulting Summer Internship Program?

Management consulting firms offer internship all year round but the most convenient time to do it is during summer. Top tier firms like McKinsey, Bain, Booz and BCG have well-organized internship programs in summer, a perfect time for you to receive formal training and meet other consultants in social events. Recruitment usually begins in January and if you’re fortunate enough to qualify, the internship starts within June and ends within August.

What Do You Get from a Consulting Internship?

Consulting internships are quite popular because of the advantages they offer to students. Enumerated below are the perks you can enjoy from this short training.

You Can Build Your Competencies

The kind of training you get from management consulting firms will expose you to responsibilities that require your utmost knowledge, skills and abilities. You’ll be given tasks to explain organizational situations, go through documents and reports, analyze critical details and possibly recommend solutions to existing problems. These require your critical thinking aspect, positive work habits and high level of professionalism.

You Can Reflect on Your Calling

Within the short duration, you can realize if this is the career path you should follow. Being surrounded by people who are already there gives you an idea of the actual life you’re dreaming of. Do you feel motivated to get your tasks done? Do you take the pressure as a positive inspiration? Do you believe you can get along with people in a fast-paced, highly intellectual environment? If all your answers to those questions are in the negative after the internship, management consulting is not probably for you.

You May Get a Full-Time Job Offer After the Program.

This is probably the best prize you can claim after the internship. If the management consulting firm has a vacant post that is commensurate to your qualifications, most likely they will offer you an employment contract, a big break that any fresh graduate would love to have. It is then very important to produce quality output, establish smooth relationship with colleagues, get constructive feedback and participate actively in team projects. Act responsibly and proactively. Prove to them and most of all to yourself that you deserve it.

You Broaden Your Network

If you don’t get the offer for a full-time position, you can still be grateful for the opportunity to meet and work with management consultants and clients. Since these people have connections with big companies, they can give you recommendations and referrals to the best employers in town. In the future, if you stumble upon complicated challenges in your career, you may contact them and seek advice.

What Do Management Consulting Companies Get from the Program?

It’s not only students who benefit from internship programs. It’s actually a win-win situation for both parties. Below are two reasons why consulting firms continue to offer this training.

Effective Recruitment Strategy

During the on-the-job training, they can closely monitor who among the interns exhibit the competencies perfect for their vacant position. They can determine who has the leadership skills, analytic way of thinking, excellent communication ability and initiative. They’ll be able to evaluate candidates not only through their resume, interview and test results but also through performance, which is more reliable.

Form of Advertisement

Management consulting firms treat their interns as a team member because after the program, they will be returning to the university and will be sharing their experience. Further, in the future, if the interns get hired by companies that will require consulting services, they can recommend the consulting firm because of their fantastic experience.

How Do You Avail of Opportunities for Consulting Internships?

Not all management consulting firms offer internship programs. Hence, being always on the lookout will keep you aware of rare opportunities. Watch out for job fairs and other special programs where recruiters or representatives from consulting firms accept on-the-job training applications. You can also tap your contacts who can help, guide and recommend you for the program. You can also visit the websites of your target firms for updates.

If you get the internship opportunity at a well-respected firm like BCG and PWC, make the most of your experience. Your short stay will not only provide you ample insights but also wonderful encounters with different people. Enjoy every aspect of it. You might get too absorbed with the projects assigned to you to have fun at the workplace.

After reading this post, explore our website or download this guide for more practical tips on how to land an opportunity in management consulting.

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One of the common problems in management consulting agencies is the work-life imbalance of its employees. The nature of their job compels them to work for longer hours, a clear indication that there is less time to prioritize the simple pleasures in life. If you’d like to pursue a career in this field, find out how you’ll manage this issue.

The coin has always two sides. In the field of management consulting, employees enjoy a number of attractive benefits but they must also accomplish milestones for their clients by all means, even if it implies staying at the office for more than eight hours a day – and it does so almost every day. To elaborate this idea, below are the happy and sad sides of the consulting industry.

Compensation and Benefit Package vs Time

One of the motivating reasons why thousands of applicants would go for a management consulting position is the money that puts lavish food on the dining table and pays the costly bills. The annual base salary estimate for the fresh graduates ranges from $45,000 – $60,000, depending on the country and the size of the firm. This excludes the signing and year-end bonuses, the health care insurance, the reimbursed travel expenses and other promising incentives. Expectedly, the starting rate is higher for those who have earned a master’s or graduate degree and those who have relevant experience. The salary gets even more attractive on progression to senior levels.

