Proofread Your Consulting Application

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proofread

We’re sure that you have heard the importance of proofreading your resume and cover letter to make sure you don’t make any mistakes. It is not good enough to have someone make sure your grammar and mechanics are in top form. You need people who truly understand the position that you want to obtain. Read more…

You Can’t Do It Yourself

The proofreading and editing process is not a one-person job. If it was, top reporters and journalists wouldn’t need a copy desk at their paper, and authors would just send their manuscripts to be published. Even if you don’t have a lot of time before your deadline, you can still make your application look more professional and reflect your best attributes.

Professional Editors

We think that there is value in getting a professional business editor to look over your resume and cover letter before you send your application package to a top management consulting firm. This site and our work have benefited from top-notch writers and editors who help us make our writing crisp.

Freelancers are one option, but be sure to ask for samples of work they have done in the past. Also consider looking for business management editors who specialize in the field.

Contacts Within The Industry

If you have done your homework and networked with mentors or other experts in the management consulting field, you should take the advantage you have and ask them to review what you’ve written. They may not pick out the usage issues that others will, but they can point out areas that would confuse a recruiter or keep your application out of the interview file.

This works well for people who have already established a relationship with someone in the sector. If you have, be sure to find something thoughtful as a thank you gift. Favors done for you deserve the same follow-up skills you will put on display throughout the interview process.

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How to Show a Corporate Image in Consulting Interviews

Written by . Posted in Case Interview Prep, Fit Interview Prep

corporate image

You may already be itching to get started with your first interview. The resume and cover letter you prepared struck gold with the hiring personnel at a top management firm. Read more…

There’s just one thing: if you don’t look the part, it may not matter how good your answers are during a management consulting interview.

The Corporate Image

Recruiters say all the time that candidates should stand out based on their qualifications and not their wardrobe, but it’s doubly important in the management consulting sector. You will be dealing with executives from high-ranking companies, and the consultants you work with want to make sure that you put forth the company image in how you act and dress. Forgetting this for the interview may mean you could forget it in a client meeting.

Skirts, Dresses and Suits

Pastels, print patterns and other designs are great for the weekend when you’re with friends. Keep them out of your wardrobe choices for your first management consulting interview. In fact, the standard black or charcoal suit from a mid to upper level designer for men may seem like an uninspired choice, but you want to create a canvas that the firm sees as able to meet their goals. Pair it with a sedate white or gray shirt and a blue, yellow or red tie.

Women will likely benefit from pant or dress suits that are conservative in cut and allow them to work without adjustment. Shoes should not look like they came from Sex and the City, either.

Moreso than the clothes themselves is the attention to detail in preparing them. If you can afford it, have your clothes professionally cleaned and pressed prior to the interview. Make sure that all shoewear is polished and free from dirt. Above all, make sure that there are no rips or stains on any items you plan on wearing

Hygiene and Haircuts

Nail biting, long haircuts and poor skin quality are not necessarily the signs of traits that management consultants aspire to hold. Make sure that your hair doesn’t cover your ear if you’re male and doesn’t come close to touching your collar. Females may want a short haircut that doesn’t require much upkeep.

For grooming, focus on the things that interviewers will notice first, nails that are free from excessive nail polish for women and not bitten down to nubs for men. Males who need to shave infrequently should time it so there is neither stubble nor razor burn.

Jewelry

Family heirlooms and gifts from friends and relatives may have a personal meaning to you. So, too will class rings and other signs of membership. If they seem gaudy or ostentatious, though, you set off warning signals. Keep the jewelry to watches for men and perhaps a ring, and simple earrings for women in addition. Large gemstones can also be a bit overpowering in setting a first impression.

With all those aspects marked off your checklist, you can be sure that your responses to questions will be what the recruiter remembers most, not the striped shirt that belongs in a club or disco.

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Investment Banking vs. Management Consulting

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Like other applicants, you may have entered “management consulting vs investment banking” on Google search field. Consultants may wear a lot of hats, so there is clearly an overlap with other corporate sectors. If we were to tell you that there’s a big difference between a theoretical physicist and an electronics engineer, you would understand, right?

