This is a question that you will inevitably receive when interviewing with a consulting firm. It provides you with an excellent way to demonstrate your interest in the firm, how it fits with your goals, and show that you’ve done your homework. Your goal should be to stand out from other applicants – this is done by being specific about the firm and the role that you are targeting, and giving a response that isn’t generic enough to be applicable to multiple firms.
The following article aims to provide you with some suggestions for how you can conduct research on various firms so that you can determine which may be a good fit for you and begin crafting your reasons for applying.
1. Doing a self-reflection of your interests and motivations
Before getting into the application process, I think it is key to reflect upon your own aims and what type of work you want to do.
Look at your work experiences, education, and other career paths you’ve considered. What did you like? What didn’t you like? Are you looking to pivot out of your current role? Also, how flexible are you on the type of work you do? For some, the attraction of consulting is the opportunity to work on a diverse set of problems in a diverse range of industries, which generalist firms can offer. In contrast, certain service lines of a larger firm or boutique firms can give you a chance to focus on a specific type of work or industry. Answering these questions can help you to sift through the many firms that are out there to find ones that align with your interests. Furthermore, this self-reflection can help you to identify your specific motivations, which can help to shape your broader applicant story and profile.
2. Making use of consulting websites, forums, and blogs
Consulting websites, forums, and blogs like Tom Spencer, Vault, and r/consulting, are useful resources to consider.
These sites can help you discover certain areas of specialty at larger firms (e.g. McKinsey’s public sector work or BCG’s consumer product work) or expose you to boutiques whose functional or sector focus matches your interests. Having all of this information is super valuable and can help you create a shortlist of firms to research further.
When doing your research, something to be cognizant of is the blurred line between opinion and fact (especially on forums like Reddit). Make sure you do your due diligence, so that you can get an accurate picture instead of blindly believing hearsay and a series of rehashed stereotypes.
3. Finding specific projects through LinkedIn
I extensively used LinkedIn when conducting research on the firms I applied for, beyond reaching out to my connections at firms. Specifically, I used it to learn about the work being done at various offices by looking up the profiles of individuals working there and making note of their role descriptions. Consultant profiles often include specific projects that they have worked on, or areas of expertise they have developed. I then kept a running list which I used to compare and make note of patterns (e.g. Firm XYZ does a lot of work in healthcare). When it came time to interview, this allowed me to talk about tangible projects that I had researched that would be the type of engagements I’d want to be on.
I will caution that this approach is not always foolproof. The projects might not account for a large portion of the firm’s overall business or might have been a one-time engagement. Hence, it’s important to use this approach in conjunction with other research methods. What you find via LinkedIn should be used to supplement the other reasons you have for applying to a particular firm, role, or office. For example, if you are applying to a Silicon Valley firm due to your interest in tech, this method can give you tangible examples of tech engagements that can further affirm your interest.
4. Conducting coffee chats to understand firm culture
Coffee chats allow you to get a feel for the different cultures that exist across firms, as a lot of times it’s a product of its people. Your questions should be geared to things that aren’t easily found online and related to individual experiences, allowing you to gain more insight from a cultural perspective. Things like why they picked the firm, what they like about it, or their favorite engagements can bring a lot of value to help you understand what experiences you might have.
You can also talk about non-career aspects too. Some of the best connections I’ve made have been because of my similarities with the individual due to common hobbies, interests, and backgrounds, and have made the connection feel less transactional and more genuine. Quality connections are always better than quantity and finding common ground can further speak to your ability to fit in with your potential future colleagues.
Final Thoughts
These four items, although rather simple and intuitive, are important when researching potential consulting firms. They can allow you to personalize your response with respect to your interests and ambitions, help you to be specific about the things that excite you, and allow you to mention conversations you’ve had with individuals that could soon become colleagues. This can help you narrow down on your own applications and convey to prospective firms that the interest and fit is a mutual one.
Jawad Khandoker is a final year student at the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University, completing both a BMath and BBA degree. Upon graduation, he will be joining Monitor Deloitte as a consultant and has prior internship experiences in analytics, internal consulting, and project management. Outside of his professional interests, Jawad enjoys playing and watching sports, and playing flight simulators.
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