Consulting Resources for Underclass Students

The Career Center recommends that first-year, sophomore, and junior students take the following steps to explore their career interests in consulting:

• Attend Explore 101: Career Options and Explore 201: Networking workshops. These workshops are offered throughout the semester. Visit Handshake for a schedule and to register.
• Meet with a Peer Advisor to work on your resume. Visit Handshake to schedule an appointment.
• Join a student club related to your career interests. Visit the student club website for the list of current clubs.
• Join the Hamilton Consulting Group.
• Attend employer information sessions for firm(s) that are in your area of career interest – this is another way to explore different career fields. Visit Handshake for a list of employer information sessions.
• Consider reading the following resources on the consulting industry:
  • Firsthand (formerly Vault)
  • Management Consulting: A Complete Guide to the Industry by Sugata Biswas
  • Consulting Case 101 - search “Interview with Seasoned Consultants” for relevant articles
  • Management Consulted - subscription-based website but worth investing in if you are serious about the career field
• Network with alumni working in consulting. Meet with your career advisor to talk about the best networking strategies. Schedule a career advisor appointment on Handshake. 

CASE INTERVIEWING 

Understanding and answering case interview questions are critical to landing a job in consulting. Case interviewing is a bit like learning a foreign language and you need to know it in-depth to succeed. The resources below will get you started, but the real key is practice, practice - and practice again. Team up with your fellow students, alumni, family members; whoever is willing to ask you the questions and give you feedback.

Understanding the Case Interview & Practice Questions:

• Firsthand (formerly Vault)
• Case in Point by Marc Consentino
• Ace the Case - general case prep, also sell books of questions
• Consulting Case 101 -Search case interview questions by type, by industry, by company
• Management Consulted -   - subscription-based website but worth investing in if you are serious about the career field. They also offer boot camps during breaks!

On-Line Case Interview Overview and Practice – Consulting Firms:

Many firms have this type of information on their sites – here are just a few. Make sure you check others of interest to you:

• Bain & Company
• Boston Consulting Group 
• L.E.K. 
• McKinsey 

Concepts for Further Thought and Research:

Below are some of the analytical processes used when framing your answers to case questions. It is a good idea to develop a basic understanding of each one:

• Marketing:  Four P’s of Marketing (Product, Price, Promotion, Place)
• Product Life Cycle (model and terminology)
• Business and Competition (barriers to entry, SWOT analysis)
• Company Analysis (Four C’s-Customers, Competitors, Capacity, Cost)
• Porter’s Five Forces (Potential entrants, suppliers, buyers, substitutes, and industry competitors)