Let’s back up for a second. A theoretical physicist doesn’t go after the nuts and bolts of a specific system, rather he or she is trying to find an explanation that works in every case. An electronics engineer is the one tasked with providing the practical outcome based on that new theory, as well as the body of work before it.

You can refer to the comparison above to resolve the consulting vs investment banking issue. Employees of both industries help companies take their strategies in new directions, but the tactics they use greatly differ.

Investment Banking as Theoretical Physics

Like research assistants at a top university, i-bankers are not likely doing much different from what they did at university, applying what they know to large quantities of data in order to help a more senior member of the firm prove a case to a client.

As they move up the corporate ladder, however, the greater interest becomes in developing a story line of how to make money work better for a firm. This can hold especially true for firms looking to make their growth dependent on mergers and acquisitions.

Management Consulting: In the Trenches

As many management consultants in the early part of their career can vouch for, travel plays a huge role in defining what you do on a weekly or monthly basis. Especially at top firms with many satellite offices, management consultants are expected to come up with strategies on the site with their clients, after meeting with senior and junior staff members.

And since we’ve talked about how to master the case interview questions by going through concrete assertions, it makes sense to re-iterate that point. A management consultant’s goal is to come up with creative solutions that take into account what the company has done and move it towards what it can do.

Unlike investment bankers, you may find yourself working in divergent departments like helping a marketing team trim excess weight or finding new ways for a human resources department best roll out a new health benefits package.

Which Fits You Best?

As you look for explanation on consulting vs investment banking, you will not see the main difference at the start, although financial wizards will see the most overlap between the two sectors. But if you don’t feel a pull into the sales and story side of things, you aren’t likely to be happy to remain in investment banking.

On the other hand, if you’re interested in starting with concrete building blocks and putting them together in ways that benefit your clients, management consulting is probably the best fit. Don’t assume without experience that one is better for you than the other, but this way you may have a better framework for judging for yourself.

Get a better understanding on consulting vs investment banking by reading more articles on the Internet. Then if you’re convinced that the former is where you want to build your career on, download this free e-book. It gives you tips on how to go through its recruitment process successfully.

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What Do Consulting Firms Look For?

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We often hear the question, “What do strategy consulting firms look for?” This is important knowledge for you to assess where you stand and what to focus on in your application. Also, during the interview, it is important for you to emphasize your key strengths (your “spikes”). Read more about the required skills below.

A great place to start is always at the website of the consulting company. For example, McKinsey look for skills in problem solving, achieving, personal impact and leadership. We believe that the following characteristics are the most important ones: thinking and problem solving, business sense, communication skills, personal impact, team skills, drive and motivation. Read below our take on each of these.

Thinking

You need in some way to show that you have a clear and structured way of thought. This is useful for problem solving and analyses. Also, math skills are usually important. Once you start your consulting career, you do not necessarily need to work with the quantitative stuff, but you will need the skills during the interviews.

Business Sense

Have a good judgement of business and strategic issues. Develop it by reading business articles and trying to understand the underlying issues behind the different news stories and strategic choices. Because business sense is very important, it ranks second in this what-do-strategy-consulting-firms-look-for list.

Communication

This one is crucial. Both the written and oral communication skills are important. At this stage you should focus on your oral skills. Be clear and to the point in your communication, and make people want listen to you.

Personal Impact

This is harder to define. But think about it – sometimes you will be with people who are good at influencing others. As consulting firms look for future leaders, they will look for leadership talent in you.

Team Skills

Cooperation with other people is essential as a consultant. You work in project teams and you are surrounded by both clients and your team members. Getting along well with them is a requirement to finish your project effectively. Teamwork is apparently one of the answers to the what-do-strategy-consulting-firms-look-for question.

Drive and Motivation

Know what you like and go for it. People should have a feel that you are motivated for what you do, and you have a great drive. Even when the going gets tough. We believe that these are the key characteristics. Try to consider a bit how you can develop these, and how you can show that you posses these skills. Have some good stories ready for interview and practice, practice, practice!

Now that you are aware of the answers to the question, “What do strategy consulting firms look for?” it’s high time to have a look at our free PDF guide on how to land a consulting job.

