Main Factors for Top Consulting Jobs

In order to get a consulting job, what are the main factors of consideration (assuming HYP undergrad)?

In general, does a HYP 3.5 GPA and a good interview beat a HYP 3.7 GPA and a medium interview?

Does major matter (i.e., if you are a math or philosophy major versus a poli sci)?

 

A medium interview won't get you to the next step no matter how high your gpa. I'm not sure what HYP stands for, but here are the key factors that matter for consulting jobs

  1. Analytical candlepower. They'll look at grades, major, competitiveness of school as a barometer. The combination has to be right. You don't have to be from a top 10 school, although it sure helps, but if you're not, you have to have a very high gpa and strong major.

  2. Demonstrated love of problem solving. Consultants solve other people's problems. It could be in a hot sector or not. Good consultants just like figuring out how to make things better. Do you stand in line at the airport and think of what changes you'd make to get the line to move faster? Do you think about what you'd do differently if you were the President of the university? If so, you've got the right profile.

  3. Achievement. They'll look for proof of success in extra-curriculars, previous jobs, etc. This is a complement to the analytical candlepower point and can help compensate for a weaker gpa.

  4. Relationship building skills. Consultants generally are pretty nerdy, but they're thoughtful interesting people, at least the ones that have a future in thebusiness. At the entry level, they want to make sure you're someone who would work well in a team environment, but as you get senior you need to be able to bring in business, and to do that you need relationship skills.

Andrea Gotta Mentor http://www.gottamentor.com

Gotta Mentor Connect to the Advice & People You Need to Achieve Your Career Goals
 

[quote=formerMD]A medium interview won't get you to the next step no matter how high your gpa. I'm not sure what HYP stands for, but here are the key factors that matter for consulting jobs

  1. Analytical candlepower. They'll look at grades, major, competitiveness of school as a barometer. The combination has to be right. You don't have to be from a top 10 school, although it sure helps, but if you're not, you have to have a very high gpa and strong major.

  2. Demonstrated love of problem solving. Consultants solve other people's problems. It could be in a hot sector or not. Good consultants just like figuring out how to make things better. Do you stand in line at the airport and think of what changes you'd make to get the line to move faster? Do you think about what you'd do differently if you were the President of the university? If so, you've got the right profile.

  3. Achievement. They'll look for proof of success in extra-curriculars, previous jobs, etc. This is a complement to the analytical candlepower point and can help compensate for a weaker gpa.

  4. Relationship building skills. Consultants generally are pretty nerdy, but they're thoughtful interesting people, at least the ones that have a future in thebusiness. At the entry level, they want to make sure you're someone who would work well in a team environment, but as you get senior you need to be able to bring in business, and to do that you need relationship skills.

Andrea Gotta Mentor http://www.gottamentor.com[/quote]

What a load of shit... "Do you stand in line at the airport and think of what changes you'd make to get the line to move faster." It's great that you and your friends started a bootleg career site over the weekend, but no need to push some BS on another site.

Look, they want a solid worker monkey who can crank out analytics for 70 hours a week with few defects, and who won't embarass them in front of the client. If you're a 3.6 or 3.7 from HYP, you'll probably get an interview at a few places but not all. If you're asking for more detail/assurance, it's futile unless you provide more personal details about yourself.

Students tend to overvalue the importance of "hard" stats in their candidacy.

 

That list sounds great but doesn't seem to give any concrete advice as to where the cutoff is for a potential job or not.

Consider if someone applied for a consulting interview with a 1.5 GPA and a community college degree. They clearly are below "the cutoff" and probably won't be considered. A HYP 4.0 is clearly "above the cutoff" and probably will be.

What I'm asking is: what's a ballpark range of stats for someone to be considered for an interview (i.e., you have to have above a 3.7 HYP degree, top leadership positions, and an SAT above 2300). I understand this could have a very subjective answer and be potentially inaccurate in many cases, but I'm just looking for the ballpark range.

The second question is once you get interview, are you treated more or less equally with all other candidates (i.e., if you do good you advance and your SAT scores no longer matter as much as they did beforehand when they got you in the door)?

 

Ah the elusive cutoff GPA. Haven't you heard MBB repeat at their info sessions that they don't have cutoff GPAs and are interested in all majors?

Average GPAs of MBB incoming classes tend to hover around 3.9. Getting in with a 3.5 is tough, even from HYP.

The truth is there really isn't a cutoff, but they don't seem to hire many people below 3.7...

 

MBB is all about GPA. I know a guy who had a slight speech impediment but got MBB, had a 3.95 in a very quanty major.

The case interviews are in fact designed to a) make a close decision if two guys with exceedingly high GPAs are vying for one spot b) make the process seem extremely difficult/nerve racking and therefore more competitive

There is no way this guy gave a good presentation.

 
MonkeyMath:
MBB is all about GPA. I know a guy who had a slight speech impediment but got MBB, had a 3.95 in a very quanty major.

The case interviews are in fact designed to a) make a close decision if two guys with exceedingly high GPAs are vying for one spot b) make the process seem extremely difficult/nerve racking and therefore more competitive

There is no way this guy gave a good presentation.

is quite possibly the worst post in the history of the internets

 

No offense intended but do you really need a 3.9 to do the work at M/B/B? Isn't consulting just powerpoint and making color graphs and CAGR and interviewing people on the phone? MBB consultants are quoted in the financial press sometimes and they say absolutely trivial, self-evident things. And the websites are full of sappy "thought leadership" puff pieces worthy of the HBR and Michael Porter. I browsed the McKinsey quarterly online once and felt it was a complete waste of time... "strategy" consultant seems like a euphemism for bulls*** artist.

p.s. I've never been interested in consulting so hopefully my ignorance is not too obvious. And there are plenty of BS artists/snake oil salesmen plying their trade on Wall Street too.

“Selective distribution, whether real or virtual, has always been fundamental for luxury brands,” Andrea Ciccoli, a fashion industry analyst for Bain & Co

-LVMH, Chanel Force EU to Modify Draft Law on Internet Sales Bloomberg 7/27/09

 

i got to 2nd round with one of the MBBs, and I have a 3.2.

This is also for the summer internship 09, which is much more competitive than full time positions and also in quite possibly the most difficult year to get in. School is top 10-15, otherwise nothing too impressive on my resume.

 

ideating, shut the fuck up.

I'm a fucking lurker and the advice still helped. Analytical skills are not mutually exclusive from cranking out 70 hour workweeks. If we regard it as horseshit, which you're right, it still half is, the rest of the post is several more times informative than what you've contributed.

You are a tool.

on a sidenote, I tanked McKinsey interviews from a nontarget. Got in at deloitte and booz with a 3.4, lol.

 
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