However, this perk comes with a price so expensive that the monthly salary cannot even afford – demand for time in the office. Most management consultants have to work for 60-80 hours in a week because of the project requirements. At times, the regular working hours are only consumed by client and team meetings; hence the need for more hours to seriously study and analyze information. More often than not, consultants end up with bulky wallets and wealthy bank accounts without sufficient time to do their hobbies, go shopping and enjoy what they earn.

People Exposure vs Family Bonding

Another perk consultants get from working at management consulting firms like McKinsey, Bain, Booz and BCG is the opportunity to meet a variety of people – from dynamic colleagues bringing in different cultures and work orientation to business-minded clients coming from different areas. This exposure doesn’t only hone their social interaction skills to the fullest, it also widens their professional network. The chatty enjoys every conversation, the observant has so much things to ponder and the impatient learns to wait.

On the other hand, because of the demanding schedule with other people, consultants have less time for their loved ones. They often end up missing their friend’s birthday bash or their weekend getaways with their kids or cousins. They feel so caught up with their work they’re unable to spend time with their family. Oftentimes, they need to travel for a few days in a week, making their absence at home more inconvenient and distressing to others.

Challenging vs Stressful Opportunities

Many applicants love the intellectual challenges of a management consulting position. The thinking aspect may drain most people but for those who are interested in a consulting career, going through numerical data, analyzing graphs and charts, generating options for problems and recommending strategies to top management are exciting sources of energy. Management consulting firms give their employees opportunities to learn and master new skills in every project. Consultants have to learn quickly and to be motivated enough to keep up with others.

Unfortunately, because of the prolonged hours of brain-utilizing, the responsibilities cause headaches to consultants. Stress becomes a constant companion with the deadlines they need to meet, difficult people they have to discuss with and long hours they have to endure. Only a few people are graceful under too much stress. This explains why the turnover rate in management consulting companies is quite high.

Venturing into Management Consulting?

If you’re embarking in this field, you should seriously consider the yin-yang situations cited above. The job has its own wonderful opportunities paired with alarming threats. However, if you’d really like to give it a try, then go for it. Many consultants who resigned from consulting firms would never trade their experience for anything else in the world. Sure their resumes look even more credible but on top of that, the learning process they underwent was priceless.

Here are some suggestions on how to maintain balance in management consulting.

Accept the Situation

Accept that work-life balance is hard to attain when you’re a consultant. This doesn’t really solve the problem but nevertheless, being aware lessens your unrealistic expectations. Distress occurs when the ship doesn’t sail as smoothly as you expected it to. Knowing the truth at least conditions you to prepare for work-loaded days.

Establish Boundaries

Do not be a family person and a consultant at the same time. For instance, during weekends, do not go on a family picnic with a laptop so you can check emails and continue making reports. Learn to draw a line between work and play. For a consultant with a hectic schedule, this may be too hard but still possible. It all boils down to your time management and organizational skills.

Make Use of Technology

With the advent of technology, communication has never been easier. While on the train to visit a client in another province, why don’t you bring your wireless Internet connection and check your e-mails along the way? When you take a break from work, why don’t you call your partner and kids and have a little chat about their whereabouts? When you’re often physically away from home, your family doesn’t have to feel you’re also emotionally absent.

Refuse, If You Have to

If you have valid reasons, you may say “No” to certain requests or demands. Your colleagues will most probably empathize with you. They understand that you have personal priorities as much as they do. In the same way, if your colleagues refuses for an important reason, respect their decision. Everyone in the management consulting team can always make a compromise.

Enjoy

Getting a summer internship program or being employed by a management consulting firm is a once in a blue moon opportunity. Though you’re expected to work hard, don’t forget the fun side of it. Love what you’re doing; it’s the perfect idea of combating negative forces at work. Get to know your teammates on a personal level. Know their stories and share yours, too.

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Networking is a wise way of landing a job in management consulting. By expanding your circle through joining organizations and attending activities, you’ll will encounter key people who can help you in the recruitment process. Continue reading this post and realize the relevance of networking in pursing a consulting career.

The concept of networking all started with man’s gregarious nature. Nowadays, it connotes a different meaning in various settings. In computer science, it’s the act of linking two or more units in a specific area for data sharing. In business, it happens when like-minded people build relationships and act upon a  business together. For management consulting applicants like you, it’s one way of getting the dream job.