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Write Great Consulting Cover Letters

Written by . Posted in Consulting Application, Cover Letter

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Writing your cover letter is the first step to a career within a top tier management consulting firm. Your cover letter is not as important as the resume. However, it is still important that you make it professional and sell yourself in a best way. Read more to get tips on how to write great cover letters.

1. Proofread Your Cover Letter

Proofread once and do it once more! Make sure that your letter is grammatically correct and without typos. Also, double check all firm names, people’s names and addresses. Consulting cover letter mistake number one is to include the wrong consulting firm name – say sending a McKinsey application to Bain. This will not land you the interview!

2. Tailor Your Cover Letter to Each Firm

Sending generic consulting letters will lead to failure. You need to take the time to customize your cover letter by including firm specific details. This sends a strong signal of true interest.

3. Market Yourself

The cover letter is your chance to sell yourself. Remember that top tier consulting firms look for extraordinary people, hence the reader should be left with that impression after having read your cover letter.

4. Stick to the Facts

State the facts i.e. your skills and your qualifications and do not exaggerate them. Moreover, let the employer judge your skills. It can appear arrogant and presumptuous to conclude that you are the best person for the position. Impress the reader with your skills and let him or her reach his or her own conclusions.

5. Have Other People Give You Feedback

Use your network and let another person read your cover letter and then give you feedback. It always helps to have a “fresh set of eyes” look it through before submitting.

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Management Consulting Career Guides

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Application

Bain Cover Letter Sample

Bain Resume Sample

Bain has been consistently ranked as #1 best consulting firm to work for. Since their reputation attracts plenty of competent applicants, you should put your best foot forward. Start by submitting a Bain cover letter that conveys your knowledge, skills and passion for consulting. Start building your career at Bain by crafting a superior Bain resume that details your relevant qualifications section per section. Remember that Bain uses a points system to objectively measure a candidate’s educational attainment, experience, skills and other activities.

Management Consulting Cover Letter Sample

Management Consulting Resume Sample

Many employers believe that a well-crafted cover letter decreases the chance of inviting an incompetent applicant for an interview. Given this fact, it’s recommended that you refer to surefire tips and concrete examples on how to write each paragraph of an outstanding cover letter. Your management consulting resume should contain relevant and structured information to get the attention of recruiters. This document represents who you are–your achievements, capabilities and career drive. If it only lists superficial facts, it suggests you can’t bring value to the firm.

McKinsey Cover Letter Sample

McKinsey Resume Sample

When writing a McKinsey cover letter, focus on highlighting experience and achievements that are relevant to any of the firm’s general qualifications: problem solving capability, sense of achievement, ability to create an impact, and leadership skill. McKinsey based their preliminary screening on resumes. Thus, if you’re planning to break into this firm, tailor your resume relative to their goals. Include quantified accomplishments and other substantial information that define your communication, leadership and problem solving skills.

Interviews

Best Ways to Practice Case Interviews

Case Interview Preparation

Management consulting firms conduct a case interview to determine if you’re capable of analyzing business issues and communicating your out-of-the-box ideas to clients and other team members. Since this interview is inevitable in this industry, learn the best ways to practice for it. Most aspiring consultants say that the case interview is the most daunting stage of the consulting recruitment process. They also add that sufficient preparation is the most effective key to acing a case interview. It may take much time, but it’s the best way to be equipped for the challenge.

Common Consulting Fit Interview Questions

Sample Business Case: Private Equity

Consulting firms conduct fit interviews to determine if the candidate can perform smoothly in their work environment. Since this is a major consideration, ensure you prep for this type of interview. Start by knowing and answering the common behavioral questions interviewers use. This sample business case gives you a mental picture on how to analyze and resolve a problem during a consulting interview. It revolves around a private equity firm that hires your advisory services to determine if acquiring a leading US crane manufacturer is a good investment.

Consulting Life and Career

Consulting Computer and Internet Skills

Exit Options for Management Consultants

Consultants need to acquire computer skills in order to improve their productivity and efficiency. They should be able to use task management tools, office applications, and data sharing software, among others. Those with inadequate computer skills often find themselves trailing behind. When consultants leave the industry, they bring with them meaningful experience that qualifies them for various roles. Some establish their own start-up companies while others pursue corporate or government roles. Getting an MBA degree is also an option for some professionals.

