As with most other competitive professions, breaking into consulting roles has a lot to do with networking.
Unfortunately, candidates get one chance to make a first impression. Meeting people early before you are polished will end up burning a lot of bridges.
For example, after a very disorganized meeting the consultant will come back and skewer the coffee chat, recommending everyone else in the firm not to meet with this person. Effectively, that person has been blacklisted and will find it incredibly hard to find employment within that extended network.
I have had the misfortune of being on both sides of some bad chats and would like to share some things to remember here. The crux of it revolves around something everyone should know – not just consulting professionals – and that is to be considerate.
Offer to Buy Coffee in an Informational Interview
We understand the social dynamics at play on a first date where a girl makes the charade of fishing around in her purse for her wallet. She never actually finds her wallet before the white knight steps in, but this gesture of pseudo-sincerity preserves the integrity of the meeting.
The same notion holds for a coffee chat – the reality is that most consultants are not going to let a student pay for coffee – however offering to pay will surely create a positive impression.
Send a Resume in the Cold Email
There are differing opinions on this, but the benefit of flipping a resume over as part of the initial communication (or including your LinkedIn in the signature) exceeds the risk.
The worst case scenario is that the recipient thinks, “oh wow I don’t even know this person and he has the audacity to send me his resume”. The reality of the situation is that even if they think this is the case, they open the resume 99% of the time. If the resume is good, you will be contacted back assuming they have attrition problems and difficulties in filling vacancies.
A coffee chat or phone call is filled with unknowns. But if they like you, they are going to ask you to flip your resume over after anyway.
Communicate What You Want and Do It Quickly
Let people know what you want – a job at the firm, and let them know quickly. Your email should have already communicated this to some extent, and it should include something such as:
“Hi Brian, I am a ____ from Waterloo interested in management consulting. I am interested in X, Y, and Z and due to the above reasons I would like to learn more about the projects you work on and any potential opportunity at the firm.”
No one is here to sell you anything, you are here to sell yourself. If you are having a conversation with a consultant, it is already obvious that the end goal is a job or another connection. Talking about travel or hobbies are great ways to start a conversation and showcase your personality, but don’t drag it too long. The more time you spend talking about the water in Bali, the less time you have communicating why you are qualified, hungry and a good fit for a career in consulting.
Listen and Learn from an Experienced Professional
If you are solicited however, feel free to chat as this means it is a slow day and that your counterparty genuinely wants to build rapport. The more they like you, the more likely this chat will lead to something else. If they like golf, talk about golf. If they like food, talk about food.
Basically, be prepared to lead the conversation if your counterparty is silent but let them lead if they want to because you are borrowing their time.
The worst thing you can do (actually, one of many) is to interject, saying “I know what you do” when they are about to tell you what they do.
Research and Prepare in Advance of the Interview
There is ample literature addressing these questions and it is a fair assumption that if you cannot be bothered to Google things before your coffee chat, then you cannot be bothered to figure things out by yourself on the job. A lack of intellectual curiosity and preparation suggests entitlement, and this is not a desirable trait.
It is also disrespectful because someone has to spend time explaining something that you should have known.
Do your research on the company. Do your research on the industries, functional verticals, and types of clients the company focuses on. Look up LinkedIn, Quora, etc. There is a lot of data out there.
Reflect on Your Failures and Do Not Make the Same Mistake Twice
You do not need to write a self-reflection paper every time you say something cringeworthy at a coffee chat, but you should pay attention to moments where your coffee date seems uncomfortable and think about possible triggers. Some faults are more obvious – for instance, calling the consultant by the wrong name or mentioning the wrong company.
Jason Oh is a management consultant at Novantas with expertise in scaling profitability and improving business efficiency for financial institutions.
Image: Pexels
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