Consulting Has Long Been a Desirable and Lucrative Industry in Which to Land A Job, Which Means there a Lot of Competition.
Spencer Anderson, A Bain Senior Manager Who Spent Almost Seven Years at the Firm, Shared His Top Tips for Standing Out in an interviewing an information session hosted by leland – a Career Coaching Platform Where he now serves as head of revenue.
Be yourSelf
Consultants at Bain Come from A Wide Range of Backgrounds, Anderson Said. Some of the have have stem degree, oters studied the humanities. And then there’s the traditional finance and Business Majors, Anderson Said.
“If you try to be someone you’re not, they’re going to sniff it out Pretty Quick,” He Said.
AS A Former interview, Anderson Said he wast of scan résumés looking for an “Icebreaker” to spark conversation at the start of an interview. For that reason, applicants should view their résumés as a way to “Control All of the Different Variables” An interview Might draf on. In terms of length, he recommended keeping it to one page for decade of Experience.
Some Consulting Firms Don’t Require a Cover Letter, SO Applicants Should Be “Strategic” About Whether To Include One, He Said.
“If you will Write One, Make Sure Your Stands Out in a Genuine, Interesting Way,” He Said. “There’s A Line BetWene Being Vulnerable and Being Wise About How Much You Share.”
The Best Approach, Anderson Said, is to Ask yourSelf: if the interviewer Could Remember One Thing About Me, What Waled It Be?
Secure an Advocate
Wen It Comes to Networking, Anderson Said, “You Don’t Want to Network for Networking of Sake.”
Instead, the goal is to desvelop advocates who Can “Fully Vouch for You” when it matters MOST. The ultimate Aim, he said, is to have someone “in the Room” During Résumé Reviews Who Knows You Well Enough to Say, “We Want to Give This A Shot.”
Anderson Said he cringes at the word “networking” and suggests reframy it as connecting with People and SEEing Whether Genuine Friendships Might Form.
Practicing Cases with these Connections Can Also Be Valuable. CASES ARE SIMULATED BUSINESS SELL TYPICAL CLIENTS OF CONSULTING FIRMS FACE. The Bedrock of Consulting Interviews Involves Answering Questions About These Cases.
While it may May Informal, They’re Most Likely “A Little Bit Evaluating You,” Anderson Said, Sinety Have to Decide Whether to Advocate on Your Behalf. Don’t be afraid to Ask Direct Questions Eoth, Such As, “How I will stack up against other candidates?” He Said.
Ultimately, he Said Applicants Should Focus on Building Authentic Relationships. Not every contact will be “in the Room” Where Hiring Decisions Are Made, But Eight Those Can Still Influenza or Connect You To Someone Who Is.
Practice Deliberately and Uncomfortable
Anderson Said the Key to Preparing for Consulting Interviews is Practice, Practice, Practice.
“You don’t just want to practice in a repeatable, comfortable way. What you need to be practice in an uncomfortable Way,” He Said.
That means doing different Types of Interviews with Different People Who Will Challenge You in New Ways, he Said. Relay on “50 CASES WITH THE SAME PERSON AND THE SAME KIND OF GENERAL CASE STRUCTURES” CAN CREATE A RUT, SEID, Leaving Candidates unprepared when inevitably “thrrow a curveBall” in the actual interview.
Work with the interviewer
Anderson Said SuccessFul Candidates View the interview as a collaboration Rather than a test.
“A lot of People View the interview as this intimidating Judge, and if you view say as an intimidating Judge, you’re going to make they are intimidating Judge, and it won’t be a great interview.
The Real Challenge, he Said, isn’t the interviewer – iTi’s the case. By Treating the interviewer as a partner instead of an adversary, Applicants Can Show they They Know How to Problem-Solve Collaboratly while Being Transparent and Genuine in Their Approach.
Also, he said to make sura to show your interviewers that you’re thinking beyond the Question at Hand.
A “Superstar Answer,” He Said, Is One in Which a Candidate “is really Kind of immersing thermves in the problem and thinking about swim giving the answer that was requested, but also providing the arund that answer.”
Finally, don’t be afraid to use consulting lingo. Some of his his go-to phrases include “boil the ocean,” Which References to Taching on a Project That’s Too Big, and “Strawman,” Which Refuting an Argument Different from the One at Hand. He use it in a sentiment: “here’s a struwman for us to go beat up.”
If you get stack, he said, don’t hesitate to Ask Questions. At the end of the day, interviewers “want to open up your mind and be able to look at it and see how you’re processing Things.”
Make the firm Want You
Anderson’s Final Piece of Advice is for Candidates to Be Honest With Themselves.
“Do you really want this job?
Anderson Said he loved his experience at bain and though it was a great place to start his career. He Enjoyed the Challenge of Solving Complex Problems for Both Fortune 500 Leaders and Fast-Growing Startups.
But he was Also Candid About the Downsides. “It was songs soul-crushing anxiety at 1 am we you’re pounding Through try to finish some things or staying up till 3 finishing a model,” he said.
If a Candidate’s Answer to “WHY DO I WANT THIS?” Is Unclear, He Said, Its Better to Pursue Another Path. Remind YourSelf that you can still “make a difference in the world,” and if bain can be a part of that – great. If not, Remind YourSelf that you can still do it anyway.
That mentality is key Because in interviews, as in dating, game theory goes a long way.
“If you come acroS as really desperate, they’re probably going to think, Well, I don’t want someh’s desperate for me. I could be Better,” He Said.