Benefits of Having a Wide Network

Your network can give you either of the following:

Information

Consulting vacancies are normally not published on newspapers or posted on job boards. Recruitment is sometimes facilitated through university or college events. More often than not, assessment of experienced candidates is conducted when they get recommendations from the firm’s existing employees. Hence, the more people you interact with, the more updated you are with job openings, the more chances you can apply and be assessed for the position.

Recommendation

Recruiters receive piles of resumes for a single position only. For instance, in top management consulting firms like Booz and BCG,  candidates have a small probability of getting hired due to the large number of qualified applicants. However, if you get a credible recommendation from somebody in your network, the employer will more likely bank on your competencies.

Employment

Some people within your network might be job providers themselves. If they need your services or expertise, they can simply tap you for help. At times, you find a business partner in your network too. You can plan for a venture on putting up a quaint coffee shop or on providing management consulting services to local companies. The possibilities are endless.

Widening Your Network

Every day is an opportunity to add more people in your network. It just depends on how you maximize your time and deal with the people you meet along the way. Below are three proven ways on how to improve your network for a management consulting position.

Be Friendly

Sociable people tends to have a wider network because it’s their nature to reach out and befriend others. Friendliness paves ways for two people to establish rapport between them, build trust and comfortably exchange information. This characteristic isn’t difficult to develop at all. It usually begins with the habit of smiling, followed by sincerity and kindness,  and ends with a high five.

Join Clubs and Organizations

Being an active member of a club or an organization allows you to meet more people and make meaningful connections. As you consistently participate in the activities, you’ll get to know more about your new found friends, including their hobbies, profession and even their circles. When you start sharing your own world, they will also know that you’re particularly interested in management consulting. They might be able to help you land a job in that field.

Many consulting firms also facilitate on-campus activities to get in touch with potential applicants. Stay updated with your school career programs to maximize that opportunity. On those events, make it a point to dress professionally, meet consultants and talk with them. Ask them well-thought open-ended questions that can start your discussion. Don’t forget to introduce your name and ask for a business card. End the conversation with a firm handshake.

Explore LinkedIn to Your Advantage

Human Resources Departments have also shifted from using traditional ways of employee selection to paperless virtual recruitment. As a proof, many job advertisements are now posted on global marketplaces. For instance, LinkedIn, a popular professional networking site, is often used for hiring purposes nowadays. Many companies believe it’s an efficient and effective way of contacting candidates and filling vacant positions in their company.

To increase the chance of being contacted by recruiters on LinkedIn, complete and update your profile regularly. It’s your way of assuring them that you’ll reply to their message should they contact you. On that site, you can also join circles and connect with people in the same field. Be tactful in dealing with your virtual contacts. To keep your credibility, maintain a professional image.

Maintaining a Good Network

Establishing a connection with a person may be easy but maintaining it takes more effort. To help you keep the network you’ve started, here are three tips.

Build a Stronger Relationship

Do not use your network for a management consulting position as a means to an end. Your contacts deserve to be treated personally and sincerely. Regardless of the job opportunities they bring in, take time to communicate with them, update each other’s whereabouts through chat, call or email, and enjoy their company. Have fun listening to their wonderful stories and crazy ideas.

Be Grateful

Never forget to drop by and express gratitude for any favor they do for you. Avoid the mistake of disappearing like a bubble once you get their referral or recommendation. If you get the job, update them from time to time about how things are going. This will send them the message that you value their assistance.

Treat Kindness as a Two-way Street

The golden rule prevails. If you want assistance, you should extend some help as well. If you hear vacancies and opportunities that suit any of your contacts’ personality, inform them. They will certainly appreciate your effort.

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As an applicant for a management consulting position, you might wonder why you are asked to take an abstract reasoning test. At first glance, the items don’t seem to have a practical connection to the nature of the job you’re applying for. To give you a clear understanding on what this test is all about, read this article.

What Is an Abstract Reasoning Test?

An abstract reasoning test consists of visual questions that come in the form of shapes, figures, symbols and diagrams. The items are usually presented in a series and you have to identify the implied logical rule to know the right answers.

This test measures the innate ability of the person to recognize patterns, establish logical rules and use them in proving assumptions, predicting solutions and resolving problems. Some would call this fluid intelligence, which according to Raymond Cattell is “the ability to perceive relationships independent of previous specific practice or instruction concerning those relationships.” In other words, it refers to how a person logically approaches and manages a situation, regardless of education, culture, upbringing and prior knowledge.