How to Shift Your Career to Management Consulting

Job Description for a Management Consultant

Is there a chance for professionals without a business or management educational background to land a job in the consulting industry? Yes, but these career shifters must double their effort to make up for their lack of substantial knowledge, skills and experience. Before applying for any consulting job, know what consultants do, how they work in a team, how they are compensated, and what criticisms they have to bear with. Adequate knowledge about the role lets you ponder if you fit the opening, and how far you’ll go in the industry.

Management Consulting Glossary

Management Consulting Work-Life Balance

Aspiring management consultants like you should start learning industry terms as soon as you realize your desire to pursue a career in McKinsey, Bain, BCG, or other firms. This allows you to blend in the work environment competently and understand your colleagues’ message accurately. Work-life imbalance has always been an issue in the consulting industry. The perks consultants enjoy come with disadvantages that result to burnout, lack of quality time with the family, and long work hours. There are, however, concrete ways for minimizing daily stress in the workplace.

MBA for a Management Consulting Career

Qualities of a Successful Management Consultant

MBA may not be a basic requirement to get a consulting job, but this degree can put you at an advantage. Getting an MBA degree allows you to deepen your business knowledge, enjoy a wider network, demand a higher salary, and strengthen your consulting skills. Consultants should possess excellent communication, logical thinking, teamwork, and interpersonal skills to be able to perform their duties satisfactorily. Moreover, they are expected to consistently deliver excellent work output since they represent their firm to their clients.

What Management Consultants Believe in

When You Should Quit Management Consulting

How do consultants generate creative solutions and practical recommendations for organizations? How come some employers prefer to hire them than to make use of internal staff for issue analysis? It must be the way consultants think and what they believe in. Despite the lavish perks management consultants enjoy, many still decide to quit their challenging and fulfilling job in search for better work schedule, quality time with the family, or other career opportunities. Know the detailed reasons for their resignation.

Consulting Resume and Cover Letter Guide

Written by . Posted in Consulting Application

3d-book

  • The competition for management consulting positions at top-tier consulting firms such as McKinsey, Bain, BCG, and Booz is tough. Only a small fraction of applicants land a job after going through the gruelling recruiting process.
  • Does your application stand out? Your resume and cover letter need to be superior to your competitions’. Remember, you are competing with the best of the best.
  • Our Guide to Consulting Resumes and Cover Letters will guide you step-by-step in how to write an impressive, eye-catching resume and cover letter. The guide also contains several samples so you can get started right away!

Read more about the guide below and download it today.

 

We will help you overcome the challenges

consulting-logosWe help many applicants prepare their applications for top-tier consulting firms. Over and over we see lots of issues that make it almost impossible to land a consulting interview. You wouldn’t believe the level of competition to land a consulting job at one of the top-tier firms, such as McKinsey, BCG, Bain or Booz. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much for your application to be trashed by the recruiter.

Below are the typical challenges that applicants face and how our Resume and Cover Letter Guide will help you solve them.

Challenge

How our guide will help you?

Not knowing where to start, because you feel overwhelmed to write a cover letter and resume for such a competitive job Providing a step-by-step guide that will have you started immediately. We will advise you section by section and provide you with examples, both good and bad.For example, we go in-depth with the first section in your cover letter, which is very important.
Not being sure whether your background, education, experience, and skills are enough to land an interview Most applicants underestimate or forget to include parts of their background that are essential to an effective consulting application. Sure, it will be easier for you to get a job at McKinsey if you are a Harvard MBA graduate, but you can still get a job at McKinsey even if you are not; therefore, you need to include all relevant information in your application.This guide will help you identify your educational achievements and show you how to highlight your experience and skills. How you communicate these in your application is extremely important. We provide you with many practical examples so you know what works and what doesn’t.
Writing a boring cover letter that does not create any impact with the recruiter Cover letters are your chance to tell a story.Especially if you have some shortcomings (like a low GPA), then it is absolutely crucial that you demonstrate other skills and abilities that compensate for your shortcomings.

We will help you write cover letters that stand out and tell your story about why you are the perfect fit for consulting.

