What did you wish you knew when entering consulting recruitment?
I have a pretty good understanding of the basics and usual tips for recruitment, but I am curious what veterens of the process or people with experience on the other side of the table have to say looking back.
You can’t practice casing enough. I was rejected for internship recruiting but luckily got in for full time since I was more prepared. It’s super important to get exposure to different industries, types of problems and math equations. It’s helpful to read up on some basics about different industries. You’re officially not getting evaluated on industry knowledge, but I think interviewers are impressed if you know at least a bit about the context of the case.
(Assuming you are aiming at MBB-level)
1- Know inside out the whole recruitment process and EXCEL at every step - this includes a flawless-looking, consultant-reviewed CV & Cover Letter, strong networking and practice cases as much as you can 1.1 - On cases, go for at least 20 live ones and on your own ~100. You know you're ready the whole choreography of opening cases, laying your thought process and covering the framework is routine for you
2- Be as interesting and differentiated from the competition as you can be - read the news, have a view of industries' business models and know particularly well a couple of them (e.g. Insurance, Banking, Energy, Auto). We're all pals, but in the end, it boils down to how many spots and how many candidates are
3- Be as charming and polite as you can be, but without BS in every interaction with firms (from ex-consultants to Secretaries, Partners and HR)
4- Don't overlook personal fit part of interviews
5- Do take sriously feedback between rounds - if you through rounds, it's a sign they want you to succeed and you have your incentives alligned (they don't want to send a lousy candidate to partners)
Good luck!!
Not to contradict everything people have said, but I think there is such a think as over-casing, over-practicing, and over-studying. Learning the cookie-cutter method of casing and then memorizing it, only to figure out how to differentiate yourself by studying more is only necessary if that's what you need to do to build confidence.
I went summer intern to full time at an MBB, from a target school, and I did 10-15 cases, all with other people, and that is it (partially because I just didn't have time). The best way to maximize casing is to be deliberate when you do them:
Case 1-2: Have an experienced person (preferably someone who was successful at interviewing in the company/tier you are aiming for, but is still in or just out of school) walk you through it, and basically demonstrate for you what successful answers look like
Case 2-7 (or until you are comfortable): With the exception of the minute you take for building your framework, talk through the entire thing. Say everything you are thinking. This is slightly more talking than you probably want to be doing in an actual interview, but as someone pointed out to me "your interviewer can't help you if they don't know whats going wrong, and they want to help you". This is an especially important skill with math, you want to be able to talk and add
Last 5 (or more) cases: these should be as if you are interviewing. If there is an interesting thing you notice or can relate to, mention it. Take time to think when you need it, but mostly talk. Don't say "like" in grammatically incorrect spots. Things like that.
I think also that reinventing yourself to be a model candidate might be counterproductive. Hopefully you've done some super cool things in college (which do not have to be the campus consulting group) and you solved interesting problems outside of an academic setting in interesting ways. I talked about nearly failing 4 (all) of my classes in one semester, but turned it into how I used my problem identification skills to figure out where in my own life I was mis-prioritizing.
Sorry, this was long, but I just feel pretty strongly that people shoot themselves in the feet sometimes by trying to become the "perfect candidate" and then just completely losing anything that makes their casing or fit stuff unique.
I think have reasonable expectations and cast a wide net. A lot of candidates fail to realize how competitive event T2 / Big 4 Strategy consulting is... Even Big 4 Strategy shops probably take less than 20% of applicants at their top targets.
Context for the following advice: I'm a recent graduate of a non-target starting full time at MBB this fall.
1) Over-casing is real and is a negative. To stand out in a case interview, what's most important is including all the key considerations while maintaining a creative and logical method of presentation. When a candidate cases too much in preparation, they will likely try to adopt an approach from a framework/previous case which might resemble what they're given in an interview, but doesn't exactly fit. Using creativity, intelligent questions, and a structured approach to guide you to the answer matters more than a robotic, uninteresting, or "forced" framework.
2) Underestimating the personal interview is a mistake. While the case interview is more unique and intimidating, the two interviews are often given equal weight in evaluation post-interview. A couple of math mistakes, for example, might be forgiven when paired with stellar behavioral interviews (my experience). Take the chance to really engage with your interviewer, regardless of their level of seniority. In fact, as you might expect, doing so with a more senior individual will help you far more. Consultants are required to be interesting and engaging conversationalists. This is an opportunity to sell yourself as possessing those critical skills.
3) Try exceptionally hard to connect well with those in the office prior to the formal recruiting process. If you can get an interview, your qualifications are on an equal footing with all others who have also been given an interview. Once you get invited to interview, your school, grades, and test scores no longer really matter. What will set you apart is your ability to prove yourself as an asset for the existing culture of the group, alongside excellent interviews. Stay comfortable, work hard, and good luck!
Interned at MBB in a Bay Area/NY office and then accepted the FT offer. Generally agree with philosophe's advice -- I don't know you need to necessarily limit to 10-15 cases, but do agree you don't need to go overboard here. Some things I wish I knew:
For as helpful as WSO is, I think there's a common conception that gets conveyed that you absolutely need to nail your cases with no mistakes, be perfectly polished during fit, have networked like a pro before the interviews, and even then need a stroke of luck to get the offer. I didn't even get to the answer in one on my cases and the interviewer had to give it to me. This same interviewer was the one who called me to tell me they wanted to give me an offer; I told him I was in disbelief because I didn't have the answer to his case, and he mentioned it didn't matter because he saw how I was thinking about the problem and the insights I was drawing out. Firms care about who you are, what you've accomplish and how you think; they don't expect perfection or one mold, and you shouldn't strive to present yourself as someone you're not because you think they do. Put most simply, be yourself and don't overcomplicate the interview.
It's important to understand the traditional case frameworks that exist and to have a sort of 'toolbox' of different types of things you can use to approach a problem (e.g., knowing that the customer, competitors, and market lenses can each be used when trying to answer a question) but ultimately what you'll want to do is approach cases with natural thinking. Knowing frameworks is helpful because it helps you think about a problem, but it's about putting different tools together and approaching the problem in a way that makes sense in the context of the case.