How Come It Can Measure Intelligence?

To answer this question, let’s go back to the research of Charles Spearman, the British psychologist who discovered the positive correlation between two cognitive tests. In his experiment, he found out that those who score well in one intelligence test (e.g. vocabulary) will most likely have an excellent performance in another type of mental test (e.g. math). He attributed this relationship to the general ability of a person, which can be measured by an abstract reasoning test.

From his experiment, it can be concluded that an applicant’s score on an abstract reasoning test may predict his or her score in other intelligence tests and his potential performance at the workplace.

What Makes It Difficult in Management Consulting?

This test comes in different types. The simplest one is administered to applicants of rank and file positions. However, since you’re applying for a management consulting position, expect items with medium to high level of difficulty.

Easy test items usually come at the first part of the test and they gradually get complicated. You have to decipher more than two implied rules, which gets more complex as you move on. This doubles the pressure because you have to deal with the time limit. You are given only about 30 seconds to analyze the patterns and choose the answer.

What Are the Advantages of Using It?

Abstract reasoning tests are considered more objective and culture-sensitive because they do not include words and numbers. It therefore eliminates environmental barriers that may possibly affect a test taker’s score. A management consulting applicant whose native language is English will most likely have a higher score on a verbal reasoning test than someone whose mother tongue is an Asian dialect. This language factor, however, won’t affect both applicants’ score on this test since they’ll only deal with figures.

Why Do Management Consulting Companies Use This Test?

To score high in an abstract reasoning test, logic must be used. Logic is important for any position in a management consulting firm like Mercer and Bain because you can’t share professional advice if you don’t have it. Recognizing organizational trends, analyzing company issues and generating strategies all require critical thinking. Moreover, recruiters significantly consider your innate capabilities since you’ll be interacting with Chief Executive Officers, Financial Managers and other key personnel in the organization.

If you’re an associate or analyst in a management consulting team, you’re expected to be interviewing employees, creating financial systems and presenting effective strategies to clients. If you get a low score on this test, chances are you will fail to perform these critical responsibilities. Interviewing employees isn’t only a matter of asking and listening; it’s also about listening to unspoken messages. If you need to establish an efficient financial system, you must analyze the entire business flow. If you want to give recommendations, you must base them on well-thought facts, reports and studies.

How Can You Improve Your Score?

It’s impossible to change your general intelligence in just a week. However, you can still improve your score in an abstract reasoning test for a management consulting position. Here are the 3P’s you must keep in mind.

Practice

There are tons of free resource materials on the Internet. If you go over them, you’ll notice that websites offer exercises on different rules and levels of difficulty. Most of them provide key answers with clear explanation to guide you in the process. The more items you try, the greater the likelihood of encountering familiar patterns on the actual test.

Puzzle

Rubiks cube, sudoku, jigsaw and other types of puzzles are not only intended for leisure. They also encourage you to figure out relationships between colors and objects, which results to a sharpened mind. Further, you get more clever because your answers have to be logically deduced, not guessed or tricked. At times, you even have to try so many options you must think outside the box.

Patience

To be able to practice hard and complete puzzles, you need the value of patience. This is a very simple but highly effective tip applicable to any undertaking.

After reading the information above, you now probably understand the importance and contribution of abstract reasoning tests in the screening process for any management consulting position. If you need more excellent tips to pursue your dream job, download this step-by-step guide.

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A numerical reasoning test measures not only your mathematical skills but more importantly the way you analyze data, interpret graphical presentation and generate logical solutions based on digits. Since this is important in management consulting, read this article to know how to improve your numerical test performance.

As a management consulting analyst or consultant, you’ll be looking into inventory reports, financial statements, salary structure, operational data and other documents that contain numbers. These papers play a vital role as the growth of the organization is largely dependent on how they are utilized. The management regularly refer to them to determine the profit and loss of the company. However, if they are improperly dealt with, they lead to poor planning, unrealistic strategies and consequently, huge loss.

The rationale above is the reason why most management consulting recruiters require their candidates to take a numerical reasoning test. Through this screening strategy, they’ll be able to find out who among the applicants truly deserves to be hired. If you’re shortlisted for testing, take note of the following helpful tips:

Reinforce Your Mathematical Concepts

Questions on addition, subtraction, multiplication and division can be readily answered by anyone. However, for items related to word problems, percentage and progression, you need to review and master the basic rules. Borrow some textbooks from the library and get yourself familiarized with them again for this management consulting job. That won’t be difficult as you’ve already passed the subject years ago.