 

Contents of the Resume and Cover Letter Guide

The ebook has six main sections and is delivered as a PDF file. We have filled it with useful actionable advice targeted specifically towards consulting. You already know all the generic advice, so we don’t repeat it in this guide. Here are the main sections:

 

1. Before the Application

There is some work you need to do before you even start writing. We will explain the consulting recruiting process, how you can increase your chances by doing proper networking, and we will deep-dive into the skills and characteristics that top-tier consulting firms really look for.

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2. Your Selling Points

We will help you do a mini workshop where you assess your background and come up with the important selling points that are relevant for a consulting recruiter. This step is very important, and will make it much easier for you to write the application itself.

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3. Write Your Resume

This section will show you the structure of a consulting resume, and help you adjust it whether you are applying in the US or Europe. Then, we will deep-dive into each of the five resume sections with advice and lots of examples for recent graduates and experienced professionals.

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4. Write Your Cover Letter

There is some work you need to do before you even start writing. We will explain the consulting recruiting process, how you can increase your chances by doing proper networking, and we will deep-dive into the skills and characteristics that top-tier consulting firms really look for.

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5. FAQ

In this section we will cover all the typical questions we receive about consulting resumes and cover letters, such as the main reasons a consulting application is rejected, the most common mistakes that recent graduates make, etc.

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6. Resume and Cover Letter Samples

This section is one of the most popular in our guide. We will show you five cover letters and five resumes that cover very different types of background for both European and US applicants. You will see how all the information in the book is applied into superior applications.

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The major advantage of ConsultingFact.com is that the guides and lessons on the website are very concise, well-structured and affordable compared to most of the alternatives on the market – and superior to the free resources. Most of the content cuts straight to the chase with few prevarications. This is the reason why I have found it valuable as an MBA-student with very limited time on my hand, and high ambitions for a career in consulting.
— Martin Rannje, Cambridge MBA Student

 

Guide to Consulting Case Interview Frameworks

Written by . Posted in Consulting Application

cf_guide_intro_5

  • All management consulting firms use business cases in the interview process. In fact, business cases are the key part of the interview.
  • You need to be prepared for various types of business cases, and you should know the important frameworks, when to use them and how.
  • Our guide to business case frameworks will help you structure and solve your case interviews. We will walk you through the important frameworks and how to use them. Read more below.

“The case interview is only one dimension of the recruiting process,
but it is typically the part that raises the most anxiety.”

– Bain Recruiting Website, Joinbain.com

 

Case Frameworks Are Crucial For Your Success In Case Interviews

Case interviews require you to practice six different skills…

essentials_case_prep2


Case frameworks are used to solve very different business problems…

Business cases are a key part of case interviews at management consulting firms. The different cases might sound very difficult, and the interviewer will usually try to make them sound very complex. However, all these case questions usually boil down to some very specific types of cases.You need to be able to assess the case question, find out which type of business case this is, and which framework you should use to solve the problem. Below is a list of some of the most common frameworks.

  • Capacity expansion
  • Competitor response
  • Evaluation of M&A target
  • Market segmentation
  • Market situation
  • New market entry
  • New product development
  • Pricing strategy
  • Profit hunt
  • Product strategy

Case frameworks will help you solve a business case in three important areas…

Structure your analysis

Once you clarify which framework to use, you will quickly be able to structure your analysis. You will feel more confident, and you can use time on the analysis instead of considering what to include.

Analyze the problem

You will spend most of the time during the consulting case interview on the analysis part. You will go through the framework structure and make sure that you do all the necessary analyses.

Make a conclusion

Finally, the framework will help make conclusions based on your analysis. Conclusions in different types of cases usually have some common content. Also, frameworks will help you recommend next steps.

 

Our Guide Will Help You Prepare For Case Interviews

case_frameworks_pages The ConsultingFact.com guide, Business Case Frameworks, will help you structure and solve your case interviews. You will learn the most important frameworks and how to use them. The guide builds on our team’s extensive, in-depth experience within management consulting projects and recruiting. You will get:

  • The guide delivered in a PDF file
  • No generic content – pure consulting focus
  • Pragmatic approach – no theoretical explanations

 

Benefit 1:
Get Ready For the Interview

1-getready Business cases are a key part of every consulting interview. The interviewer needs to see that you are capable of quickly assessing the situation and choosing the right approach.This guide will teach you when to use the different frameworks.

