Here, I’ll focus on ten critical steps to prepare for management consulting interview rounds. As general advice, by far the best way to become a distinctive interviewer is to get live experience - thus the reason why you should spread a wide net in your search for different consulting firms.
Case study prep
1. Buy Case In Point - a strong, 100% case-focused manual
2. Review Victor Cheng’s www.caseinterview.com - as an ex-McKinsey consultant, Victor has a strong grasp of successful case study strategies and tactics
3. Practice case studies online - most company sites have plenty of real cases (some like Bain even have video run-throughs). The key is to answer the question yourself before reading the suggested answer. There are several consulting websites with case study materials as well, one example is Rice’s Consulting Club
4. Practice with friends - if no friends can be found, search sites like Craigslist, consulting forums, and the like for suitable partners
5. Practice guesstimation/sizing questions in spare waking moments (eg, if you see a Ford while driving, think about how many Ford cars are manufactured in Mexico). It seems silly, but this is exactly how to become an expert at case studies
The key here: practicing as many cases as you can with actual consultants. Don’t underestimate their capacity to help you
Fit interview prep
1. Create fake fit interview questions and prepare sample responses - avoid rote memorization, but outline your main bullets.
2. Practice responding in front of a mirror - this helps you with body language, pacing, hand gestures, and so on
3. Practice with colleagues - make them ask you questions with no prepared responses. Improvisational skills will serve you well in your business career
General interview prep suggestions
1. Dress in something that looks sharp and makes you feel good - first appearances are powerful. Dress like a business consultant, and you’ll look like you deserve to be there.
2. Talk to as many consultants as you can get ahold of - the better you understand the day-to-day job, the more comfortable you are with consulting phrases like “deck” and “scope“, the better you’ll do. It’s also great for job hunting and networking
That wraps up our tour of the necessary steps to prepare for management consulting interviews. Good luck!
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