I have an interview coming up for an entry level management consulting position and wanted to get some advice. I have read up on the case studies and type of questions they ask, but I am sure many members here actually are involved in the practice and would greatly appreciate any insights you could share with me. Anything you can say in terms of interview tips or experiences will be most appreciated. Thank you.

 

1. Never give away ideas you have in an interview. Just hint that you know of other ways, from experience, to operate business.

2. Don't get cornered into "How Would You" resolve this issue. That's the same as giving away your ideas.

3. Exaggerate your experience (if you have any), without lying.

4. Use management terminology in breif terms. Example, when looking at the bottom line NOI (net operating income). Or, what is the companies annual job "turnover rate", and than ask if that is normal in a particular industry.

I guess my answers are leading to this; never give away your great ideas- they will steal them. Always make it seem like you are familiar with the management terrain and the current status of the job market.

 

Well post up once you had your interview and let us know the techniques they used and how it went.

 

What AlexZ mentioned, very beneficial information... You don't want to give ideas away, you want to assure whoever is interviewing you that you are knowledgable in that field, work experience etc. but avoid giving away any strategy.

Ex. In real estate there's always someone trying to steal the same property you are bidding on, I say nothing to anyone, even if I'm purchasing through a broker, I give them minimal info, but assure them I'm solid financially to purchase that's it. Not how much money I'm gonna make / benefits, etc, or I might get screwed over.

Confidentiality, and being astute, your gravy.

 

Sorry if I was not too clear on my position, this is for an entry level position and doesn't require much experience if any, they are willing to train.
I am currently a software engineer and trying to switch to the consulting business. I have an Economics and Spanish degree which I think will be helpful for such a position. I have interviewed only 1 time before this for a consulting position so my experience is very limited in all aspects of the field.

 

O.K. limited experience, your degree is a major plus, you're knowledgable with the product you'll be marketing.... Good Luck

 

This question threw me off completely...

"What was your least favorite class in college?"
I doubt they will ask it but goes to show be ready to answer anything....

I just said the first class that came to mind, and then at the end said... "but it wasn't that bad, I did the work and got the A" the guy loved that.

 

OK, well I am a management consultant, so hopefully I can help out a bit. I don't think you'll get any questions where the consulting firm can possibly steal your ideas on management strategy. If it's an established firm, they probably have their own methodologies already in place and don't need/want to get ideas from an entry-level candidate.

I will just assume that you are interviewing with a larger firm. I will also assume that this is for an operations/tactical position, not IT, not strat.

For some in-depth information, try www.vault.com or www.wetfeet.com as resources. Some basic advice from me:

General interview advice:

- Read the Wall Street Journal for a few days before walking into the interview. There may be some current-event style questions. For example, "So, do you think the Sanofi acquisition of Aventis is going to be beneficial to the Pharma industry?"

- Practice a few cases with someone who can evaluate your answers. Don't be afraid to ask the interviewer for additional information, beyond what they give you to start with. Brush up on some basic facts, for example: population of the U.S. - 275 million (use generally accepted #'s for easier math). There are a bunch of other "standard" pieces of info. Check Vault.com to get some more.

- Figure half the interview will be fit, the other half will be case, or industry knowledge (depending on the position).

- You may actually be asked a

 

I used to be a consultant and am now in business school and agree with everything haps22 said. The only other thing I'd add is to make sure you take a little time to work on your "story."

Basically know backwards and forwards why you initially choose engineering, why it leads you to consulting, why consulting is the right choice for you know, and like he said, how your engineering background taught you skills that actually ideal for your new consulting career.

Also, have you heard of the SOAR or STAR framework? When asked behavioral questions (e.g. Tell me about a time you displayed teamwork skills), structure your answer in this format:

S (Situation): BRIEFLY explain the situation you were facing
O (Obstacle) or T (Task): what was the main obstacle or task you had to overcome
A (Action): what specific action did you take
R (Results): this is the most important, you must demonstrate that you achieved results, especially tangible results (e.g. I saved our project team from having to do an additional 2 months of testing, $100,000, etc.)

 

Yes, defintely work on your "story." that is very, very important. Thanks for adding that hondabert.