Benefit 2:
Learn the Frameworks

2-learnframeworks The guide will show you the ten most common frameworks and how to use them. You will learn how to structure every type of business case, how to analyze the case and how to recommend a solution. Key capabilities for a consultant.

Benefit 3:
Save Time

3-savetime You will probably spend lot of time on applying and preparing for consulting interviews. Save time by learning exactly what frameworks to use and how to use them. You could spend this saved time on practicing the case interviews themselves.

 

Contents of The Guide

content1

Case solving process using frameworks

Before jumping into the frameworks, the guide will show you how to prepare for business cases. The important thing is to present the qualities that the interviewer is looking for. We will show you how to structure your case solving to demonstrate the qualities. This part of the guide contains:

  • Best practice on preparing and structuring your business case interview
  • Key results that you need to achieve in each part of the case interview process, so you know you are on track
  • How to use a hypothesis-based approach on solving cases

 

content2

Structure for each framework

Our guide will show you ten of the most used frameworks by management consulting firms. You can apply them to almost all business cases. We will show you when to use each framework, and our easy-to-apply structure should be easy to remember for the interview. This section will:

  • Show you a visual map for each of the ten frameworks
  • Teach you how to structure, analyze and advise on each framework

 

content3

Case analysis for each framework

You will spend most of the time during your case interview analyzing the case problem. This is also the hardest part, as you don’t have time to do deep analyses. You need to be able to quickly assess what analyses are important. This is a key part of our framework guide, and Part 3 includes:

  • Detailed questions that you need to answer in your analysis phase for each of the 10 frameworks
  • Recommendation on which conclusions you can make

Free Guide: Learn How to Break Into Consulting

Written by . Posted in Consulting Application

Do you want to break into consulting?Download our free PDF guide, which will show you the necessary steps and best practices on how to prepare.

The ConsultingFact.com team includes a former McKinsey consultant, so you will get inside tips from our experience:

  • Learn how to write a cover letter and resume for consulting
  • Get best practices on how to prepare for the interview rounds
  • Review a complete case study interview
  • Learn the six important success factors for a management consultant

Preparing for a consulting career is a lengthy process, and you should spend your time wisely. This guide outlines your path.

To download this free guide, enter your email in the box to the right.

FREE Guide: How to Land a Job in Management Consulting (PDF)

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We respect your email privacy.

What You Will Learn In This Guide

Consulting Interview Process

lp_interview2Get an overview of the application and interview process when applying to management consulting firms. Receive tips on how to write your cover letter and resume and get prepared for the written tests and interviews once you get there.

Interview Preparation

lp_prepLearn what you need to practice to receive an offer from one of the top-tier consulting firms. See our step-by-step framework to case study solving, learn how to develop your own frameworks and get mental math tips.

Case Study Example

lp_casestudyKnow what to expect from a case study interview round. Read a real-life case study interview, which includes a variety of topics. See the practical application of the step-by-step framework to case study solving.

 

Contents In the Guide

  • Application Process
    Get an overview of the entire application process. Where do you need to prepare?
  • Before the Interview
    We will give you tips on fulfilling the requirements to land an interview.
  • Case Interview
    Case study interviews vary a lot. Learn about the different types.
  • Case Frameworks
    You need to learn case frameworks and we will show you how you can create your own.
  • Case Study Example
    See how to solve real consulting problems.
  • Mental Math
    There is no way around mental math in your interview. Learn how to handle it.

Management Consulting Career Ebooks

Written by . Posted in Consulting Application

Land A Management Consulting Job

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Learn about the whole management consulting job application process. Preparing for a consulting career is a lengthy process, and you should spend your time wisely. This guide outlines your path.

Case Interview Frameworks

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Case interviews are the key part of every management consulting recruiting process. You need to be able to solve very different cases. Our guide to Business Case Frameworks will show you which frameworks to use and how to use them. Learn to structure and analyze your business case problems.


Consulting Resumes and Cover Letters

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Writing your cover letter and resume is the first step in landing a management consulting job. Knowing what to include and how to include it is a challenge. The competition is stiff, and minor mistakes can cost you the interview. Even if you have a great background. This guide is hands-on and tells you exactly what to do.