Title: Consulting Internship Overview and Panel Discussion
1Consulting Internship Overview and Panel
Discussion
- Presented by
- AMA the Consulting Club
November 29, 2005
2Consulting InternshipAgenda
- Recruiting Process
- Interview Preparation
- Panel Discussion
3Recruiting ProcessTimeline
- Submit application beginning in mid-December
- Résumé and cover letter
- Some firms do not require cover letter anymore,
instead they want your geographic preference - Check to see if your preferred office has an
internship program - Closed list released beginning mid-January
- Résumé plays a major factor in getting on closed
list - Interactions with on-campus representatives also
important - Talk to 2nd years who interned with consulting
firms - Bid for open list positions if youre not on the
closed list - Watch for open sign-up
4Recruiting ProcessInterviews
- First round interviews on campus
- Covers all offices
- Some firms have separate first round for Asian
offices - Usually 2 interviews 30-45 minutes each
- 2 cases with small portion of fit
- Second round interviews
- US offices hold interviews in respective offices
- Asian offices conduct interviews in centralized
location by region - 3-4 interviews with partners
- 2-3 cases with 1 fit interview
5Consulting InternshipAgenda
- Recruiting Process
- Interview Preparation
- Panel Discussion
6Interview PreparationTypes Of Interviews
Interview process is broken into a case and a fit
portion and to receive an offer you must succeed
at both interviews
Case
Fit
Offer
You do not have to nail very case
7Interview PreparationWhat Interviewers Look For
Interviewers look for problem solving skills,
common sense and the ability to communicate
8Interview PreparationApproach To Cases
Conclude
Analyze
Structure
Clarify
Goal
- Agree on major points of inquiry
Tips
- Listen carefully
- Ask questions
- Paraphrase to confirm
- Agree on priority issues
- Make estimations
- Public math
- Work together (ask questions, watch for hints)
- Remember the actual question
- Make a recommendation
- Synthesize your answers
- Describe your overall approach
- Do not dive into details straight away
- Keep it simple
- Be MECE
9Interview PreparationCase Preparation
- Form your practice teams
- Consulting Club and/or your own teams
- Some case books are better for reading, others
are great for practice (Kellogg case book) - Once youve been given a case, you should be able
to give it as an interviewer - Practice with second years and former
consultants, once youre ready - Leverage the Consulting Club
- AMA is planning a mock interview event with 2nd
years in January - Memorize basic statistics
- population, number of households, etc.
- Practice public math
- Read, read, read
- WSJ, business articles and journals
- The more you know, the more robust your
recommendation is going to be
10Interview PreparationFit Interview
Fit interviews are an integral part of the
recruiting process so dont underestimate it
- First round interviews focus on cases
- Fit is a small portion, generally 5-15 minutes
- Second round interviews, on the other hand, test
both cases and fit - At least one fit interview
- Even during case interviews, your demeanor and
questions give interviewers a way to test your
fit with their firms - Be prepared to talk about
- Your initiative accomplishments
- Difficult situations/learning experiences
- Why you want to be a consultant (work and
lifestyle) - Your long-term goals, consulting and otherwise
- Communication is key during interviews
articulate, brevity, poise, confidence
11Interview PreparationKnow Your Stories
- Rehearse stories for each possible question
- Know your resume well and be ready to create
stories from your resume - Be prepared to talk to stories in detail
- Maintain enthusiasm levels throughout Fit Case
12Interview PreparationYour Mindset
Recruiting is similar to taking a fifth class, so
keeping a healthy mindset is important
- Healthy prospective
- Dealing with success and dings
- Controlling the controllables
- Do not obsess over particular firms
- Realistic expectations
- More positions for full-time than internship
- Stay calm and relaxed - youll find a great
internship
13Consulting InternshipAgenda
- Recruiting Process
- Interview Preparation
- Panel Discussion
14Panel DiscussionTopics
- Summer internship experiences by office US
Asia - Clients, industries and functions
- Culture
- Work/life balance
- Development
- Recruiting process any difference
- Post-consulting career paths