Consulting Internship Preparation - Non Business Major - How to secure FT offer
Hey guys,
I've managed to get a summer internship at OW and I'm hoping to get some advice on how to prepare for it. I'm an engineering student so I don't really know anything about consulting. The recruiters all told me the only thing I really NEED to do is read the news, but I'm hoping I could get some better advice here. I plan on reading the following books:
-Lords of Strategy
-BCG on Strategy
-McKinsey Mind
-McKinsey Way
-Built to Last
-Good to Great
-Blue Ocean Strategy
Do you recommend any other books? Is it necessary to read all of these?
I'll also be learning Excel VBA and all the excel shortcuts.
What else should I be doing in preparation for my internship?
Does anyone have any advice on how to secure a full time offer? (my goal, ultimately)
Cheers
This is all kinds of overkill...
Knowing some excel would be good. Freshen up on ppt as well.
It's an internship, just be open to learning, and be well versed in current events and you should be gold
Agreed with @onthegrind. It's an undergrad internship - odds are that 95% of your intern class has no experience with consulting. And while a business major might have a slight leg up on you depending on the type of project, there's also a chance you could have a leg up on them as an engineering major.
Moreover, none of you will really know anything, so as the above poster said, just be open to learning and take feedback well. Would definitely do some PowerPoint stuff as well. When I moved into consulting, I was well-versed in Excel, but was a total disaster in PPT. Learning some simple maneuvers in the program, as well as what a good deck is expected to look like, could be really beneficial.
Don't burn down the building, or do something illegal. You'll get the return offer.
To add to what BGP2587 has already said I would definitely invest some time in ppt. You can find plenty of good decks online. The main thing you have to realize is that the projects you could be working on are so numerous and diverse that you really are not going to be able to prep for them.
You and your fellow interns will all be slightly overwhelmed and that totally okay. As much as the business majors might pretend, they will be scrambling too (maybe a tiny bit less but not much). The biggest thing you want to do it just produce awesome work. Impress your managers with your work ethic and be personable. If you're fun to be around and hammer your work getting an offer should not be a problem. Good luck!
The problem with this is that there's no definition of a "good deck." So much of it depends on the person reading it and his/her style so that you'll have to adjust your slides every project (or within a project, who's going to be reading the slide). It's one of the biggest frustrations that consultants face--your Consultant, Manager/PL, and your client all want different things from the deck.
So you can spend some time learning shortcuts, but those you can pick up within a week when you're working. You spend so much time in it that it's hard not to learn them. Also, the standard PPT shortcuts may not be useful because most firms have their own add-on for many things.
So, they're telling you the truth. From a return on time spent perspective, I'd argue it's much better to familiarize yourself with what's going on in the business world especially since you don't have a business background. Don't limit yourself to WSJ but read longer articles in HBR, McKinsey Quarterly, BCG Perspectives, Businessweek, etc, because they go into more depth.
Also, just enjoy college life a little... A good chunk of your life will be spent working, and you're only in college once. You have a great offer with 99% chance of getting a return offer. It's one of the best times of your college career.
@pnb2002 Agreed that a "good deck" is mostly in the eyes of the beholder, but there are general standards for quality slides that many new consultants are not very aware of. You're right, though, I don't think I would spend that much time on it, or anything else for that matter. Read some books, HBR, McK Quarterly, and the news, but more importantly, just be ready to absorb as much as possible when you get there.
Iure et aut fugit eligendi soluta non aliquid. Quaerat voluptatem maiores commodi non hic. Aut molestiae omnis nam et voluptatem cum.
Deleniti provident minima magni dolorem ut. Officia aut quia sint consequatur accusamus. Molestias et consequatur ducimus quod enim quo voluptas quia.
Quasi reprehenderit deleniti officiis consequatur odit. Autem dolores nesciunt quisquam inventore velit eligendi rerum dolore. Rerum error ut neque id omnis in voluptate.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...