Why Consulting?

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In the consulting interview, your interviewer is likely to ask you the following straightforward question, “why consulting?”

Relevance of the question

The question is relevant for two reasons:

1. Your interviewer is likely to ask it in the interview; and
2. You will be much more likely to succeed (in the interview and afterwards) if you can clearly and passionately articulate in your own mind the reasons why you want to work in the consulting industry.

How to answer the question

The way you respond to the question is more important than what you say. The most important thing is to be sincere and passionate about getting into the industry.

Think about why you want to get into the industry and write down each reason as a bullet point. Review your points before stepping into the interview.

Reasons to enter the consulting industry

Here are thirteen (13) reasons that you might give in answer to the question “why consulting?”:

1. Early responsibility: Opportunity to get early responsibility tackling real world business problems;
2. Skills: Opportunity to develop marketable skills in a prestigious environment;
3. Learning: Continuous learning through project experience and formal training;
4. Work experience: Working with intelligent and energetic people;
5. Mentors: Exposure to senior consultants and the chance to learn how they think, act, and analyze problems;
6. Networking: Access to senior clients and an extensive alumni network;
7. Variety of work: Opportunity to undertake a diverse range projects across a broad range of industries;
8. Remuneration: Consulting is prestigious and the money is good;
9. Teamwork: Working as part of an elite fast paced team;
10. Impact: Creating solutions that lead to improved organisational performance;
11. Travel: Opportunity to travel with work;
12. B-school: Increasing the chance of being accepted into a top business school;
13. Exit opportunities: The skills, networks and branding of a few years at a management consulting firm will open new doors and the experience will always look good on your résumé.

[For more information on consulting interview, download “The HUB’s Guide to the Consulting Interview“.]

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