Practice Reading Graphs and Tables

Familiarize yourself with different kinds of graphs, charts and tables. Know when they are used and how they are usually interpreted. Read the description for each figure carefully and check the legend as well. This ensures accuracy of assumptions and answers. Many questions on numerical reasoning tests are related to this because data interpretation is one of the main responsibilities of those who pursue a management consulting career.

Improve Your Computation Speed

Mathematical problems are ideally resolved by following a certain process. However, since numerical reasoning tests for management consulting firms are time-limited, be aware of the shortcut methods in getting the right answer. If you visit this site, you will find a few helpful math tricks that can expedite your computation.  Another way of doing this is through mental math. By calculating in your mind, you waste no time in writing numbers on scratch paper.

Be Mindful of the Numbers Involved in Your Daily Activities

Have you tried asking yourself, “Why do I only have this amount in my savings account?” Have you tried computing a self-employed bus driver’s daily income after subtracting the expected expenses? Have you tried budgeting for the summer getaway you’ve always dreamed of? These are alternative and practical ways of enhancing your computation and critical thinking skills for a management consulting test. Use everyday situations to your advantage.

As you go through the management consulting numerical reasoning test, remember that what is being tested is how you critically approach a problem. If you concentrate on answering each item, stay calm despite the time pressure and follow the preparatory steps mentioned above, you have a higher probability of getting a high score and hopefully, getting the position.

To ensure that you’re the applicant the management consulting company will hire, check out more information on our website or download this useful guide.

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Emotional intelligence is a must for you to carry out the responsibilities of a management consultant. Your interaction with people every now and then requires your capability to handle your emotions in the most professional way. Read this post and know how important it is in the management consulting industry. 

Popularized by Daniel Goleman in 1995, emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the person’s extent of emotional awareness and control. The author said that it’s a primary predictor of success in the workplace. An indicator of this is the fact that there are many highly intelligent management consulting applicants who don’t get the job because they simply don’t have the ability to adapt to the nature of the consulting field. Some don’t last because they find it difficult to interact with people, they don’t understand the value of hard work and they can’t handle the pressure and stress. They have failed to develop the right attitude for the right situation.

As a consultant, you will be engaged in projects where you need to show a high level of emotional and social intelligence. For example, you might be sent to a client to help them restructure the organization. You will need to talk to different people, and quickly get along well with them so that they can help you with your project. You need to be emphatic and at the same time confident and decisive.

To go into this further, below are Goleman’s EI model’s four constructs, all of which are important in management consulting firms.

Self-Awareness

If you want to pursue a career in management consulting, you need to manifest this skill even before the start of the recruitment process. If you know yourself, you can easily assess if the job is meant for you. You can also readily answer the interviewer’s questions when asked about your strengths, weaknesses, abilities and limitations. Further, self-awareness is your key to self-development, a very important factor for any kind of job.

Self-Management

Signing an employment contract with a top tier management consulting firm like McKinesy and Bain will definitely bring heaps of changes to your daily activities. The pressure from analyzing organizational issues and generating recommendations for improvement will push you to your boundaries. This requires you to manage your stress under pressure.

Moreover, you will also be swamped with work; so you must exercise your drive to accomplish and achieve things. You might have to work on extended hours for consecutive days but if you understand the value of discipline and delaying self-gratification, you’ll appreciate the work results better.

Social Awareness

Since you won’t be working alone as a management consulting staff, you need to get a feel of the people around you. You can do so with empathy. Listen to your clients when they communicate to you. What are their non-verbal cues telling you? How about their facial expression and tone of voice?

This construct is also helpful when you analyze the unexpressed needs of your clients. For instance, the top management may instruct you to improve employee productivity through system review. But as you reach out to employees, you might realize that the pay, not the system, is the cause of inefficiency.

Relationship Management

As you climb the ladder of management consulting career, you must develop higher level of social skills. You will be tasked to coach, inspire and lead a team of juniors and interns. To be able to excellently perform this responsibility, you must know how to bring out the best in them. If there is conflict in the team, you have to spot and resolve it. You must handle them professionally and encourage feedback and open discussion. Doing these things will maintain smooth relations among the group members.

This kind of intelligence is not innate but acquired. Like learning a sports or language, it will take time for you to embed it within your system. So while you’re still preparing for a management consulting position, start preparing for the job cognitively and emotionally.

So you’re already confident of your emotional intelligence?

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